Flip-Flop

The calendar says spring, but the weather says winter.  

I had two Saturdays this week.  We had a day of rain and snow on Friday so Jim didn't go to work.  

It feels like Saturday when he is working around our place.  

Fridays are usually good days for me, too.  I've recovered from my two days of chasing boys around and I'm ready to get at my projects, which often consist of catching up what needs to be done.  

I am deep cleaning a little each week as I go along and I'm in the kitchen now.  I'm half done I think.  

The regular school year is nearly over and I'm down to one day a week with the boys.  

There is summer work for Lorene coming up, but we will work that out when we know more. 

Christian knows that I'm much more inclined to give snacks when a tea party is involved.  Our little packs of muffins contained only 4.  We have to have separate tea pots for some reason.  

Earlier this week it was spring and we had Barry overnight on Saturday.  

He helped and/or played around Jim for most of that beautiful, just warm enough, windless day.  The picked up twigs and branches, mowed, and worked on the barn.  

When Jim was gone for a bit, Barry and I deadheaded daffodils and dug rocks out of the driveway for the flower bed by the shop.  

He is indefatigable and I was stove up in the back for half the next week.  

My plan with grandchildren is to really wear them out.  They go to sleep so much easier. 

At the end of the day we burnt those branches and a few marshmallows.  

Jim is willing to take a long time to toast the ones he eats to a perfect light brown with a gooey middle.

It's a tradition to go out to Sunday lunch at Burger King where there are always a few kids to play with on the play set.  There wasn't as much playing this time because all the kids were enthralled to see the fire truck come to put out the fire in the trash bins.  

I see it is a good idea to have the bins in a nice brick enclosed area away from the building. 

 

Barry then chose to go out to the Archway and feed the fish.  I allotted the whopping sum of $2 to buy the food.  There wasn't a whole roiling mass of fish this time, but the ones that came were big with big mouths.  We walked around a bit.  It's a lovely place to enjoy. 

Lily of the Valley is my favorite flower.  I should say one of my favorites since my daffys are my favorite, and my dutch iris, and my woodland phlox, and my....

well, you get the idea.

Mom had loads of these growing in the shady spots by our house.  I loved their tiny crispness, their beautiful smell.  We used to take May Day bouquets to our teachers when I was little and one year the lilies were ready on the first of May.  I don't remember them blooming that early ever then.  

This year, I have a new record, April 22nd.

Of course, we are just enough south of home to be on the north edge of the next planting zone. 

1. White coral bells

Upon a slender stalk,

Lilies of the valley deck my garden walk.

2. Oh don’t you wish

That you could hear them ring?

That will happen only when the angels sing.

Tulips and Woodland Phlox

Random stolen shots of boys with Paislee

And then it was winter. 

This is the latest snow I remember that lasted long enough to get a photo.

April 28th

We are looking forward to warmer sunny days next week.