A Sunny Weekend

Hello, Dear Friends, we are finally getting some 

warm spring sunshine, here in WA state, after 

weeks of dreary, cold rain. 

On my way to the market this past weekend, 

I noticed that the wild cherry trees are in full bloom. 

It's amazing what a little sunshine can do in just a few days. 

This pasture is bordered by some lovely cultivated 

specimens. 

The weeping cherries are in bloom, too,
along with purple mountain laurel. 

Everywhere I look, flowers are blooming and birds

are singing. I can't help feeling a child-like joy.

 I want to skip and do cart-wheels. Haha. 

We all know that my days of doing cart-wheels are 

pretty much over..........

Unless, of course, I do them unintentionally :)

Like on Saturday.......

I was busy clearing brush, and had a nice armload

to add to the pile, when my foot caught on 

a low-hanging branch and down I went, 

face-first in the pile I was carrying. 

*    *

^

0

My foot was trapped under the large, 

now broken branch,

 and I couldn't get free, 

so I started to yell, 'Help', 

but pretty soon I realized that nobody 

could hear me. 

Even the dogs were barking.......

I used my other foot as leverage to lift

the branch that was pinning me down, 

and managed to right myself, 

covered in scratches, with twigs in my hair, 

but rather glad that nobody had seen me

because they would have been laughing. 

I am none the worse for wear, and pleased 

with all of my hard work, which has left the border 

neat and tidy. 

The hellebore is still blooming and the sweet woodruff

is spreading under the bench where I planted it 

years ago, from a friend's garden.

You can see alder catkins on the bench from the tree overhead. 

My wildflower garden is coming to life with 

forget-me-not and a stray dandelion or two. 

I always know that spring is officially here when 

the forget-me-not bloom. 

Of course, the daffodils are the true harbingers of spring, 

but this has not been a good year for them. 

It's been so wet and cold that they have refused to bloom, 

although a few hardy blooms have opened despite it all.  

The camellia is blooming along the walkway, 

cheering our comings and goings. 

You can see by the moss on the rock wall

how wet it has been! 

My son built this wall when he was in high-school, 

 from rocks that he 

gathered from the glacial river that runs 

below our little mountain. 

Speaking of our son - he came to help his Dad

prepare the site for Ramblin' Man's future workshop.

We so appreciate his help! 

This has been a long-term project, starting last year
 with tree removal and leveling of the site. 

We love our trees, so only the spindly alder trees were 

taken down, leaving the older cedar and fir to border

the area. You can see that the brush has already
filled in the bare spots. 

They worked so hard, leveling the site and digging 

trenches for drainage pipe and rock. 

They found two cement post piers
 that held up the pony barn, 

when the children were small. 

This one resembles an old shoe! 

The post is long gone, but the cement attached 

to a large, flattened rock - the 'toe' of the shoe. 

Digging these out made for hard work and I know

they are feeling it today! 

Ramblin' Man's old workshop will become my 

potting shed once this project is complete. 

Slowly, slowly......everything takes time. 

We have so much going on.......

Ramblin' Man works long hours and travels 

frequently for work, and everyday life takes up 

most of the rest of his time. 

But I'm sure I don't have to explain that to all of you! 

Life is so busy......

It's time to go inside........

I found this rusty wreath at the Northwest 

Flower and Garden Show in February
and knew it would be perfect on my vintage trellis. 

Have a seat and I will brew us a cup. 

The sunshine comes through 

the kitchen window, only in spring and summer, 

late in the day, when the sun is low in the sky. 

It leaves pretty shadows on the wall. 

And creates a lovely, warm glow.

And turns the hills golden.

Let's sit down and have a little snack
while we catch up on our week.

I baked an apple-raisin cinnamon bread! 

xoxo

Thank-you, Dear Friends for stopping by.
I hope that you are feeling the warm sunshine on your face, too.
xoxo

White Flowers

Hello, Dear Friends, I hope that you are enjoying 

the sweet, simple pleasures of life, 

as we are changing seasons, ever so slowly. 

Here in the foothills of the Cascade mountains 

of Washington State, the weather has been very wet

and cool, with snow still falling in the 

lower altitudes. We are just below this snow-line, 

and the mountain breezes are brisk, but the longer days 

more than make up for it. 

When the sun does come out, it is gloriously warm, 

but the sunshine has been elusive these last few weeks. 

I've been slipping outside in between showers to 

visit the flowers, whenever I get the chance. 

This year, I am in love with all-white flowers. 

There is something so calming and serene 

about white flowers. 

Here I have white Primrose. 

They are very cold hardy and bloom for weeks at a time. 

When they are done blooming, I can plant them in the garden. 

(I simply keep them in their nursery pots

and tuck them in with moss)

I collect green watering cans 

and vintage plant stands that I paint green :)

I've slipped one gallon nursery pots of white candytuft
into decorative containers for my tables. 

They have a lovely, sweet scent. 

Candytuft is a spreading, evergreen, shrub-like perennial

that blooms in early spring. 

You can read how to grow Candytuft here.

These will also bloom for weeks. 

The larger pots hold silver Dusty Miller. 

More primrose and candy-tuft reside in the 

vintage plant stand and hanging basket 

between the doors. 

Just beyond the deck I have more white flowers blooming. 

 I planted these Sweet Box shrubs years ago. 

I was at a large nursery and caught the scent of 

something very sweet. 

I followed the scent and found these evergreen beauties :)

I've never pruned them, so they are rather wild,
but fit right into this wilderness setting. 

Growing among them is another sweet-scented 

beauty, Korean Spice Viburnum. 

You can click on the name links to find  

more information on each plant. 

I like to open the doors to let the scent inside

on warm, sunny days. 

Or should I say, warm, sunny moments! 

Right now it is hailing....

My plant rack holds White Pansy and Sweet Alyssum, ready for potting up.

The purple flowers are Rock Cress.
I have had these in pots for years;
they are very long-lived.

I found the metal trough planters at my local craft store.

As I putter with my flowers,
a cool breeze sends all the wind chimes tinkling.

I love listening to the wind through the trees.
There are so many trees that
it sounds like ocean waves - rising and falling.

By the time I come inside, my hair is wild, like a child's,
and my cheeks are rosy.

And I need a tissue :)
The pollen makes me sneeze.

The white flowers of Star Magnolia brighten up the parking area.

Ivy drapes across a sagging wire fence.

These little trees have large star-shaped, waxy blooms
in early spring.

They are especially pretty in the rain.

The delicate white blossoms of Wild Plum
light up the woodlands at this time of year, too.

Here we are greeted at the gate by one in full bloom.

Later in the season, the small purple plums are a favorite
of the local birds and wildlife.

This year I am seeking serenity in a world
that sometimes seems less than serene.

White is the color of peace.

We can't control the world at large,
but we can create a peaceful refuge of our own.

A place where we can envision a better world.

xoxo

"Peace comes from within.
Do not seek it without."
- Buddha -


"Do your little bit of good where you are;
it's those little bits of good put together
that overwhelm the world."
- Desmond Tutu -


xoxo

Today I am linking with:

Cooking and Crafting with J&J

Floral Passions - Floral Bliss

Lets Add Sprinkle's - Keep in Touch

Won't you join the fun?