A Little Bit of Sunshine!

This old cold has put up a tough fight but I do believe I am whipping it!  I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!  Oh, wait...that is that thing commonly known as the sun..something we have not seen for about at week! Seriously...on both accounts..I am beginning to feel some better AND the sun did shine on the Bayou today!  (Or perhaps that is why I feel better!)  Anyway, this is the first day that I have been out and about the hillside in what seems to be ages!  I took full advantage of that sunshine!

Mark and I headed to the pier to check his boat after the torrential downpours.  I snapped a few photographs of some ducks and a lone osprey before heading back up the hill. The wind was a tad brisk and I was starting to get chilled.  I had better not press my luck!  As I made my way back up the board path, a glint of bright yellow caught my eye!  What?  Could my eyes be deceiving me or are the Jonquils blooming?  With a little glee in my heart, I quickened my step!  I REALLY needed to see something bright and cheery!  Sure enough..there under the blueberry bushes, the Jonquils were bobbing their heads in the breeze! Ahh, just the thing to make me feel so much better!

The little Jonquils always make me smile. I can remember as a child being allowed to pick as many as I wanted out of "Grandmother's Garden"!  Although, my grandfather did all the work in the garden, he always said it was Grandmother's.  Every year, the Jonquils were among the first flowers to bloom.  Sometimes the ground would still be covered with frost but those sunny, yellow blooms would be dancing in the wind.  I was always careful to not "overpick" the blooms but four or five would be carried in the house.  These would be presented to Grandmother and I would receive praise and hugs for the "most lovely bouquet"!  Grandmother would always say how she thought they looked like lovely hats!  She would then take down a vase and help me to arrange the blooms.  Perhaps it was more the special time spent with my grandparents than it was the flowers, but whatever..it was happy!  These days, the sunny, yellow "hats" still bring smiles!  I needed those smiles!

Touches of Spring!

Life is good here on the Bayou..every day, the birds sing, flowers bloom and the world revolves at my command..well..two out of three is not bad..is it? I am believing it is Spring..I want it to be so therefore I am doing all the things that I know in my gut should be put off at least for a few more weeks. Planting the garden and pulling out all of the old mulch might be tasks better suited for the end of March and not the end of February. The weather is not helping one bit in this situation, though. After nice rain before dawn, today's temperature reached 82 degrees. Now you tell me, does that seem like winter weather to you?

And while we are speaking of flowers blooming, a few rogue daffodils have popped up almost over night. These are not from the bulbs that my daughter-in-law just sent to me but a few that have tried their best to revive themselves after being brutally scathed by Hurricane Katrina. Now the bright yellow blossoms bob happily in the Bay breeze. Growing up, I remember these being called Jonquils..I am not sure that there is any difference in Jonquils and Daffodils. I am just happy to have anything blooming in the yard and the bright sunny yellow of these are sure to brighten anyone's mood!

Just around the corner from the Daffodil/Jonquil or whatever, the Hyacinths that my precious daughter-in-law brought me are starting to bloom, too. (She shares a lot of plants with me and I appreciate each one!) They are small blooms this year so I am seriously thinking that as soon as these blooms are spent, I will dig up all of the bulbs. Perhaps a more fertile place would suit them better..also, a little more sunshine might do them some good. I love the smell of the Hyacinths and would like them near the windows so I can enjoy them more often. A windowbox might be a perfect place!

Also, blooming are the Summer Snowflakes or Leucojums. I had always called these Snowdrops until just recently. I was told that although they are related, these were actually a different plant. A little research proved the point and although Leucojum is a mite hard for me to remember, Snowflakes..I can handle! These hardy little plants always seem to herald in the Spring with their little heads bowed in prayer. Perhaps they are thankful that the Winter chill has passed. The tiny white flower petals each have a dot of green which my Aunt Helen used to tell me was painted there by the "Garden Faeries"! I think maybe she was right!

I Am Not Alone!!!

The sun was shining beautifully this morning and regardless of the fact that I had fever, chills and body aches, I had to escape into the garden! I sneaked out early before breakfast and made all sorts of plans for the day's work! First on the agenda..burn the old leaves and rose trimmings that were piled in the middle of the rose garden. From there, I would clean around the front steps..it always seems to be a dropping-off point for so many items that happen to still be in the hand as I make my way back inside. I always have good intentions of putting them in their proper places but for some reason that never happens. Moving along on my list, I made a mental note to examine the gourds that never made it inside. A huge mound had accumulated because storage room was nil. These needed to be scrubbed, dried and stored for future projects. As I planned all of this, I thought of how ready I am for Spring if for no other reason than to start the gardens again. Then I noticed the little Jonquil buds starting to poke up through the mulch! Ahh, I was not alone in my thoughts of Springtime! This started me wondering just what all was starting to show in the flower gardens. As I perused the mulched beds, I found that the Daylilies were showing a good bit of green above the ground. I threw a bit of mulch over them as they will get frost burn with the temps even in the low thirties. The weather forecast calls for some ice in the next few nights so they needed a blanket to pull them through the chill. Further on, I came across the Wood Violets in full bloom! Oh, my! These goofy little plants have no sense! I love these little violets..my Springtime heralding flora friends! They and the Crocuses always bring a smile to my face! A welcoming bit of brightness after the grey of Winter! Of course, there is the winter garden with its cabbages, carrots and mustard greens! These are fine but just not as exciting as the bounty that comes from the Spring/Summer garden plots.

I am happy to say that I did accomplish everything that I set out to do today except for washing the gourds! My son has volunteered to do this job for me tomorrow and I am surely not going to deny him the honor! I feel so much better after a few doses of herbs but I truly believe getting out in the warm sunshine and fresh air helped tremendously! Now, I hear it is supposed to rain and be cold for the rest of the week..oh, my goodness! My little taste of Springtime was just that..little. But at least I was able to be out and about! Mentioning taste..my son decided to pick some mustard greens for supper tonight. I have never seen so many greens for just two people! The entire sink was filled! "They will cook down!" he said. True..but still. I washed and washed and finally had them all in the pot or at least , mounded in and above the six-quart pot! It is true that they did "cook down" but we will be eating leftover greens for a few days!