Where did spring go?

I've decided that Mother Nature is teasing us.  We went from rain and more rain to cold weather and even more rain.  So in honor of rain, I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures that feature water in some form.

Noble Park, Paducah Ky

Trailing Geranium

Water on leaves

Noble Park

January ice storm 2010

January ice storm 2010

Water in the birdbath

Ranger in seahorse aquarium

I am so tired of the rain.

I've been thinking . . .

And I try not to strain my brain when I do, but it's time I thought about summer plans.  Hubby will be laid off in about 3 weeks.  He's usually off all summer.  I am taking classes this summer in order to graduate in December.  We put on a garden and I can and freeze and dehydrate everything I can.  I have a flat of strawberries in the freezer now just waiting to be made into strawberry jam.  I may tackle that next week.  I have plenty of green beans that were canned.  I just opened my last jar of salsa a few days ago and only have 2 quarts of tomato juice and 3 pints of spaghetti sauce left.  Fortunately because of hubby's great hunting skill, we still have deer in the freezer.

My summer plans are to garden as much as possible.  I sit on pins and needles just waiting for the garden to start coming in.  But because of all the rain Kentucky has had, the garden isn't even broken up yet.  My Grandmother says as long as it's in the ground by the end of May I'm still in good shape.  I have to pull everything up, get all the tomato stakes out and get it tilled up.

I saved purple hull pea seed from last year.  It was the first time ever that I'd grown them and it will be a permanent fixture in the garden.  Easy to grow, harvest, and freeze.  I also saved cantaloupe seed and butter nut squash seed that will go out.  I'm also planting corn, banana peppers, jalapenos, and of course my all time favorite - TOMATOES!!  No meal is complete without a homegrown, still warm from the sun, tomato.  Oh yes, let's not forget cucumbers.  The boys HAVE to have their dill pickles.

People are surprised that I can.  I'm told it's too complicated, too much work, etc.  It can be complicated for a beginner, but information is out there if you just look and ask questions!  I don't even consider it work.  I enjoy gardening.  I love seeing my little pantry stocked with jar after jar after jar.  It's "my thing".  I truly love doing it.

Mustard relish

Pickled eggs

Squash pickles, dill pickles, and salsa

Apples

Spaghetti sauce and mustard relish

Green beans going into jars for canning

Tomato juice

Strawberry lemon marmalade

What are you plans this summer?

Can you help id these birds?

Any idea?

Juvenile Rosebreasted Grosbeak?

Juvenile Downy Woodpecker?

Bluebird or Indigo Bunting?

This is one of the Mother's Day plants I picked out.  I love Fuschia.  My Grandfather's sister, Alna, always had this growing on her front porch.  It reminded me of her.

Yes, we have no bananas

I was feeling a bit bananas today, so thought I'd share this with you.  Think of it as my gift to you.  Sit down, breathe deep, and push that play button.  I dare you.


Yesterday, the male bluebird that I've been trying to get a picture of decided to tease me.  I ran in to grab my camera and of course he disappeared.  Just as I was about to give up, I spied these crossing the road.

Mom has twins and is expecting again.  See her plump tummy?  I'm anxious to see the new fawns soon.

Happy Mom's Day

Peggy, Grandmom, Paula, Mom, Molly and Debbie

 celebrating Mother's Day

Spotted this at Mom's on her new Mother's Day

bird feeder.  This is only the second time

I've seen a Rose breasted Grosbeak!! 

Happy Mother's Day

Bird Nerd

I love sitting outside trying to catch pictures of all the birds that visit my only two trees left in the yard after the ice storm a few years ago.  The two remaining trees aren't big but both appear to be diseased. 

The Robin only posed for a moment. 

I believe this is a House Finch.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

This little flirt kept the male Cardinal busy.  She would fly from the feeder to the tree and back again.  The male Cardinal watched admiringly.

There were two finches playing.  Their song and the way they played reminded me of watching small children play and laugh.

Click on this to enlarge.  The colors on this hummer are amazing.

You know it's spring when you see this!

I have no idea what this is.  The tail feathers are blue.  Any help?

These are growing in abundance in my yard.  Does anyone know what it is?

If this damn rain would ever stop then the ground could dry then I could plant my garden then I could start watching it grow! 

I'm really hoping to see the Rose Breasted Grosbeak again this year.  I saw it two years ago.  The bluejay made a brief visit, but not long enough for me to get a shot.

The boys just got home, so Mom time is over for now!

If hail falls in the country and noone is around to hear it . . .

It can still do massive damage!

Although these were no larger than a quarter in diameter, the sound of it hitting the house, porch, and vehicles was simply incredible.  Just unreal. 

I think it's pretty unique that some were solid white and others were clear.

We had hail damage to the vehicles

If you click on this to enlarge you can see the tiny little green flowers that had just broken through.  There are large holes still in the dirt where the hail it.

If the worst we have is hail damage, then we are very fortunate.  Prayers to those whose lives have been devastated by the spring weather. 



On another note, I only have ONE FINAL LEFT and I'll be done for a few weeks - til summer.  I have to admit I was extremely disappointed in the class choices that were offered online at the community college.  The school has a rule that your final 32 hours must be taken on the home campus, but I submitted a request to take 6 elsewhere this summer because it is about $800 cheaper.  I'll be taking introduction to law enforcement (I can just imagine a bunch of Barney Fife's) and terrorism and political violence.  I'm guessing this one will be the most interesting.

The boys will be out on June 2nd and on June 6th, my friend Peggy is flying in from Texas to stay with us for a few days.  I am so excited!  I haven't seen her in over 4 years!