The many faces of Clarence hunting.

Spring in Georgia

For all of you suffering through the snowiest winter in a long time- I bring you to February in Georgia.

Now there is nothing special about forcing bulbs inside, but these are some amazing specimens if I do say so myself.

Here they are at the beginning of the week

And now at the end of the week.

Outside the birds are demanding that the birdhouses be cleaned and readied for them.

Driving around work I saw these beauties...



and in the parking lot of where I work...

And my desk* at work...

*The women I work with are crazy, one person received this for Valentine's Day but says she hates the smell and watching them die- so said I was welcome to them. So, don't mind if I do. I think they smell divine.

We had the house powerwashed and then trim and doors painted- that white trim just pops. The door used to be white, but now... a beautiful green.

Little bit of a close up of the door

Clarence sleeping next to his friend

Made gingerbread cookies

Here's why we did all that painting.

Step in a little closer...

Look to the right...

Look to the left...

Back behind you...

Updating the study. Painting it to match the living room (Still with the blue tape, hadn't quite finished the top edge. Electrician came and added the canned lights. It is so fantastically bright. Really incredible what 4 lights add.

Outside: This was earlier in the season.

Planting a few hazelnut trees on the hillside. Clarence helping with the gardening. 

Winter was so light this year, that it was easier to start the garden even earlier than usual.
Planted a Peony bush- so here is when it first budded and then in full flower.
Yes 1 single flower, but still!

This is the entire garden, this was before things really started blooming. That is thistle in the back right hand corner- it is now taller than I am. Some blue and orange birds have moved into the bird houses and the peoply bush is bottom left hand corner one.  But once we had that...

We thought we needed a raised bed to try and grow some tomatoes and cantelope. The plants are still up on the porch until the bed is really ready for them. We'll see how it goes.

This last one is Clarence helping water the plants. Again this was before the raised bed got put in.

We got a dog!!

4 yrs, 70 lbs of love, full of heartworms and other infections.

I think the vet is having an addition put on his house! Not really, everyone at the office seems incredibly nice and generous.

Today's activities

So I bought a mirror to put on the lower part of the porch. I'm just afraid you really can't see the black against the dark wood.

Maybe red/purple? shiny silver? What to do, what to do.

In exciting news- our crepe myrtle has bloomed.

Current state of the flowers

When last we met the morning glories were mere little bits of greenery poking up from their peat pots. Now 3 months later- here are 4 of those plants.

Incredible no?! 2 around the sign post and 2 more by the postbox. For some reason only the ones around the sign are flowering. The 2 around the front of the mailbox- very green but no flowers. Here are a few of the flowers. The only trick is you really do have to go out in the morning to see them. By noon they have all closed up.



In the backyard we planted some sunflower seeds. They are coming up, just a bit slowly.



Down the road a ways there is a field full of sunflowers. Hopefully the backyard will look like this some day.

For lo the winter has past

When they were first starting:



and now! These morning glories are just about ready to leap out of the pots.


Something that just came up on its own- wild raspberries.

Forgotten snow post

We had 4 days of heavy snow/ice. It shut us down pretty much, but not the camera.

Beauty in winter

My friend takes beautiful pictures. She very generously allowed me to make some copies of a few. Here is a beautiful hillside in Maine.

These were some shots of an amaryllis she grew.

Sometimes you just need a bit of spring in the midst of winter. I bought these as bulbs in the supermarket.

Upstairs

Ok, so this is standing on the landing looking up the hallway
to the master bedroom.


If you actually go to the top of the stairs, the room to the right, the study:



To the left is a bathroom (not very exciting)- but here's the art we have in there:

This is the room I painted and added a new fixture.