In Anticipation of a Blizzard... Sort of

It's already cold outside, and the rain that fell last night has become a thin sheet of ice on cars and porch steps. It's also encased all my hyacinths and daffodils in ice, and all my tulips that are about to bloom. They're forecasting a major snowstorm for tomorrow and some bitterly cold temperatures. I say "Boo" to that! I brought all my potted pansies and violas up to the porch to cover up tonight, and took a few photos of the blooming things because I'm afraid after this weekend they'll be flattened.

I snipped some muscari to bring inside--they just started to open up a few days ago. I love their smell. It's a subtle, grapey kind of smell--almost like grape soda. Plus they're just so diminutive and sweet.






My poor little redbud's blossoms are *this close* to opening up--we'll see if they make it through the ice.



Say buh-bye to the daffodils! I think their days are numbered.

Brr! I'm gonna make a run to the grocery store after getting Esther from school and do a little stocking up, just in case we do get dumped on. Then we can stay home and have cocoa and be cozy all weekend. I love snow when I don't have to go out in it. Although I do get a little stir-crazy after a couple of days!

Finally!

Finally finished this piece I started months ago. I wish the photo were better. I'll have to take it outside on a cloudy day and shoot it again.

"She Could Hear the Shrieking of Distant Sea Birds"

oil on masonite, 16 x 20 inches

This will be going to the Blue Gallery as soon as it's dry and framed.

In other news, today I'm nursing a poor little sick critter with some sort of awful stomach virus. I guess there's a nasty bug going around. When I called Esther's doctor's office this morning to ask a nurse about her high fever, the nurse said she'd already had a ton of calls that morning about the same thing.
Her fever's down a bit, finally, and she's on the couch trying to sleep. Poor kid. We were all three of us up all night, and we all certainly look it!

Spring is... Springing?

Well, after last week's snowdump, it's amazing to have a couple of days in the 70's.

Wait, let me emphasize that a bit: ********SEVENTIES*********.
As in: temperatures were above seventy degrees Fahrenheit, skies were sunny, the air was warm.

It's been pretty incredible to just sit in the sun and be barefoot and bare legged and watch the neighborhood kids running around.
And I've got things springing up in the garden. It's just the really early stuff; crocuses and dwarf iris. But the daffodils are really close to blooming and all the tulips are starting to come up. I'm so glad this winter is nearly over. But they are forecasting snow for next week...