So I spoke with Shannon at Word Press and she taught me how to publish my videos on the blog through You Tube (or other sites). Yippee!
So here is my best video of what it is like to be surrounded by thousands (and the official count that day by the bird counters was a record breaking 650,000) of Sandhill Cranes during the spring migration in Nebraska! They glean the fields during the day time eating last year’s dropped corn from the autumn harvest. Perhaps the red truck will give you some perspective and the traffic sounds in the background the clear idea that no, we were not out in the wilderness.
I am delighted to finally figure out how to post my videos without spending more money for this site ;-D
Oh my I keep getting blessed every time I go outside! Now this is one DETERMINED daffodil. Let no obstacle stand in your way!
So glad the log had holes in it!
And Ta-dah!! The first trout lily on our stone stairs up the hill.
Flower is about the size of a quarter. The leaves resemble trout skin!
When we were thinking about buying this house both my husband and I were each making secret trips here to see if it really was as lovely as we thought. When the trout lilies began to bloom on the hillside, (all wild mind you), I was SOLD! Had never seen them before . Since then each spring we have hosted Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Trillium, Toothwort, May Apples, Spring Beauty, Rue Anemone, Blue Phlox, False Solomon’s Seal and most rare on our lot Dwarf Larkspur. Still am amazed that we live here! -sigh-
Further into the green space we can see Squirrel Corn and Dutchmen’s Britches, Betony Poppies. Sometimes my husband asks why we even go to Smoky Mountains to hunt wild flowers. I stomp my foot (kidding) and remind him we do not have Lady’s Slippers or fields of single wildflowers. And then we pack 🙂
We have a joke in our household. I often remember other things I meant to write or say, so many emails and return phone calls and texts begin with “And …”
And … I finally figured out how to capture a single photo out of a video and thereby retrieve one of my best daffodil memories to share with you! (I have not yet paid to upgrade my Word Press account to share videos .)
Once in 2014 I went out in my raincoat to pick daffodils. The sky was leaden and the rain was imminent. While I was on the hillside the heavens opened and the rain poured and poured. It was lovely to be childlike out in a spring rain. At my age, I had started to carry my iPhone in my pocket just in case I fell or found a new photo. You know the old saying, “never go in the woods alone!”
While selecting daffodils I heard flowing water. We do not have a constant stream on our property. Searching for the source of the sound, I looked up and to my surprise the walnut tree had created the steam! Here is a still from that video clip! The streaming water is creating bubbles as it flows. Wish I could send along the sound. Enjoy! Look closely at the top where the trunk appears wet and follow it down.
Living water! Psalm 36:9 (NRSV) For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. “Come on and rain down on us Lord! All my fountains are in You!” Chris Tomlin
When my husband and I lived in California I was always amazed at how WRONG it was that the daffodils in the Bay Area bloomed in February! That was not spring and just WRONG to this Ohio girl.
He took me to a place called Daffodil Hill. Just lovely flowing fields of daffodils. They would inspire him later in Ohio.
We have an area in the yard we call “Fern Valley.” Ever since we moved in about 17 years ago we have had a huge dead tree in the green space. This tree has been featured in many photos and we have come to love it. Often have wondered how long it would stay standing.
Well, we are having a wind storm. While we were out shopping today the giant must have fallen! The first clue was broken branches with orange wood showing in the woods. Then yikes! There is something missing from our skyline!
The giant is always to the left in the photos. Now no longer in plain sight ;-(
Good bye dear friend! Many squirrels and countless birds have enjoyed your shelter. Who knows how many when you were alive? Wonder how old you were?
One of my best gifts EVER was when my husband took me to Ireland to celebrate my 60th birthday. We visited Connemara and learned “Connemara is bounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean and encompasses a wide variety of natural and semi-natural habitats. It also has diverse economic resources. Among the more unusual are extensive deposits of soapstone and veins of green marble and vivid white quartz.The marble is a serpentine-rich rock, popular since ancient times as a decorative facing stone. With its ‘forty shades of green’ and its wild patterns, it represents perfectly the landscapes of the Emerald Isle.”
This morning as I looked at one polished piece of marble from there I was struck by a similar sight off my deck!
Same polished piece, turned over.
Lovely marble indeed. Just one of the many, many shades we saw in the showroom. And then outside my window …
Lichen? on standing tree andon fallen trees.
Camera did not quite catch it, but the shades are so alike in my eyes that I was startled. Fond, fond memories from May, 2011!
Did you have a story in elementary school about the pussy willow shrub? I think I must have because it brings a smile to my face each time I see it.
In our old neighborhood I let a friend cut some branches to take home. She told her girls about the bush. Trying to say back the name her youngest exclaimed. “Oh look! Squishy Pillows!”
These shrubs are fun because they shout a promise of spring and they are easy to cultivate. Cut a few branches. Let them root in water. Transplant to a moist place in the yard and let them go! Each spring after the leaves emerge from the buds, my husband cuts them back so that new branches will form for the next spring.
The above website says: “The technique of coppice, severe renewal pruning, is often successfully used as part of pussy willow care too. Branches of the pussy willow are somewhat weak, so yearly pruning when flowers are spent encourages new growth for the next year.
“Cutting branches for indoor display is an excellent use of catkins and flowers when growing a pussy willow tree. Cut branches with buds and place them in a tall vase in bright sunlight. You’ll be rewarded with indoor blooms before the outdoor tree breaks bud, in many cases.”
When the daffodils are in full bloom I love to cut these for a nice spring arrangement!
Ha! I found two older ladies singing the song from elementary school! Guess it was not a story, but a song. Think pussy cat. (Sadly, the word has become vulgar in today’s political society. ) I was impressed that these ladies could do the movement at the end! I found a video of children singing it with movements, but their voices were very faint. Enjoy!
“Moss is an equal opportunity plant that readily grows anywhere it finds favorable conditions. It has a shallow root system and thousands of tiny spores that can be quickly dispersed far and wide by wind and rain. This allows moss to gain a fast foothold and spread easily.
“Moss loves shady conditions with dappled sunlight, moist acidic soil of low fertility and poor drainage and little or no air circulation. Its favorite side of anything is the north side. Heavy clay soil and overgrown shrubs and trees all help to contribute to conditions that are favorable to moss growth. Although the moss may be unsightly, plants and grass are not harmed or killed by moss.”
Moss promises me that even in ugly areas (like clay on parts of our hillside) beauty can be found and spring will return! When we photograph flowers in the Smoky Mountains I love to try to capture close-ups of moss. I can imagine an entire village of tiny creatures and people populating it. Look closely next time you see moss! I once brought in a clump to grow on our window sill. It was very difficult to keep the light and moisture to it’s liking.
Love the yellow green amidst the browns and gray of winter!
Today, if she were still alive, my mother would have been 106 years old! She loved flowers and worked in a flower shop much of her adult life. Not as a designer, but a shop clerk. A few weeks ago I showed you the first clump of daffodils growing on our hillside.
My favorite photographer taking same photo.
Here they are February 4, 2018, a little worse for wear from all the snow, freezing rain and bitter cold we have had. One delight from living in southwestern Ohio, you never knew what you will find once the snow melts and you can see the plants once again!
Obvious blossoms in those buds!
Forecast for the next two days is warm with a possible two inches of rain! Can’t wait to see how the daffodils respond! One day soon I hope to write about my lifelong fascination with daffodils.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 