Cottage Days

 Yesterday was glorious - the sun shown bright and it's warmth on our skin was a much needed reprieve from what has been a very long, cold winter into spring.   

  M and I went down to Stella and cleaned out the rest of the little perennial beds and raked the lawn yesterday.  What's truly awesome about a little place like this is, it takes very little time to winterize, and open her up for the season.  Little accents like fresh annuals in the pots, now refurbished with new soil, and a few more perennials to fill out the beds will come around Mother's Day - the usual 'safe date' for spring planting in New England.  Come Mother's Day, the garden centers around here are bustling with people itching to get out in the garden and add some color to the 'scape. 

The forsythia is finally blooming, daylilies making their way up.... 

And the hosta is returning, having multiplied some. 

We have a Catbird nest and so far, one egg on Stella's porch... 

    I am so happy to see how very clear the water has been this year in our cove, therefore the Sound and out to the Atlantic.  The Save The Sound efforts of the last 20 or so years have been successful.  Any improvements in our environment are something huge to celebrate. 

 After this winter's ice storms, we need to repair our cement "deck" down at the waterfront. The ice broke it up pretty good - those repairs will happen soon and a hand rail will be installed so swimming and kayak launching will be a little easier.   The water was so clean and the temps warm enough to tempt me to test the waters, so to speak. 

These were Happy Feet - 

for about 30 seconds. 

   We came home to find our son out in the garden, planting the artichokes he had begun from seed.  Kale already growing in two rows.  I joined him, soaked some Dragon tongue beans in water while I sowed two rows - and planted those seeds as well.    Are we a bit hasty?  I hope not.  As you can see, the leaves aren't even out on the trees yet - just the red haze of buds that are a promise. 

This morning, rain again. 

Frasier, Sally and Bailey have the right idea, I think. 

 I'm going to try like hell to resist

the urge to bake something. 

Because the eating of it would come next. 

Will power of a flea, truth.

I'm also trying to ignore the urge to rant about
that egomaniac who can't shut his own mouth
long enough to pay decent tribute to  Olympic athletes
without insulting them.
*hard to watch  .... 
 actually, my description for this entire 45 Presidency
can be described with those three little words.

Have a good day, All - thanks for stopping by.