We took a walk around the Art and Nature Park Wednesday afternoon. There was some sun but it was surprisingly chilly. What a change from what it was several years ago before the Grounds Guys started doing all the removal of weedy shrubs and trees. Wildflowers like Anemonella were up in multiple places but the animals were far more attention-getting.
Saw several feathered and furred creatures on the river – a great blue heron (twice), mallard and bufflehead ducks, and three beavers. One beaver was quite unperturbed by my presence as I hung back to try to get some better shots. I started taking pictures when it was far out in the river.
It kept coming closer.
And closer.
And finally ended up back on the tree we scared it from originally.
And there was one muskrat swimming in some open water in the mostly frozen lake. Like it was lookin’ for something. It’s close enough to spring, do you think…
Folks started getting out in the gardens this week to do some work. Always good to get back outside even if it is still a bit nippy. I had hoped for more sun on Tuesday to cut the chill. So I went back inside to jump-start the blog when it felt like it was still below freezing. But before I came in I did a little Horticulture Recon. Noticed the Hamamelis (witchhazel) buds were showing color with bits of red, orange, and yellow peeking through. They make me think of carrot curls made from the cultivar Purple Dragon.
The Cornus mas (cornelian cherry dogwood) buds always make me think spring will be here any day when I know damn good and well it won’t.
The super hardy and tough Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose) are pushing their buds up through last year’s mulch and leaves. Even the light colored ones have lots of purple pigment in the stems and buds.
Then I found these blooms, actual blooms, on the yellow primroses. Talk about spring-like.
I probably mention all these plants every year. And I probably will still do so when I am 107 (that’s pronounced “a hundred and seven” not “one hundred seven”). Every year it’s such a thrill to go out in the gardens and find new growth or new flower buds. It doesn’t matter how many Februaries before I’ve gone out and found the same plants doing the same things. Each year I get all giddy and excited again. Not that there aren’t dark moments in the time before that happens. Indeed, there are some very dark times. Some excerpts follow.
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December 22. 2009
Plant orders in. Now the wait to see if suppliers can fulfill my dreams. Holidays coming. Taking extra time off. Cold and gray but hopefully no snow for traveling.
December 25, 2009
Cooking for family Christmas dinner – three pork loins, two baking chickens, five pounds green beans, ten pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, lemon bars, lemon pound cake, two kinds of gravy, macaroni and cheese. With help of siblings fed 46. Weather was nice.
December 27, 2009
Cold. But hey, it’s still the holiday period.
December 31, 2009
Happy New Year! Made Pioneer Woman’s Holiday Bacon Appetizers – both kinds. Cold but no precip.
January 04, 2010
First day back to work after Holidays. Low of 1 last night. High of 18 today. Normal is 35 and 19. Welcome back! Winter will never end.
Janyary 07, 2010
Nearly 4 inches of snow. More cold. Began sticking pins in Chad voodoo doll. It’s only right because he is in Panama not suffering from Indiana winter.
January 08, 2010
Colder. Low of 9 last night. Shoved pins deeper into Chad voodoo doll. Looked at new seed and plant catalogues to get some relief from cold and gray.
January 11, 2010
First day of furlough. Very cold. Low of 5. Began baking – Lemon Bars, then Brownies. Must build up thicker fat layer.
January 13, 2010
Low temps barely make it out of single digits. Highs barely make it above freezing. Put Chad voodoo doll in oven. Turned oven up to broil.
January 15, 2010
Woke up this morning on the kitchen floor. Three empty butter boxes strewn across the floor and butter wrappers stuck in my hair. Don’t remember anything. Later found an empty half and half carton next to computer. Last log-in was to Land-O-Lakes site. Towards evening an odd text message from someone called “The Milkman”.
January 18
Chad back from vacation (he can’t figure out what the ring of ash-like stuff is around his chair). Temperatures moderate. Soil frozen solid. Search for sun continues. More catalogues arrive to distract from gray skies.
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But now the days are so much longer and we had sun a few times this week. Makes you almost forget the bad times. Of course there are several weeks of winter left. Butter was on sale…
Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture
February 6th, 2010 at 6:45 am
buttah makes me happy too!!
come on spring!
February 6th, 2010 at 9:57 am
Gracious, glad Rhihanna is not in our yoga group!
and loved picturing Chad skewered and toasted, just for fun of course.
February 6th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I love your beaver shots. Great blog.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Where are those witch hazels, anyway?
February 8th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Great Blog Irvin…you always make me smile or laugh out loud!
February 9th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Thanks one and all.
Butter was on sale at Meijer last week, $1.69/pound. I didn’t buy any.
I still can’t believe that beaver swam right back up on that log. The one with it smacked the water withits tail and was GONE. Another did the same farther down the river later.
Rhiana is not allowed at yoga.
Jo Ellen the witchhazels are allover the place! Start at the Garden For Everyone, then the Overlook, Bridge Garden, Tennis Courts, path to Formal Garden, top of Ravine near Eliptical Bench, Border Gardens. Wow!! We do have a lot. And that’s not nearly all of them.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
great work! i love your shots! thanks for posting this blog, its so good!
February 10th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Thank yoo so much Nature. Nice compliment coming from someone called “Nature Photography”. Please stop every week and check what’s happening.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Hi Irvin,
Great blog and thanks for stirring up thoughts of Spring. Great photos too.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:45 am
Thanks. I am going tobe so ready for spring when this snow finally melts.
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