Little Bit of This; Little Bit of That

What a difference a few days, prayers and medicine make! No more laryngitis, much less coughing, face swelling greatly diminished...just waiting for this eye infection to resolve so I can feel totally 'normal' again (well at least I'll be able to wear both contacts so I can SEE normally again).

In the garden spring continues with little (and some bigger) changes daily. The foliage of some columbine and a bleeding heart plant have made their appearance now; the stems of spring bulbs continue to get taller and closer to revealing their blossoms! And more-

The most recently planted pieris--the ones on a berm in the Japanese-style garden--are now catching up with the much older one by the lower pond.

Near the upper pond, the magnolia's furry, grayish buds (that remind me of a pussy willow's catkins) are now starting to open and I suspect that soon we will be blessed by beautiful white blooms! ( Hum, the pic is kind of blurry--just like my vision right now)

Also, in the pond area, the crabapple has come to life--I am really eager to see its incredibly beautiful blossoms too--but i think we are a ways off from that 'reveal'!

And last, but not least, the daphne buds have started to open and I found these little garden treasures hiding out by one side of the herb barrel!

Of course, all this spring like weather -- blooms and way too long grass has me thinking. In fact, it has me thinking a lot and ---

it has me thankful!!

Not for the flowers and blue skies -- well actually I am quite grateful for them.

But that way too long grass has me a bit nervous and ...

I am EXTREMELY thankful that I have boots to wear right now in that field AKA as our lawn.

And why would that be you say? Well I am a thinking that with all of this warm weather, all of those additional rocks we put it this last year...and the two ponds...and did I say that way-too-deep grass???

Well I am thinking I might just 'luck out' again and repeat one of my 'close' encounters from last year--hence the thankfulness for the boots.

So, as I go about my daily picture hunt with only partially clear vision...and as that grass gets even longer (but still is too wet to mow) I am thinking that the FIRST official 2010 snake encounter is not too far away for me. So along with the garden tools I will have to put together my very own, personal anti-snake kit. It will help me avoid encounters like these from 2009:)

• The brooch (AKA snake under the rock) episode--I am thinking gloves, THICK ones -- and giving up any rock moving I might be tempted to do.
• Snakes in the path and on the river rock; snakes in the garden and by the pond episodes--a pole, a LONG pole to beat on the ground with (and if that doesn't work play keep away from Aimee with)

But to avoid any snakes in the shadow episodes---the one where I stepped right on an unseen, totally immobile snake in the DEEP shadow of a big shrub as I bent down to turn on the hose connection on the ground. Yea to prepare for times like that, I am thinking of digging out those knee high boots I used to wear to work AND investing in elbow length gloves (or maybe an automatic watering system)

Blessings, Aimee