During the warm Summer months we always see a fair variety of insect life in our yard. As you can imagine, this can be both exciting and really annoying (to downright frustrating). The unusual heat we've been experiencing so far this summer seems to have heightened the number and kinds of bugs to boot. There is a creek about 1/4 of a mile from our house, and hidden on top of the hill across the street sits the city cemetery; we like to joke that we have a plethora of usual insects due to that. (No disrespect meant to those buried there.)
One visitor that we look forward to are the praying mantises. The past three or four years we've had one hanging out in the day lilies out front. In addition last year we watched as a huge brown mantis climbed a post on the side of the house, only to get to the top and fall off into my husband's waiting hand.
This year we've spotted as many as three of the little buggers. As cool as they are to observe, I have to admit they creep me out a bit. It's the way the can move their heads from side to side. Like they're following your every move. Which they probably are. Nope, I'm not one to let them crawl on me, but I don't mind getting a bit close to take a picture.
Truth be told, I'm a little fussy about sunshine-y weather. I do love a good overcast day. Sunshine makes me feel obligated to run around like a crazy person; and sometimes it gets way too hot. But today was a beautiful exception! The temperature was perfect, and there was a sweet breeze. Perfect. So we took our school work outside (one of the awesome perks of homeschooling!), and spread a blanket under one of the lilac trees. One of the cats even joined us for a bit. He's so good, I don't have to worry about him running off.
After we did a bit of school I started the kids with weeding the garden, but it quickly turned into a hunt for bugs in the soil. Lots of dirt under the fingernails for sure! I was able to sit on the blanket and enjoy my lunch while browsing a magazine. It would have been so easy to fall asleep!
If you want to know what most of my day consists of, take a peek at the girls in the above photo: each one holding on to opposite end of something and pulling. Yep.
The lilacs are in full bloom. They smell SO amazing. I'm always sad when they fade. We're certainly getting to enjoy them much more this year than usual due to this crazy warm weather!
I had to cut a few blooms to bring into the kitchen. The kids and I rounded out the afternoon with a trip to the library, and a stop in at Rita's. Now if only someone would grill me a hamburger.
The daffodils are blooming! Their happy little faces lined up along the garden wall look so lovely. I still don't have the garden entirely cleaned up from Winter, so there are still weeds and bits of trash floating around.
It's a bit odd to be experiencing all of this warm weather before the lilac trees bloom. The other day I actually got confused and became concerned that the lilacs had died since they hadn't bloomed before the 70 degree weather hit. Then I remembered that it's only March. They're covered in budding greenery now though, so as is well.
This year Spring meant that I needed a new pair of slip-ons. I decided to go with those beauties above from Aerosoles. Providentially, one of our local department stores had them on a great sale. I totally lucked out!
And if an awesome sale on the shoes one wants just when one wants them isn't sweet enough, look at that face! Of our three children Little Miss P looks the most like her mama.
Don't forget to stop by the shop and take a look at the new line of bow fascinator clips! For now they're available in Peony, Silver/Gold, Marigold, Sea, Raspberry, and White.
I'm so excited to see my Pieris shrubs blooming this year! They've been in the ground for a couple of seasons, and I guess they're finally rooting well enough to show off a little.
A couple of years ago, while browsing the garden center in our local Lowe's, we came across a poor neglected Alberta Spruce that was mostly dead. We plunked down our fifty cents and took it home. After some care, watering, and pruning it really began to flourish. I was a little distressed to see that a small section of it was dead after this past Winter, but the rest of it is growing just fine, and right now it has lots of bright green new growth.
It was February when we bought our house. We could spot some garden edging under the snow, and there were two Hydrangea bushes in the back yard, but it was evident that whatever had been there was now neglected. As the snow thawed and Spring rolled around we saw lots of bulbs emerging here and there: Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinth, and Tulips. The Hyacinths were planted in a spot where they obviously weren't happy, so I moved a few of the bulbs last year and they seem to be blooming a wee bit better now.
