Snow Tire and Frozen Daffodil Festival

It appears that Arkansas' periodic "Snow Tire and Frozen Daffodil Festival" has, again, come to a close.  Thank You, Lord.

I was house-bound for two days last week, waiting for the temperature to rise enough to begin to melt the approximately 5" of snow and the underlying inch or more of solidly frozen sleet, the latter having begun to fall upon us with a vengeance about 4 p.m. on Wednesday last.

When I consider other parts of the U.S. and what they have been through in the way of repeated, and seemingly unending, winter storms, I'm happy that Winter Storm Thor was all we had to contend with.

I'm quite content to deal with sleet and snow -- it usually doesn't stick on the tree limbs and power lines.  I was extremely thankful to awake the morning after the storm to find my furnace still running and the lights on.

We're currently experiencing rain, Spring Rain (YAY), and temps are in the high 50's.  While there are still patches of sleet/snow lingering around my yard in areas where the winter sun doesn't reach, it should all be gone, gone, gone in a day or two.

I hope all of you weathered the latest round of unpleasant weather without destruction or major inconvenience

Tomorrow is also a day.

Things Past, Things to Come

Reminders of Last Year's Blooms -  Autumn Clematis, Carolina Jessamine, Sedum

 New Growth - Magnolia, Daffodil, Lilac, "Oklahoma" Rose, "Knockout" Rose, Carolina Jessamine

The air was balmy and the sun shining brightly when I took my "lunch break" today, so outside to my back yard with the camera I did go.  A close look revealed evidence of last year's flowers and the promise of flowers to come.

My Carolina Jessamine vine, which covers about 20 feet of the fenceline on the east side of the yard had some dried seed pods on it.  These are pictured bottom-left on the first photo. I don't recall ever before seeing these; I think they're interesting.

The obstreperous squirrels have broken several of the stalks on my King Alfred daffodils as well as a still-supple limb on the Magnolia tree.  The latter, which had several buds on it, was connected to the tree only by a minute bit of bark and a gentle tug on my part severed its connection.  The squirrels can now munch on the emerging blossoms to their hearts' content without having to climb the tree.

I enjoyed another round of "Sweetie-Duty" this morning while Gardening Daughter worked a few hours at the florist.  Sweetie is very fond of using Google to look up things in which she has an interest. I'm teaching her to use the keyboard to enter her own searches. That activity helps teach her to spell, also. Today's searches included "One-Eyed Willie" the pirate, weasels, ferrets and prairie dogs.  She was aghast to learn that ferrets love to dine upon prairie dogs.

Lunch break is over.  Tomorrow is also a day.

ABC Wednesday - "E"

"E" is for Emerging

It takes only a few days of moderate temperatures for daffodils to start pushing their way up through the still cold ground and the layer of leaves which have sheltered them from the most bitter cold. It won't be long until bright yellow blossoms are nodding their heads in the breeze and silently whispering "Come on, Spring!"

ABC Wednesday was created by Mrs. Nesbitt. Please visit the ABC Wednesday site to view others' interpretations of this week's letter, "E."