Garden Peeking and Daffodil Kisses ~ Out and About Mid-April

It's suddenly daffodil season here at the beach. Despite the cold grayness of the days the daffs and forsythia have suddenly burst into bloom. I have the notion that they bloom by the calendar not the weather, I must look back at blog and journal notes to see if that is true. I do recall that every spring my parents sadly lamented that the daffodils were long since over by the time the spring celebration of Brewster in Bloom (Cape Cod, MA), end of April, occurred and they'd question why the fest wasnt held in early April instead. At one point the town [?] gave away thousands of King Alfred daffs [the classic big yellow] to anyone who would promise to plant them that fall, in hopes of filling the Cape Cod town's lane verges with glorious golden blooms.

Mel asked to see a photo of Mo sniffing or kissing the daffodils. Outdoors, Mo isn't too interested in things like flowers, he is too busy with other dogs, cats, and squirrels, seagulls, helicopters, and cars on the far off road. The only way to interest him in the daffs was to put treats on the petals and it was too windy for that to succeed.

"Do I haveta, mommy?"

"Oh Okay, are you happy now? I sniffed it..."

Instead we've been inspecting gardens and yards. Not much to see, but on weekend mornings some folks have been busy with late winter clean up.

Mo discovered a new lawn Goose!

She is silly but darling in her Easter finery.

The forsythia is blooming...

A few early robust hyacinths.

 The first shoots of the brave daylilies that grow everywhere here. They'll be tall and in full bloom on the 4th of July.

A pretty water grotto...

Sweet bronze St Francis of Assisi, new. Tucked in the corner of a bayberry hedge and wall.

This is the small green area that I used to bring Mo to, to play in the cool grass. And where he slipped his harness and ran like the wind down the six lane road. He has never been taken back! Sad. The lovely daffodils are new; in the summer the beds are filled with blue hydrangeas, pink peonies, and beach roses.

The feral cats are more active. Here is Twin One. Camera shy. She was mean today and swiped through her fence at Mo's inquisitive face.

Towards the koi pond we again saw Tuxie and this striped pal of hers.

I call him Stripey and I wish he was my fave kitty who moved on a few years ago, but I don't think he has Stripey's sweet face. He does seem to know me however, and if he is Stripey, he may just be showing the age of years on the street. Stripey first appeared winter of 2008-09 and unlike Kitty and the Twins he never really became tame, except to come each summer night for food I'd give him..

Yesterday an immense cloud of terns arrived on the beach. It was sunset and they looked like whitecap waves, only visible as birds through my binoculars, swirling and wheeling low over the water. They'd circle and dive, maybe for minnows or hatching flies? Must have been thousands of birds. [photo is the terns last autumn, before they migrated].

I'll try to hike out tomorrow for a closer look, weather permitting. Then a day of sewing, mostly on my Baskets, but also---new pet peeve!---adding pockets to a recently purchased pair of jeans. Why do modern jeans not have pockets, where am I supposed to put my phone and car remotes, hmmm? Who decided pocket-less jeans is an okay thing?

Then I plan to make a big pot of matzo ball chicken soup, because--sorry to be repeating myself!---it's really cold here. But no blizzards or floods, so I shouldn't complain. The grocery store was filled with spring flowers too. I love the orange trumpeted narcissus offered this week. Look at that price, who could resist?

Have a good weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

PS From Kel, something for all of us to try: BEE Baths! Save our bees, give them a place to drink safely. HERE