Double Duty

I am having to do double duty this week. I meant to post blooms from last week, but will have to combine them with this week. The weeks are getting away from me...sigh...

This pink Daff is a beauty, but I had to lay on the ground to get a photo.

I am monitoring the tulips daily now--they are ready to pop!

The double Daff blooms are so heavy they need to be staked.



I know this doesn't look like much, but it is the first time the Forsythia has bloomed. I told it last year, if it didn't bloom this Spring, I was taking it out. It must have been listening.

Not a bloom, but handsome none the less! At 10, Scratcher is the "old man" with a somewhat grouchy but loving attitude.

And this silly boy is Frisky. He has recovered from his run-in with the rattlesnake. I call him Sidewinder sometimes. Not only because of his unfortunate rendezvous
with the snake, but because it has permanently damaged his balance, and he walks sideways. Not always the sharpest knife in the drawer, he is still one of the sweetest, most loving cats I know.

Also not a bloom, but a heart shaped rock I dug up. It may not look that big, but when digging, it feels like a boulder!

So lovely

Like hot buttered popcorn, the Lady Banks rosettes are popping out all over. I think it was Jan of Thanks for Today, that said she would like to be able to time sequence photo blooms. It certainly would be fun to watch the Lady Banks pop, pop, pop with blossoms galore.

The Redbuds are just beautiful. I have three mature ones in my garden, and I am planting another this Spring.

Another Redbud in another gorgeous Spring sky.

These darlings look like sisters on Easter morning, nodding their prim little heads as they pass by all in a row in their Easter bonnets. Do you remember Easter bonnets? I remember getting a hat, purse, gloves, and shoes with lacy socks to go with my Easter dress and coat. Ah, those were the days.

I believe these are Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophilia menziesii). I bought a bag of Texas/Oklahoma wildflower mix from the Wildseed Farms when I visited last Spring, and these flower are from that mix. These are the first flowers that have bloomed this Spring.

The Crabapple trees where beautiful this year. This shot is from last week. The blooms are already gone, and the tree leafed out now.

The Church At Summers Mill

I had such an overwhelming response to show the stained glass from the little chapel at Summers Mill where I went to retreat last week. Okay, okay, so one person mentioned it would have been nice if I had posted pictures of them (Hi Wendy at www.changeswithseason.blogspot.com). Although I had wanted to do a post on what is blooming at Morning Glories in Round Rock, the batteries have died in my camera, curtailing my picture taking for awhile.

If you remember, this is the sweet little country church at Summers Mill.

There were three windows on each side of the church, with three different designs. The Ten Commandments...

The Lamb

A Dove

I'm afraid the window of Jesus didn't show up as well, but the sun was coming in that window. My pictures don't do justice to the quiet peacefulness of this little country church. The windows were so vivid and colorful, they glowed.

I hope you have a wonderfully peaceful week...I know I won't--our kids are out of school for Spring Break, and we will be adjusting to the time change from Daylight Savings time. I don't understand why we have it, no one likes it, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how it gives us an extra hour of daylight.

Summers Mill

This past weekend was spent at Summers Mill Retreat in Salado, Texas. Salado is an old town that is located about half an hour north of Austin. It has become an art and antique center--a perfect weekend get-away. Below is one of the cabins available to stay in.

This sweet little church had beautiful stained glass, and a German history.

There were many places to stop and sit and enjoy nature.

Although, it says it is an ostrich farm on the sign out front, I only saw one, who seemed rather lonely to me.

I found myself sitting in a rocking chair on the porch gazing up at the huge live oaks.

I thought this fence was whimsical and fun.

Our time at Summers Mill was over before we knew it. I felt I was just beginning to relax when it was time to leave, and I look forward to going again someday.