A Meeting At Dusk! :)

As the deer were passing through our field, the other evening, something caught their eye! :)

It was a neighbor cat who held their cautious interest! :)
(You will want to click on these photos for a better view as the light was waning, making images more difficult to see, or to capture in the lens.)

In passing, the deer spooked, and ran past!

One, however, couldn't resist circling back for a closer look! :)

It was as though a magnet was drawing them together! :)

Soon they stood face to face, quietly looking, enjoying the nearness of each other. :)

One of the other deer came back to gather her friend, circle her around, and get on with their travel before nightfall.

She couldn't resist one look back, to where that kindly meeting had taken place, - before she went on her way! :)

April Showers! :)

Even though those of us living in the great Pacific Northwest, are ready for warm weather, - myself included, - there is something unmistakably refreshing about an April shower! :) I love to see the raindrops send circles echoing across the bird bath! :)

It's fun to listen to the soft pitter-pat of the rain hitting the roof and surrounding surfaces! :)

My eyes are always drawn to the light-lit globes dangling from the tree branches! :)

Even the flat boards of the deck look playful with the drops dancing on them! :)

If you click on these photos to see them enlarged, you may even see the lively streaks the raindrops make as they race each other to the ground! :)

While the shower lasts, they mute the colors around them, ...

and those very colors seem that much more intense once the showers cease! :)

That's when everything seems refreshed ... :)

And so full of joyious life! :)

Just one look, ... and we know the May Flowers are soon to follow! :)

Happy Easter, Everyone! :)

"For, lo, the winter is past, ... The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, ... " - the Song of Solomon 2:11&12

It's not surprising to me that all nature awakes and celebrates life at this time of year, in remembrance of their Maker! :)

Happy Easter, Everyone!!! :)

Savory Seedlings! :)

As I mentioned in a previous post, years ago I tried growing tomatoes and peppers from seed. They came out leggy and I vowed never to attempt it again! This year, after looking at the savory selections in the seed catalog, that just aren't available to buy locally, - I determined to shake off the past and be courageous enough to try again! I planted 2 to 3 seeds in each tiny plug! :)

As expected, the seeds sprouted and started to grow! :)

The first true leaves have started to appear, signalling that it is time to transplant them into pots, so yesterday I began that enjoyable task! :)

I love that I now have a great variety of tomatoes and peppers growing, from the common to the uncommon!! :)

I made the cardinal error of choosing to separate and save each seedling in the plugs, instead of cutting the extras off, leaving one plant per plug! Now I have three trays full of tomato and pepper seedlings, and probably have a tray worth yet to divide and pot up! I know better, but just couldn't bring myself to sever the extras! If they grow well, I can always plant more than I'd planned, and give plants away! :)

I love the new light system, so far, that is 4 lights wide for good light coverage! :)

So far the lights are doing the trick, and the savory seedlings look robust and healthy, instead of weak and leggy, like the ones in the past! I went to a class at the local Home and Garden Show, about growing tomatoes from seed, and learned that the grow lights should be ideally kept around 2" above the plants! I suspect that helpful tip is the cause of my success so far! :)

These baby plants have a long way to go to fulfill their destiny of putting food on our table, and jars of salsa in our pantry, (so we're not out of the woods yet!), but I'm feeling a little hopeful, now, that their care-giver can help make that happen!! :)

Quick Pup Update! :)

In the past I shared some concerns we had about Coal taking so long to get potty trained. I realize that I never did follow through on that saga, so this is a quick update! :) I'm happy to report that not only is Coal potty trained, but he's house trained too! We can now give him full reign of the house and no longer kennel him when we go out! He also sleeps through the night now without need of a potty break in the dark morning hours! This makes us especially happy! :) Our pup is developing into a responsible, trusted family member! :)

He's showing some independance now and has taken to lounging out on the front deck on nice days, - no longer needing to be underfoot, every minute, to feel secure! :)

He particularly enjoys a relaxing nap in the sun! Something about that restful act relaxes us, too, and is just one of many reasons why we so enjoy having a canine family member around! :)

Happy Spring Everyone! :)

I love this time of year when the flowers are beginning to bloom and bringing much needed color into our yards, again!! :)

My Mason Bees like this time of year, too! They're happy to emerge and find blooms open, waiting for them! :)

Flowering Currents are one of the hummingbird's favorites! :)

I hope you enjoy seeing the flowers as much as I do! Happy Spring Everyone!! :)