Wonder Mountain near Toronto, Canada – Jeff Jett, LinkedIn
Filed under Mother Nature, Waterfall gifs
Tail and Fur
This is the only rainy day we’ve had this week, and of COURSE we have lots of errands to run and appointments to keep in Fort Smith and Greenwood. It doesn’t seem to matter if I have an umbrella or not in the vehicle we’re in, or whether I actually try to USE it, I drown; so I’m resigned that this will be a wet day for me.
When we get home, though, we will have accomplished a good bit of stuff –
Our doggies took care of business this morning not even breaking stride as they rushed out into the rain. They are still wet, even though we’ve toweled them off the best we could, but they seem to be smiling as they try to get close to us. There is nothing more loving than a wet dog.
I hope your morning has been enjoyable.
Filed under Mother Nature
Since 2 of our 8-foot brick planters in the front collapsed and have to be rebuilt, we’re very short on sprouts and blooms this spring. The exception to this, though, is a lovely display of bloom from the redbud trees that Mother Nature dotted around. We love each of them and cut away things around them that might encroach, encouraging them to be healthy and happy.
The tree in the first picture faces the south of our property where we can pretend we own all we can see. :0) This one is facing in the opposite direction.
Another one on the south.
And a close up of some of the blooms.
I go outside and walk around every day just to enjoy these!
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
Ar Ali – Linkedin
FINALLY, signs of spring are popping up around here! I’m delighted, though I feel bad for the people still getting more snow, and the awful flooding in the midsection of the country. I just know my spirits are rising with each passing day.
I still haven’t been able to find spinach plants locally (they said call again Wednesday), so I’m going to see if I can get another batch of seeds started, using another technique and keeping all appendages crossed for success. I would really love to shed my moniker of “Serial Seed Killer” some day soon.
That said, the red onions and head lettuce plants in the garden are doing really well. I’ll see what other wonderful things I can find to plant when we go out for errands today.
I finally reached the bricklayer today, who said he was personally covered up with work, but would ask another good person to give us a call for an estimate on rebuilding the two brick planters that failed recently.
I hope you are enjoying some signs of spring, too!
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
“Simply…White” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Spring is in the Air” – Paul Militaru Photography
“White” – Paul Militaru Photography
“White Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography
Wim Beunderman – LinkedIn
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
“Squirrel in the Snow” – copyright-Kelly Lyon – http://www.nwf.org.PhotoContest – The Nat’l Wildlife Federation Blog
It’s almost noon and it’s still only 17 degrees F. here. I’ve been letting dogs and cats in and out over and over this morning. Everyone says they want to go out, but they don’t want to stay out LONG…
My poor seed starters are still covered up in the greenhouse. I covered my onion sets in my raised bed square foot garden with a sheet, but I’m afraid that won’t be enough to save them. I’ll probably need to start over on everything once the cold spell is over. We’re dripping water in our utility room bathroom and in my husband’s sink upstairs, trying to avoid pipes freezing. We only got snow flurries, but the diving temperatures have sure gotten our attention. I save a few daffodils in a vase on the table, but the rest are looking really sad outside.
I’m thankful we have a warm, dry house and we don’t HAVE to go outside, unless we choose to today. My heart goes out to the people in Alabama, Georgia, and the rest of the southeast who had severe weather and tornadoes last night.
Be safe, everyone.
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
My cold nose is out of joint because, instead of spring, we’re having a return to winter for the coming days.
KFSM News
As you can see here, we’re in the middle of the ‘weather alert day.” It actually was snowing when we were eating breakfast! I’m NOT a happy camper. We have a 70% chance of ‘precipitation’ today – rain/sleet/ice/snow/flying hairballs. I’ve done all I can do to protect my sweet onion sets in the garden. (I covered them with a king-sized sheet.) I’ve done all I can to protect my seed starters in the greenhouse (covered them with towels.) I may be starting over by the time we get to Wednesday afternoon….
I gathered daffodils yesterday because of the forecast. They were right. They’re all hanging their heads all over the yard. We have some really pretty ones in one vase on the table, and that might be it for the spring daffodils.
We are safe and warm on top of our ridge line in Arkansas. We still have our snow tires on the truck, just in case we need them. We have food for ourselves and our sweet animals.
I wouldn’t feel so resentful if I hadn’t tried to get a head start on my spring garden… I’ll report again on this Wednesday afternoon when I’ve had a chance to assess where we are in the planting season.
I hope that you’re safe and warm wherever you are today.
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
Inna Kashkovar – LinkedIn
“I love the rain. I want the feeling of it on my face.” ~ Katherine Mansfield
I love this gif created by Inna Kashkovar on LinkedIn. Isn’t it beautiful?
Our rain today is a cold one. We thought we might get ice, but it’s JUST warm enough that the precipitation has remained liquid, and for that I’m grateful, even though it’s supposed to be this way through TUESDAY morning!
We had a beautiful show this morning at breakfast. I counted four pairs of cardinals trying to get to seeds in the feeders on our deck while we ate breakfast. My husband went out to fill the main feeder. The birds were momentarily startled, but soon returned to enjoy the bounty. I have a feeder in the shape of a snowman that I’ll fill soon.
This is a wonderful day to walk outside, enjoy the quiet rain under an umbrella, and then come in to enjoy a warm, dry house.
I hope your day is good, too.
Filed under Mother Nature
Yvonne Wilder – LinkedIn
Yvonne said, “Got up early and caught all the birds frolicking together!”
Yvonne Wilder – LinkedIn
“Gorgeous sunset out my back window in CO.” ~ Yvonne Wilder
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, Mother Nature
Only in Arkansas – Josue Enriquez via Cindy Basnett Thurman
Filed under Arkansas, Awe-Inspiring Photography, Mother Nature
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
It’s gray today, windy, and cool. The drizzle we’re having now is supposed to turn to a big rain later today and tonight-into-tomorrow with another cold front coming through.
I’m grateful it’s rain today because it will finally get the rest of the snow off our steep driveway. We’re able to get down – and up again – due to our truck and our good snow tires, but delivery people probably wouldn’t try it and I don’t blame them. If we get flurries again tomorrow as is forecast, at least it’ll be a fresh start!
Filed under Mother Nature
Our weather people were almost completely right this time. We awoke this morning to a world of white in Greenwood, Arkansas. The forecast was that we would get rain last night turning to snow this morning, but that we would get an inch or less from the fast-moving storm. It would be gone by 11 a.m.
By this morning, the Winter Weather Advisory had been moved south to include our area fully, and a ‘heavy band of snow’ had emerged, covering our area! (Now ‘heavy’ for Arkansas is probably a dusting in serious snow areas, but Arkansas doesn’t have snow plows. They have sand trucks – two for Greenwood – but they weren’t going to be used last night due to the rain. Currently, the advisory now goes to 6 pm tonight. The front is supposed to be gone by about 3 pm. The temperature started at 43 F. this morning, and is supposed to be 29 F by this afternoon.
This was earlier today. It’s a VERY wet snow, and quite slushy on our driveway pad. My husband said both doggies came to a screeching halt just as they reached the opening garage door this morning. They looked at each other, then bounded happily into the snow to go take care of things before breakfast. Usually, they are gone exploring all around the yard for about 20 minutes before coming in with hungry stomachs. This morning they leaped out, ran through the snow happily barking, saying, “Here we are, world!” and then came RIGHT back, wanting to get to food and warmth.
We are snowed in up here on top of our ridge line when all of Greenwood has melted off and gone on with life. Our steep driveway is 650+ feet on the north side of our property and is one of the last places in, or outside of Greenwood, to thaw or melt. We love it up here, pretending we own all we can see, loving the privacy, but we DO have to take weather seriously. We filled up the gas tank in our truck yesterday and shopped for groceries, just in case our usual Sunday trip needed to be cancelled.
Happily, we can enjoy our pretty snow – not having to get out in it, or having to negotiate the steep driveway down and up again. We can go outside with the doggies, take pictures, look around and enjoy the unusual weather, enjoy being warm and dry inside, and look forward to warmer temperatures starting tomorrow.
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
Today in Fort Smith via Cindy Basnett Thurman
Hahahahahahaha! After Lunch Bunch today, my husband and I filled up on gas and then hit the grocery store in case we get snowed in tonight and tomorrow up on top of our ridge line. It might come to nothing. Actually, this time they’re NOT forecasting much accumulation – but, in case they’re WRONG – and we DO – we want to be prepared to stay up here until further notice.
We were stuck up here for 14 days in 2000 when we had a huge ice storm. It broke off our tree branches, sounding like gunshots as the branches gave up, broke off, and fell to the ground. We had so many trees whose branches broke, or ice-laden evergreens across our driveway, it took us three days with chain saws to hack our way down our 650+ steep driveway to the road that runs in front of the house. We had no public power or water. Our China Diesel generator in the well house blew a gasket. My husband and our son had to rig a barrel of water to keep it from burning up. They had to check things every half hour for the 14 days.
When we finally made it through THAT awful storm and its aftermath, we got serious about being able to survive up here, if we needed to, for however long it took. We can breathe easily now, although I still hate ice storms… I feel lucky to be able to be proactive. We have a warm, dry house. We have geothermal heat and air with a generator. We have a wood-burning fireplace. We have food and water for our pets and ourselves. We have movies and/or books. We have coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
I feel lucky to be able to be proactive. We have a warm, dry house. We have geothermal heat and air with a generator. We have a wood-burning fireplace. We have food and water for our pets and ourselves. We have movies and/or books. We have coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
Richard Green – LinkedIn
I feel an especially strong pull toward wherever this idyllic place is because it’s yucky outside here in Greenwood, Arkansas today. It’s cold and rainy. Forecasted for us for the weekend is a ‘wintry mix.” I think I’ve told you before that Arkansas does not do winter well.
I wouldn’t mind if it just turned cold and snowed. We always do ICE first – sometimes really causing almost un-repairable damage – and THEN we might get some snow over it.
In 2001 we got a ‘wintry mix’ that resulted in our being captive in our house, unable to get down our 650+ foot steep driveway until we chain-sawed the trees. That took us three days of really long, hard, cold work. The tree branches were snapping off as we stood on the porch. I still cringe when I hear that awful sound. We have what we call ‘trash trees’ rather than majestic or beautiful ones, but I love them all and it broke my heart when we lost so many.
So as I gaze wistfully at this gorgeous photo by Richard Green, I wish I could escape there and spend the day, at least.
Our worst day is supposed to be Saturday, when we have a 100% chance of rain/sleet/snow and flying hairballs, according to the weather channel. I just have all appendages crossed that whatever happens will be clear for Monday, when we pick up our son at the airport for a much-anticipated visit from Thailand.
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, Mother Nature
“Field Maple” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Gold Leaves” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Grass and Clover” – Paul Militaru Photography
“In Depth Study of Mushrooms” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Spine and Leaves” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Thistles” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Two Shades of Rusty” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Warm Colors at the End of the Fall” – Paul Militaru Photography
“What’s Left – Thorns” – Paul Militaru Photography
“A Place of Meditation” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Fog in the Mountains” – Paul Militaru Photography
“In the Mountains Relax and Rest” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Lights and Shadows” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Path” – Paul Militaru Photography
Hannah Kirk via Morning Coffee With Abba Ltd
We took Amber, our 93 pound lab ‘puppy’ with us in the truck as we did our errands yesterday.
Amber
She goes nuts when she hears the words, ‘go,’ or ‘car’, so she followed us out and jumped up into the back seat of the truck as soon as we opened the door for her. She doesn’t care where we’re going, she just wants to go with us.
We were almost home when FOUR does ran across the road in front of the truck. Three went across in a small parade and then one was hesitant. She followed soon after. We’ve passed deer beside the road before, but Amber didn’t notice them because they didn’t move. This time she got all excited, wanting to go out and play with them. She didn’t bark to scare them.
The deer got safely across the road and we continued on to our driveway, feeling lucky to have shared such a beautiful sight!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Mother Nature
tailandfur.com
We finally enjoyed a beautiful rain this morning!
It was overcast when we awoke, and the sky continued to darken as we ate breakfast. By the time we were in the office, it was like night! Of COURSE the doggies wanted to go out. As we did that, we decided that maybe we ought to pay attention and close the garage door for what was coming. It was MUCH cooler, so we opened the front and back doors and went out on the porch to welcome the storm.
We ended up with the doggies out there with us, watching the clouds move past us from west to east, erasing the one band of lighter sky as we watched. Then wave after wave of hard rain followed. It was coming straight down, so we didn’t get wet. Amber played with my husband, trying to drop a really heavy toy on his socked toes in his sandals, then switching to a basketball, then back to the heavy toy over and over. Every once in a while, if lightning flashed or thunder rolled, she would look out the screen, wag her tail, and then continue the joy of her play.
We sat out there about 15 minutes or so. It was WONDERFUL. The weather people say that it should clear sometime this afternoon and then we could get more this evening. HOOORAAAAAAY!
Filed under Mother Nature
Kathleen Helsel – quotesgram.com
Actual temperature here is 106. Heat index says 111. I say, “UGH.”
Filed under Mother Nature
historythatsfake.blogspot.com
The weather alert thingie in our bedroom woke me up early this morning – about 2:45 a.m. – flashing red. I got up to see what it was warning us about. A severe thunderstorm. That started about 3 a m. There was an impressive amount of thunder and lightning, along with a good amount of rain – just perfect for feeling grateful we had a roof over our head, a strong house, and good windows – and then turning over and happily going back to sleep.
It was still raining, or raining again – though without all the fanfare, when we got up for breakfast. The dogs didn’t seem to mind going out to take care of business, but they were barking at the door only moments later. The wind was whipping trees around, so I closed the garage door for at least the morning.
We’re due for severe weather – rain, gusty winds, hail, possible tornadoes, possible flooding, and flying hair balls – this afternoon and evening, so the whole day will be interesting.
Both doggies have been out again and are happily playing. The cats are curled up in their ‘cube’ beds on top of the woodpile in the garage. The fish are happily swimming in their still-clean water. The people are happy they don’t have to go do a bunch of errands today. We might drive down quickly and get the mail at the bottom of the driveway, but today will be a nice inside day for us.
Hold onto your hats if you’re in our area today. If you aren’t, I hope you’re enjoying the weather where you are.
Filed under Mother Nature
gettyimages.ae
I started mowing the lawn yesterday, in a rush because we were going to have thunderstorms in the afternoon. My husband came out and took over when I had finished about half of the yard. I drank some water and then went out to run the leaf blower to clean up the front porch, sidewalks front and back and the garage pad of all the grass and dirt.
We both came in breathing pretty heavily and drank water again and rested.
Can you hear Mother Nature giggling? She has a cruel sense of humor sometimes. I think she loves seeing us rush around and then NOT send the rain…
pinterest.com
“Widespread heavy rain and strong thunderstorms will be likely throughout the morning and early afternoon. Another round of storms will be possible late tonight into Friday morning”. -Joe – meteorologist from KFSM, 5 News, Fort Smith, AR.
I’m so happy that we again dodged the bullet of a really impressive-looking, multicolored blob of severe weather that might have come through here. I hope that everyone who WAS in the line of bad storms is all right today.
We just had some rain last night and will enjoy being inside and dry today as several waves of heavy rain – but not severe – come through.
Filed under Mother Nature
Last fall I cleaned out the planter where the ‘new’ iris were, the ones from Nanna’s Iris Garden in Charleston, AR. I transplanted iris all over the yard, and still have some that need to be planted. This is one of our new ones and I think it’s really nice. I cut the top bloom and brought it into the house for us to enjoy, leaving the rest to bloom outside.
I love this time of year, each time I take a trip around the yard, I find something that fills my heart.
Filed under Arkansas, Gardening, Greenwood, Mother Nature
XciteFun.net
The rain started just after we got into the car in the Walmart parking lot early yesterday afternoon, and we’ve had showers off and on ever since. It’s very overcast and looks like another one is coming any minute. No severe weather this time, and for that I am truly grateful. (I tend to get nervous when the weather alert is flashing red and the weather guys on TV are telling you to bend over and kiss your nether end bye-bye…)
THIS rain is one where you can almost hear all the trees, plants, and grass saying a collective “AHHHHHH!” A nice, soaky, healing rain.
It makes my husband cranky, though, because his only thought is that we’ll have to mow the lawn again soon, when we JUST finished doing that this past week.
I have mentally switched from my “OUTSIDE to-do list” to my “INSIDE to-do list,” both of which are longer than my arms right now. I know I’ll never actually get either list finished – that just never happens around here. I just keep plugging away, telling myself that it’s better now than it was before I started, and make myself content with that.
I’m looking forward to getting something accomplished today, enjoying the rain, taking a break and curling up with my current book, and maybe even catching a nap this afternoon.
GrowingBolder.com
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Filed under Mother Nature
XciteFun.net
“The richness of the rain made me feel safe and protected; I have always considered the rain to be healing — a blanket — the comfort of a friend. Without at least some rain in any given day, or at least a cloud or two on the horizon, I feel overwhelmed by the information of sunlight and yearn for the vital, muffling gift of falling water.” ~ Douglas Coupland
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“Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.” ~ Vladimir Nabokov
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“Never run in the rain with your socks on.” ~ Billie Joe Armstrong
Filed under Favorite Quotes, Mother Nature
IncredibleSayings
I just took the doggies out, walking straight out to the garden to see if our plants made it through the night. It was due to get close to freezing this morning, and I debated whether to try to cover things up. I finally decided I had too many things to cover and would just hope for the best.
It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if the plants had frozen, but they were doing really well and I would have been very disappointed if Mother Nature had zapped everything.
Everything is good!
I hope that the weather is good where you are this morning. I wonder what the day will bring?
piccsy.com
Okay. We were in the middle of a drought and it even caused bad problems with our water supply, making the turnovers in the lakes cause our water to have a bad odor and taste. Wildfire danger was high. Warm, windy days were worrisome. I started doing mental and physical rain dances, trying to get our area over the problem.
Mother Nature listened. I’m not sure if she saw and heard ME, or if a whole lot of people were also doing rain dances, but she delivered. Big Time. We’ve had rain, rain showers, heavy rain, storms, sleet, and more rain. I’ve definitely STOPPED even thinking about rain dances, but now I’m thinking Mother Nature is saying, “You wanted rain. Okay. Here it is!”
Today we’re due for MORE storms, particularly between 11:00 and 3 this afternoon with possible severe weather. We did a group of errands this morning, paring our list down to one appt this afternoon, in an effort to be ONLY blown away, rather than blown away and DROWNED trying to get our stuff done.
The doggies came and demanded that I take them out a couple of minutes ago, insisting they would blow up if I didn’t take them out NOW. I complied, then came back for my camera, to record some of the beauty I found while walking around the yard. The storm today might wreak havoc with our yard, so I wanted to try to catch Mother Nature at her BEST – first.
Every day the wisteria gets more lush and more purple.
It SMELLS wonderful, too!
We have purple iris blooming in planters, in clusters around the yard, even off the edge of the civilized part of our yard, plus down our driveway.
We have buds on the three new Rio Samba rose bushes, and now some of the buds are starting to open up!
A knock out rose bush is starting to have blooms.
This is the north side of our square foot garden.
And the south side.
The winds really picked up while I took pics and walked the dogs. We’ll probably be right in the heart of the thunderstorms this afternoon, since we have to be out at 1:30. It’s a good thing we don’t melt in the rain. We’re thankful for our warm, dry home. Our doggies have already snuggled down for a nap, and even the two cats came in with us.
Have a wonderful day. Stay warm and dry!
DesiComments.com
“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
Langston Hughes
Filed under Mother Nature
When our wisteria starts to bloom each year, my husband says, “The wisteria is wissing!”
Each day it get a bit more lush, a bit more purple. We just love it.
Filed under Favorite Things, Gardening, Mother Nature
creativeartworksblog 