A quick garden update

The weather at the beginning of the month was full of surprises.  We had days with promise, of bulbs starting to show buds and leaf buds swelling - and then poof the weather changed and my poetic almost spring post was out of date.   Then it got crazy busy and then my computer updated, 3 times in a week and a half.  So instead, it's a current post, which isn't poetic in the least.

The daffodils are blooming.   There are these bi-coloured ones in the back garden and yellow ones up front.   These bloom a few days earlier despite the front gardens getting a lot more sun and wind protection.   The little blue scilla are always a welcome sight.  They are true blue and so pretty.   I've always hoped they'd naturalize into the grass, but hubby likes his riding lawn mower and the grass grows so quickly in the spring, that they never really have a chance to do so.

Yesterday  I noticed that the Hyacinths have started blooming as well.  Today was too windy for me to try to photograph bugs, but my 2 loads of laundry out on the line dried in a flash.  Because it was so breezy, it was soft and lovely as well.  

This was the big bumble bee that was flitting around all the hyacinths.   He was amazingly large.   I was a bit disappointed as it was still coolish at the time, and breezy, so I couldn't have a cup of tea outside to enjoy the scent of the hyacinths.   

Today I checked the two new gooseberries I planted last year and both survived the weird winter.  I was only really worried about one, as it had a harder time establishing itself last summer.  It had some leaf fall and didn't really grow over the months after it was planted.  However, both plants have green buds and tiny leaves, so hurray!  

I went out looking for replacement copper moulds.  I was thrilled to find some, although the prices were really high.  There were 2 fairly small ones, a lobster and a fish, that were heavy and lined with a silver coloured metal.   They were $20 each, which although they were probably older and more durable than the ones I collect, were way outside my self-imposed mould budget.

There were a couple of other moulds, also priced at $20 or higher, but they were either too large, or not pretty.  I've only seen one not pretty mould, and it was yesterday - plain and round .  

 I found this lovely tiered jelly mould though for $12.  And while that's the top end of my budget,  I usually walk away from those.  We no longer have real thrift stores in town, so I have to drive to cities to find the cheap ones.  I figured the time and gas expenditures probably make up for the extra cost.  Plus it's so pretty and fun!    So I found a new one, but not any replacements for the damaged moulds.  I guess I can keep looking.   

 

 The daffodil leaves started pushing their way through the dirt almost as soon as the ground had thawed.   We had little bunches of leaves for ages.  Then the weather gave us a sneak preview of summer.  It was t-shirt weather, or at least I could run out to the barn without a jacket.  Then poof, we had beautiful yellow daffodil blooms.  The mild weather pushed the flowers out in literally hours.  In the morning they were buds and in the afternoon, there were blooms!

We also had lots of little blue flowers littering the lawn and flower beds, but a snow fall and some below freezing temps laid waste to their beauty.   The daffodils however, endure.  Despite the cooler temperatures and the cold nights, they still shine.

I've been trying to teach myself to follow a crochet pattern.   I've made a few blankets, and dabbled over the years, but following  a pattern has always been a bit of an issue.  While trying a pattern for a 1 hour hat, I realized that it's not the pattern I have issues with, but how not to add an extra stitch at the beginning of a row, or the end of a row.   I've watched a bunch of videos which were informative and now I'm pretty sure I understand the process.   The problem?  I can't seem to get the stitch count correct unless I count ever row.  This is irritating to me because I like to do other things while I fiddle with handwork, and having to count every row means I have to totally focus on the work at hand.

This is my 3 day hat, not my 1 hour hat.  It's some miscellaneous grey yarn I found skeined in my stash.  I've no idea what it was or when it was spun.   Cheap commercial fake fur pom pom on top because that seems to be the fashion.  I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that there were 2 in the box and I'd just misread the contents.

I let my girls out on those warm days.  They were so happy.   I kept them in yesterday because it was cold, rainy and miserable.   Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny.  Even if it's cool, they'll enjoy being outside.  

In other news, Kevin has decided to start sleeping at my feet.   This is a bit disconcerting because he doesn't really do "people" very well.  It makes me wonder what he's planning.

I'm off on a new quest to learn about circular sock machines.   I've been sort of interested for years, but never really had the time to figure them out.   But there is a bit of arthritis happening in my hands, so maybe now is the time.  I don't want to give up my woolly winter socks!