Watching Spring unfold over the course of several weeks in this area is a source of deep joy for me. There are subtle beauties in this semi-arid landscape, the willow catkins, tiny wild flowers, trees and shrubs just beginning to leaf out – lovely. It seems appropriate that the Full Moon of Spring is in Libra, a sign that always has a deep appreciation of and need for beauty in their lives. In other areas Spring is much more dramatic with intense flowering shrubs like the azaleas and rhododendrons now in full bloom in Western Washington. Or the cherry trees in full bloom in the other Washington . . .
Spring for Casey in south Texas is a completely different animal . . . she said the daffodils bloomed during my Winter. And our dear friend, tseka, who lives in the high desert, has a very brief but beautiful Spring before what she accurately calls the “Long Hot” settles. When I lived in Southern California on the coast, Winter was the green season. My Libra self is much, much happier with four distinct seasons, each to be appreciated in turn and each giving us greater appreciation of the other. Each Full Moon brings us an opportunity to renew our awareness how each sign is balanced/complemented by another.
The daffodils in the photo are my favorite mini-daffodils, Jetfires. They bloom early, are very hardy and do this color change thing I really like! The trumpets start out light orange and deepen in color plus the other petals tip back towards the stem. The lazy no good hound is my dog . . . rolling in something nasty I’m sure. She is much loved even when she smells bad!
Please stop over to visit Neith’s Photos. I’ve added more the Spring album and a picture of the second baby blanket to Crafts . . . “-)
© Copyright 2007 Diane L, All rights Reserved. Written For: Libra Seeking Balance
I personally am a fan of the Salome daffofil. The trumpet part starts out yellow and then turns pale pink. Best of all, the squirrels don’t dig ‘em up! I once planted 60 crocus bulbs in the lawn. The next day, I had little pits in the grass (and maybe one bulb turned up alive the next spring). %@#%* little *%#@!
The next day, I had little pits in the grass (and maybe one bulb turned up alive the next spring). %@#%* little *%#@! Salomes!! Those are another favorite of mine!! Totally agree about daffodils and other narcissus types being low maintenance when it comes to squirrels and gophers. And I’ve had that same experience of planting lots of bulbs in the fall . . . and NOTHING in the spring because they were eaten!
Say, has anyone else had a rough time adjusting to the Daylight Savings Time change this year? For some reason, I’ve been fighting with it this time far more than usual. Maybe my fixed sign emphasis that so doesn’t like to change a pattern . . . Whatever it is, it’s been hell. I’m still sleeping & waking to the old schedule unless I set the alarm clock.
Oh that wonderful mouse dog, well it has been a long winter, a little rolling around it just what a dog needs…especially after all that hard work supervising the Aries with the SN Virgo making sure that everything is just perfect! And it is. Relaxing in now in order…Maybe some will rub of on the Aries…a vacation….who knows….Daffodils, love them ,the narcissi begin to bloom in October then everything waits even though the leaves are all up they seem to manage and the blooming begins in jan -feb depending on the temps. I too love the fairy types. Love them all, love anything the squirrels, chipmunks, kangaroo rats leave alone.Went to your photos love the baby blanket, and those vests make me drool. oh my. Kisses Neith, you bring us all joy.Happy spring and give that excellent companion (the mousedog) a big hug from me.
No, they started the DST a month earlier…I’d like to know what idiot in Congress thought that would be a good idea.It has been a very hard year, hasn’t it? My bestest friend in all the world called today and her sister has inoperable brain cancer. As though the woman hadn’t already been through enough with one son dead of AIDS and the other committing suicide. I am not feeling so sanguine as a few days ago. Everyone has very hard things going on…But, HEY! I don’t even have to check what sign the moon is in! I just watch Eve and when she starts sounding more and more like a Virgo, I know the Moon’s in Virgo. heee.It’s bluebonnet season here. It’s the #1 reason Texans love Texas. The bluebonnets.
p.s. I’m glad the daffodils are dancing for you…big cyberhug.
fooh fooh! so cute!and…www.pbase.com/richo/image/76185131bluebonnets!
ooh, if you page along, you’ll see the almost-full moon and the bluebonnets. sigh.
ah, man…it’s making me boo hoo. funny how a place can take you so strongly. Texas forever. Look at the bluebonnets in Schulenberg and the cows and bluebonnets in Bluebonnet Valley…I’m going out there with Pookie this Friday. It better not rain!
Lee says the first time I talked to her when she moved here from England and I started babbling about the bluebonnets to her right away. She couldn’t figure out why I was talking about hats!Look at the cows in the bluebonnets! THAT, guys, is what Texas is. I get all gushy over cows. And fences. And in Friday Night Lights last week, the football coach and his wife (who have the best marriage EVER on TV) were inspecting a cow pasture to see if it would do for a football field (don’t ask, long plot device). And the cows on HER side of the field matched her hair. And the cows on his side of the field matched HIS hair. hee..
Love them all, love anything the squirrels, chipmunks, kangaroo rats leave alone.Yes!! I do have certain bulbs like tulips planted in wire mesh baskets to help prolong their life expectancy . . . but anything in the Narcissus family does just fine.especially after all that hard work supervising the Aries with the SN Virgo making sure that everything is just perfect!I find she does a great job of supervising and we have these long “discussions” whenever I head for the door that the treats come out of most frequently about how much she deserves one.
Ended up feeding the men in my family yesterday (4 of them) . . . They cheerfully troupe in & sit down and look expectant. I made a cherry pie the day before & watched 2/3rds of it disappear. They’re sweet but have no real idea of the time it takes to prepare a full meal plus dessert. 
Lee says the first time I talked to her when she moved here from England and I started babbling about the bluebonnets to her right away. She couldn’t figure out why I was talking about hats!Ha, Ha, Ha!!! Those are great pictures too. I realized that your Texas bluebonnets must be a close relative of what we call Lupin here . . . and a LOT more blue!!! Around here it’s usually May before the lupin & balsamroot (bright yellow daisy type) really start blooming. Our lupin runs from white to lavender blue, very tame compared to bluebonnets!Balsamroot, Kittitas ValleyKittitas Valley is where I live . . .
BTW, my dad is one of the people who has walked all over the valley cataloging the wildflowers. What little I know I learned from him . . .
pretty! they look a lot like our chocolate daisies. Texas has a huge amount of prairie wildflowers. After LBJ died, LadyBird devoted a lot of her time to spreading the word about wildflowers and disappearing habitats. We talk about “good bluebonnet years” and “bad bluebonnet years” the way other people talk about good crops/bad crops. Last year was not-so-good and the highway department had to work some spraying the seeds on the sides of the highways. They need “scarifying” to germinate so they have to be planted in the fall and have a cold-enough winter. It’s against the law to pick them. And it’s very common to plop your babies in the middle of a big ol’ field of bluebonnets and take pictures. lol. I’m tellin’ ya. It’s the No. 1 thing Texans love about Texas (according to Texas Monthly). It’s even more important than the “Big Sky” and the Astrodome. (which looks pretty little and battered these days)
we also love our Indian paintbrushes but not as much as the bluebonnets.Four hungry men! I bet that makes you feel appreciated!
I agree, you can’t beat wildflowers for beauty once they’re established and mature. I planted a section of my yard with native flowers and grasses 5 years ago and every year people would say, “What’s that scruffy, weedy area doing there?”Last year, the hard work really paid off in showy colors and scads of birds and butterflies. I even saw a frog (not a toad, a frog!) in my artificial pond! In the middle of a major metro area! It goes to show, if you plant it, they will come.
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my dad is one of the people who has walked all over the valley cataloging the wildflowers. What little I know I learned from himthat warms my heart~smiling~
Last year, the hard work really paid off in showy colors and scads of birds and butterflies. I even saw a frog (not a toad, a frog!) in my artificial pond! In the middle of a major metro area! It goes to show, if you plant it, they will come.
)Amazing, isn’t it?! We always have lots butterflies & birds too. Though when we’re sweating & swearing putting up netting so the birds won’t eat all our cherries, blueberries, strawberries and pears, I’m not so fond of some birds . . . 
that warms my heart~smiling~ I’m fortunate . . . it’s my brother who learned all the Latin names for the local flora. Me, mostly I know the common names for the various flowers & trees.
Being able to name the things (birds, trees, flowers, etc.) in our environment adds immensely to our enjoyment of them I have found, whether we use the common or Latin names.I had problems with anti-bird netting when I was gardening. Birds would always get their feet or wings tangled in it. Have you had similar problems?
I had problems with anti-bird netting when I was gardening. Birds would always get their feet or wings tangled in it. Have you had similar problems?I have to go with Scorpio pragmatism here . . . no net, no fruit. Over the fifteen years we’ve been using netting, I haven’t really noticed that many problems. The two worst offenders, Starlings & Robins, show no drop in population . . . Feral cats probably kill/damage more birds than the netting does. Besides, the Aries I live with has a much more aggressive stance on dealing with what he views as pests . . . as I’ve learned thru painful experience to choose my battles wisely, I know this is a lost cause.One year we had a pair of Copper’s Hawks nesting close to our big strawberry patch (we had 1/4 acre at the time). During their nesting season they circle & call out to each other . . . did a magnificent job of clearing out the Robins & Starlings!!
Scorpio pragmatismYes. I agree with you (and your Aries). 100%My main problem was that *I* was the one having to go deal with the often still-alive mangled creatures. Although heavily Scorpionic and hence quite ok with the ‘food chain concept’ (life/death) I have a squeamish side (perhaps my Cancer Moon?) and hated the actual ‘process’.
My main problem was that *I* was the one having to go deal with the often still-alive mangled creatures. Although heavily Scorpionic and hence quite ok with the ‘food chain concept’ (life/death) I have a squeamish side (perhaps my Cancer Moon?) and hated the actual ‘process’ooooh, you have my sympathy on that one . . . my trusty dog or one of the feral cats usually disposed of the carcass long before we even knew it was there. I would see a few feathers floating around and that’s it. Even as a kid w/a bb gun, i didn’t get into shooting birds or anything else for that matter. When I worked for a vet the hardest part of the job was helping them put unwanted or disabled puppies & kittens down. The very old ones didn’t bother me as they were always relieved to be free of their worn out bodies but babies?! lots & lots of tears . . .
Here’s something that brings me joy.
) It’s my most labor-intensive effort yet. Of course, there’s always room for improvement…OneTwo
Very nice, Joe! Well done! I admire your patience and dexterity. I tried my hand at these once, many many moons ago. And I own a few, all made and gifted to me by a Ukrainian friend of mine. I know the skill and love that is required to create these. Bravo to you!Btw, I’ve been thinking of you and your eggs… I buy these eggs with omega-3 and lutein and they have an especially *sturdy* shell. I was wondering, do you favor certain types of eggs or do you use any old kind? I often have to knock these a few times, or else give them an extra hard whack, to get the shell to crack. I thought your other egg might have survived its tumble if it had been one of these…
beautiful, joe…so intricate. You must have a very steady hand. I watched somebody doing that on tv the other day. It looks like a perfect hobby for a cold winter day.Speaking of animal carcasses, etc., I walked outside this morning (we had a COLD FRONT yesterday…brrr), to find my downstairs neighbor’s dog, Jovi, dancing around the the front yard with a bird carcass in her mouth. ewwww. Nothing like starting your morning by shouting to your neighbor “Jovi’s in the front yard with a dead bird!”no doggie kisses for me, thank you very much!
Joe – that egg is marvelous!! I have a fondness for those more traditional colors and patterns too. Love the wheat figure. OK, that makes a third lifetime I need to do something fun like that . . . I was talking my Libra friend w/Sag ASC who trains horses and told her I wish I had a second lifetime to do that . . .
Nothing like starting your morning by shouting to your neighbor “Jovi’s in the front yard with a dead bird!”no doggie kisses for me, thank you very much!ROFL!!!! I have had that conversation with my dog about stuff she digs up that she buried last Fall. She says it’s just getting prime!