It sort of snuck up on me. I knew that snow has been melting (and we're in the mud season-just ask the dog!) but I forgot to check the earliest bloomers. A beautiful sunny afternoon in these parts and sure enough, there they were!
Pushing valiantly up through the sticky autumn leaves. Still closed on the north side and open on the sunny south side. Such pretty little Snowdrops given to me by a friend a couple of years ago, and doing very well under my crab apple tree. The very first flowers of the season in my gardens and ohhhhh so welcome after a long hard winter!!
Other early bulbs are pushing up, but I'm not quite sure what is what yet. And the moss and lichens on the Northwest side of the Basswood are such a lovely shade of green.
Finally, the big magnolia tree here is truly just loaded with velvety flower buds. If the weather cooperates to let it bloom properly (and this is a touch and go situation, year to year, at best) it will be a magnificent site. I recall that I marveled last fall that these little bits would survive the winter, all the freezing and extremes, but would burst into bloom again come Spring, when conditions were right. Can you imagine--each of these plump little buds will bit a nice big white flower?!! It's one of my favorite things!
OK, now for a bit of business. I need your vote!! Really! There's a "Best in Show" contest going on over at the new "I Heart Handmade" show, and I really am proud of my little "Booth" here, so I need you to pop over, scroll down to "WillOaks Studio" (at the bottom of the alphabet, of course!) and "pull the lever!" Here's a direct link to the page for voting:
Poll: Who is your favorite shop in the Spring I Heart Handmade market?
And after a couple of good nights of sleep, I'm settling back into my Entrecard mode, such as it was prior to that debacle of being deleted. Yep, I'm sticking it out and was the grateful recipient (such a nice surprise!) of left over EC credits from Lin over at Duck and Wheel with String and Jude over at Mature not Senile as they have both left Entrecard. Plus Shelia at The Ad Master put an image for my blog over on her blog. I had lost my place in line for an EC ad on her blog, which I'd waited nearly 2 weeks for, when my reservations were all "erased" by Entrecard. Don't worry, I've also bought a legit ad over on her blog with my returned credits, as I work to get my EC reservations/widget spots back up to snuff!!
Thanks to all, each and every one, for your support through all this...you all really helped me with a tricky time and I'm so glad to have all you great readers/bloggers/and blogger buddies in my life! XXX♥♥♥000 Enjoy my first peeks at SPRING!
