Nice weather.....

........if you are a toad.

Water iris in the trough sending up shoots

Flowers are finally blooming in my yard thanks to lots of rain and few warm days

Hellebore

Quince

When I was growing up there was a quince bush outside my bedroom window.  We called it japonica.  Every year a catbird would build its nest in the brambles of the bush.  Early each morning, in the earliest hours, the catbird would practice its broad repertoire of songs.  Even when I was young I could appreciate the song and its mimicry of other birds.

Catbird on Singer trade card

Service berry

We had a huge service berry tree at home in St. Francisville.  Mom bought it for dad because he remembered them from his youth.  He called it a sarvice berry and it was only a few years ago that I found out the true pronunciation.  Mom made pie for Dad with the berries.  

                                                                                                         

Finally making things again

Easter passed by unmarked by any celebration this year. (Except for an easter surprise left on my steps by Phyllis which was much appreciated.)  Instead, I worked nonstop to make some jewelry for the annual Artists Against Aids show and sale.  After a rough, start things more or less came together and I have a few pieces I am happy with.  I'm glad that I'm finally using a lot of the supplies that I've purchased.  I even used some of my best scrapbook paper which was a big step toward letting go of my craft supply hoarding.  The biggest accomplishment was finding the package of fiddly adhesive tags required to label everything according to the specifications of the sale.   Things really are going well! So after a little more work packing up the pieces I'll deliver everything just under the wire later today.  Then it's on to spring cleaning and doing my taxes.  Fun.