As usual the Spring weather swings from warm to freezing (literally) and back again. Plus Spring rain. I’ve not been walking anywhere near as much as I want or as would be healthy, but before I took 2 weeks vacation I did get out and about.
I was out at an appointment and I heard an odd but familiar sound. Avian for sure. I looked about and up and there it was – on top of the building. 🙂 It was not alone – periodically I could see something behind that goose that made me think there was another up there. I stood there for a few minutes in the sunshine, listening to the goose trumpet a paean to Spring. Or whatever the call might have been. 🙂
The trouble with warm spring days for my walks is that I become increasingly more demanding about the temperature. Whereas in January temperatures in the 40s were WARM for walking, at this point I’m not going out unless the temps are in the high 50s. I’m tired of being cold and I don’t warm up until halfway through my walk. Good thing Mother Nature is not as picky as I am. 🙂
I just liked this cute little house, flanked by tall trees, light blue sky, puffy clouds
Notice the brickwork all the way to the right. This house is SO LOVED.
What a joy! When I woke this morning it was already 60F degrees!! I’d blocked out time in the afternoon to walk, but it was early enough and warm enough that I could walk before I sat down to work.
I need to trespass some day to see this from the back.
One of the fun aspects of walking is seeing what everyone else has done with their homes and property. I’m planning to have someone do some small building work for me outside this spring, based on ideas I’ve gotten over the last few months as I walk. I like Craftsmen/Mission style and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style. When it comes to art work or selecting items for my home I’m always attracted to stone/metal/wood. You’ll see that in the privacy screens.
This for the privacy art work along the back property line.
There are also some homes that tickle my fancy every time I see them. The small house pictured here is so appealing – the colors, the facade. Attractive and makes me smile every time I go by. I also love the carve out on this very old house – what a clever way to get light and air!
Brilliant! Reminds me of how I customized my broom closet in the kitchen renovations.
I want to build a privacy screen along my back property line. I’m being very careful to NOT call it a fence, because for that I’d need permits. 🙂 But I’m calling it a piece of art that I can position in such a way that it gives me more privacy AND is attractive to all who see it. I also want to grow ivy and/or other plants on it. I want it to have some sort of bin at the bottom for additional soil. But I need a swinging panel as well between the existing privacy screen and the new one, because I’ll need to get to the back side of both. Mark says “not a problem”.
This has wheels – I’ve seen it move about. I want this for my driveway which gets LOTS of sun.
I do need to fix my brickwork from last fall, and I’m not going to change it – just level it – but I do enjoy seeing what others have done. I love the grass in the one photo. I could definitely see myself pulling up my lawn and putting in something much ‘wilder’ instead, especially if it meant I no longer needed the lawn mowed. 🙂
Love the grass. and the back brick work.Come- walk with me! Doesn’t this pathway just call to you?
Well. This was a surprise. I sat down to eat my lunch when a movement caught my eye. It was a butterfly. A live butterfly. Inside my house. On my grow light. 3 feet away. I did what any right-thinking person would do: called to my husband as I raced for my camera. Because after all, we know, if there isn’t a photo, it never happened.
I’m saying “what do we do with it?” since it’s going down to single digits again tonight. Obviously we can’t put it outside. My husband is saying “the cat will get it”. I’m thinking no way am I letting the cats get it. It didn’t look great – either it was starving or burned itself on the grow light or a cat had already gotten it. It didn’t look very stable once it tried to move. It moved off the grow light at some point and was between the planters. Maybe dragging a wing? a foot? NOT flying.
first round of feeding the butterfly, when I began to worry it was drowning, not drinking
So of course we tried to feed it. 🙂 I feed everyone and everything, even unexpected butterflies. Unfortunately I had no rotting food (that’s what my search turned up for ‘what do butterflies eat?’ but I did have a pear with a little brown spot. We put some sugar water, small pieces of the pear, and ultimately, some pomegranate nectar in a plate. The butterfly was still staggering, now back behind the planter. I pushed the plate near it, locked BC in the basement, and went back to my lunch
I got up to check on it and couldn’t tell if it was drowning in the sugar water or drinking it ecstatically (watch the video – you’ll see what I mean). In case it was drowning, I put a bit of paper towel near it so it could get its footing. I know NOTHING about butterflies other than that they are pretty and I like them. 🙂 It didn’t seem impressed by the paper towel…
having dined, returned to the grow light (see the added nectar in the dish)
After lunch I checked again. The butterfly was out of the dish (so it didn’t drown) and back on the grow light. I grabbed some catnip-flavored greenies, put them down in front of the basement door, and released the kracken! I mean BC. 🙂 Who devoured the greenies. I fed BC some wet cat food while I worked the daily crossword puzzle, then grabbed more greenies and BC. While BC protested vociferously (apparently she does not like being carried about) I took us both upstairs, where I strewed a trail of greenies from the top of the stairs to my office. 🙂 I’m hoping the butterfly decides/is able to fly higher. If so, I can move the plate of nectar out of cat-reach. (Although I’m not really sure where such a place might be.) Because I’m going to be very sad if my husband proves correct in this instance.
yay for the distraction power of greenies!!! and the lure of my desk
Actually – it was my day for visitors. It was raining/snowing this morning so I did not go out for my morning walk. When I pulled up the shade downstairs, I discovered my frequent morning walk companions had NOT been deterred by the weather!
I know they do a lot of damage, but I still feel delight seeing them
What do you mean you don’t recognize me? It’s me, not Charlie Brown. 🙂 (No scarf)
I’m either admirable or an idiot or an admirable idiot. 🙂 Despite a temperature reading of 16F I decided to do my 2.75 mile walk anyway. I know that I’m not suffering REAL cold – that’s for folks like my friend Honour in Bay of Fundy. Walking really does make me feel better while I’m walking. And I can cling to the notion of being healthy & determined while I sit at my computer staring at things that annoy me. I’ve been walking now since Sept 27 and it does feel ‘off’ if I miss it. I’ve also learned a few things I need to do in preparation.
From back in the fall, before all the leaves shriveled up in self-defense. Isn’t this pretty?
My routine starts in the morning with a cuddle with BC. She’s an excellent alarm clock. Then I weigh myself. Yeah, sometimes that ruins the day right then and there. Then I begin dressing. In layers. Since September the number of layers has grown.
Also not today. But wintery morning skies make nice photos. Thank goodness today was BRIGHT sunshine.
Today involved 5 layers on my torso, 3 on my head, 2 on my legs and 2 on my feet. Toss in some face protection as well and I’m all ready! Legs = my nylon yoga pants plus sweatpants. Feet = pair of knee-hi stockings plus heavy socks. Torso = nylon turtleneck, long-sleeve cotton tee, fleece jacket, hooded sweatshirt, nylon windbreaker (hey – I get COLD). Head = baseball cap, sweatshirt hood, windbreaker hood (and oh my – when I’m walking into the wind coming off the river I NEED all of those). Face is protected with lip moisturizer, a cloth facemask (that was new today trying to protect my cheeks), sunglasses. Oh! and my hands!!! I always wear surgical gloves under my mittens. When the temperature is below 20F, I use my incredibly warm mittens from Norway (which are usually too darn warm). 🙂 It’s very hard to reach my tissues to blow my nose when needed. But hey – I did it. I walked. Keeping to my personal commitment. But oh please – let it be warmer tomorrow!
Didn’t see any friends this morning. This shot was a few weeks ago. I’m on my front steps very near to her.
Some mornings when I do my walk I need to forcibly stop thinking and LOOK and LISTEN and EXPERIENCE the world about me. Practice some mindfulness while I practice physical healthy living. (Yes, I’m way too Type A personality to just sit and be mindful – but I can do it while I’m walking. *grin*)
This morning was the extreme opposite experience. Today I needed to remind myself that I could NOT stay in one spot and take photos of the sun rising. It was so majestic. Sunrise demands that you pay attention. Sunrise demands respect. Awe. Joy.
I apologize for the power wires and telephone poles, but that’s my world – old township before those things were buried beneath us. Yet the sky transported me why beyond earth’s surface today. What a wonderful walk.
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