Spring, But For How Long?

50°f/10°C, clear. A gorgeous, breezy day.

What weather! Absolute heaven after the cold, cold winter we have had. These warm days have coaxed the daffodils, crocus, grape hyacinth  and forsythia into bloom.

These mini daffodils are always first to open.

I call these Rachel's daffodils, because we dug these bulbs from our friend Rachel's garden.

A few of the many crocus bulbs I planted have survived the dogs.

Hard to see, but this forsythia is in almost full bloom.

So green!

I even found a surprisingly early bluet in bloom today.

We have been working on outside cleanup, and have the herb garden tidied; now to wait to see what survived. Today we cleaned out the cellar top (the building on top of our root cellar. What a mess! It has been 4 or 5 years since I have done a deep dive up there because the steps Larry built are downright scary and I hate to go up them. But I did so today and was appalled at the mess my man had made. Everything stacked willy-nilly nilly, trash everywhere...so it was a grand time of tossing stuff out the door! Then bagging it up, making a pile to burn and a pile of scrap metal. 

It looks presentable now, but I will do one more sweep to get rid of things like the 3 ice cream makers that we have never used. Where did they even come from??? I also cleaned out the extra fridge we have up there. I was so pleased to get this job done. And won't be letting Larry put anything in that building unless I am right there with him!

Our granddaughter Sarah arrived late Saturday night, so we have been enjoying visiting with her. She's working on her cabin, and hopes to get some key tasks done during the next two weeks. We've had firepit time the last two evenings, just enjoying this first taste of Spring. And Sarah had her first taste of getting stuck in our bountiful mud. Larry hooked a chain to his truck and pulled her out, and I told her not to feel bad. She has been coming here for 5 years now, and this is the first time she's gotten stuck. Shoot, we got stuck at least 5 times in our first year!

We must enjoy this weather while we can, because next week we will be back in the low 20's and 30's. It's so sad; the poor flowers. And today I saw a butterfly, just fluttering by so happily. Our weather is so changeable and unpredictable,  it's a wonder we ever get any fruit or flowers. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Daffodils, Thoughts, Booths

60°f/15.5°C this morning, high winds and heavy showers early. Temperature dropped all day as winds continued. Currently 50, and expected low of 28 tonight. Welcome, Spring!

Daffodils are out in force today to welcome the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring.

I haven't worked on this bed yet, but the flowers don't seem to mind. 

I wanted to follow up a bit on yesterday's post about our neighborhood. First, it probably seems odd to some to refer to 11 miles of road as our neighborhood,  and in truth, I would actually include a larger area, but I was sticking to Joe's Run in this instance. I would bet that Westerners

would understand, though, as they have even greater distances between "neighbors".

I hadn't considered that the amount of detail I know about this area was unusual. I suppose part of my interest is my storytelling background, my minor in history, and a neighborhood full of people who love to tell stories and know their family's background. I also think, as I responded to some of you, that having a lot of space between houses is a factor. If people were more crowded up on each other, I it would be more imperative to maintain privacy by not getting too chummy with the next door neighbors---similar to how people in cities avoid eye contact, justbtrying to maintain some personal space and quiet. 

I remember my first apartment; there were 4 units, and it took about six months before I got to know the neighbors in two of them, and I never got to know the 4th couple. When we moved to our first little house, the neighborhood was spread out, a cluster of 5 homes, each on at least an acre of land, so we all did get to know each other. 

Then we moved to West Virginia, and to a townhouse, or maybe you call them row houses---our unit shared walls on both sides with the next unit. But being West Virginia, we got to know everyone not only in our building but all the other buildings on our cul-de-sac, because West Virginians are just like that. Nosy, I guess? But visitors to our state often comment on this friendliness. And this may stem from the fact that, in those days at least, most West Virginians were raised in the country,  in places like Joe's Run.

‐‐---------------------------------------------‐----------------------

Well, on to today's topic: booth updates! We have been pretty busy at both locations, adding new things, packing away others, rearranging to give a bit of a fresh look.

At Ripley:

At Ravenswood:

I finished painting this table this week:

I had decided to paint this dresser, but I liked its original finish, imperfect though it is.

Today we took it easy, a day of needed rest. Tomorrow? Off to pick this up:

The legs are beautiful too 😍 

Til next time, friends!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Saving the Daffodils

34 this morning and snowing. Snowed off and on all day, but most melted immediately. Still very cold, never got over 40 today. Tonight is supposed to be in the 20's, and tomorrow will be even colder than today.

Every few years we get this: a late March cold snap that freezes the daffodil stems, and drops the poor flowers to the ground. Other blooms will freeze tonight, too--the pear tree's early blossoms, probably the lilac's buds, although we have it covered with two blankets. We covered the new strawberry plants with a blanket, and the new cabbages with cut-off plastic water jugs. That's all we can protect, and all we can do is hope all will be well.

But the poor daffodils. They are probably my favorite flower, and I just hate it when this happens. So this evening, after our trip to Fairmont to pick up auction buys, I went out and cut a mass of them and filled vases with their yellow beauty. They won't last long in the house, but at least I'll have a couple days of enjoyment from them before they fade.

I thought you might like a look at some of the vases I used. The yellow one I have never identified as to the maker, but I do love it. The blue one beside it is astonishingly over 100 years old. I did know the maker, but can't recall right off.

The case on the left that looks black is actually dark red, and probably an Anchor Hocking piece from the 60's or so. The clear one is another oldtimer, at least 100 years old.

Three more Early American pattern glass vases, 2 clear and one green with gold trim, all in the century club. the taller green crackle glass is not a great piece, just pretty. I have no idea who made it.

One of my newest-to-me vases, a marigild carnival stretch vase. I seem to have started a collection of these tall, slim vases. Funny how collections sneak up on you. The other was in the last photo, one of the EAPG vases.

A better look at the yellow vase. This one is cased, meaning the colored glass is over a milk glass interior, and it has clear amber handles. Just so pretty.

More tomorrow--I have a lot of catching up to do, as this past week has been a real whirlwind.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Still Here

43 this morning light overcast and a hazy day.

I'm still here, just busy as the days get longer and there is so much work to be done to get ready for spring.

The daffodils are in fine form this year, such a beautiful display. Last year we had them in bloom the entire month of March, but this year I think they will not last as long since they came out later, and the days are warmer than last year at this time.

These are volunteers on the edge of the woods. Daffodils spread easily here.

The daffoduls in the distance on the left are all that remains of my once huge, long flowerbed along that edge of the yard. 

Little mini-daffodils seem to have planted themselves in this garden, not a bit intimidated by the larger cousins close by.

I'll have to post a few more garden photos soon. Things are slowly coming around. I'm annoyed at a sudden invasion of heal-all, which has all but taken over some of my flowerbeds. I wonder if the seeds were in the mulch we put down last year? I'm trying to string-trim our what I can, but a lot will have to be pulled by hand. Bummer. It's a shame because it is a pretty plant--just wish there weren't so much of it.

The last two days were spent cleaning up the workroom. We made some hard decisions about what we could keep and what had to go. Some things I bought early on in this business were just plain bad ideas, and we've cleared out the things that are not worth our time and effort to repair. Hard decisions, in some cases, but it was worth the effort. We still have plenty. To someone not in this business it would seem like we still have too much, but it's necessary to keep a good variety of stock to replenish as needed. We actually have less than most dealers, but I do not plan to become one of those with buildings and barns full. It was dusty work, but the result pleases us, and makes me feel like getting out there to paint again.

A visit to the posiatrist took up my morning. What a blessing it is to find a doctor who takes all the time needed to thoroughly discuss my issues and devise a plan to move forward. My right foot has problems--a Morton's neuroma and arthritis, basically, that make walking and standing pretty painful at times. While he can't offer an instant cure, there are some things I can do that will alleviate the discomfort. All part of getting older, I suppose, and I'm lucky that most of my health issues are fairly simple things.

The recent shootings leave me horrified and saddened. What is wrong with people who do these things? What satisfaction can they get from hurting people they don't even know? I have not been following the news much lately while I've been so busy, and then when I come back to listen, this is what I hear. It's beyond depressing. 

All any of us can do is go on with our lives, treat others as kindly as we want to be treated ourselves, and pray that our country will somehow heal itself.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Garden Time

50 this morning, a beautiful day.

I couldn't wait to get outside. We had 10 bags of mulch in the van, and a bunch of plants from a friend to get in the ground.

I believe it is time to end my Covid Journal, as now that we are vaccinated and more and more people are the same, the world seems to be tentatively getting back to a semblance of what once was. So, exactly one year later, I can say goodbye--I think--to my Covid blog title.

Yesterday was a fun day. A friend invited me down to get some lenton roses from her garden, and I was so excited because I've wanted some of these early blooming flowers for years. Lynne used to have a landscaping business, so I knew her gardens would be interesting. I wasn't wrong.

We spent a pleasant hour or so walking and talking about her gardens, and just getting to know each other better. We'd only met once or twice in person, but have been Facebook friends for several years. I tried to absorb all I could as she discussed her plants, why one here and another there, but I really wish I'd taken notes. And my camera. I was so fascinated just listening that I didn't even thing to take photos.

But no matter. We had a great time, and our husbands, both Vietnam vets, had plenty to talk about too. It was our first real visit with friends since the shutdown, and it felt good.

So today I had to get those plants in the ground. I came home with the lenten roses, a couple of hydrangeas, and some monk's hood. I had to prepare some new planting area for them--I know I don't do that right. There were weedy vines in the area where I planted so I scraped them off the top of the dirt, dug it up and planted. I bet anything those vines will be right back. Surely there is a way to rid an area of pest plants? But whatever, my plants are in the ground and mulched, and they look so pretty. 

I was happy to be able to water them with the new hose bib Larry put in a few weeks ago too. Last year I had nowhere close to get water to my flower gardens, and it made for a lot more work.

My bulbs are coming up and blooming now, such a pleasure to see. I am finding new ones everywhere, in places I am sure I never planted them. Help from birds, or squirrels, maybe? Like these miniature daffodils.

I know I planted these crocus though.

But this lone daffodil? I don't plant just one bulb when I plant.

The forsythia is just about ready to burst into flower.

Another patch I know I did not plant, up by the cellarhouse. I do have this variety but didn't put them up there.

We ended this busy day at the firepit, a perfect end to a perfect Spring day. Now I am smoky as well as grubby, so it's off to the shower with me.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.