2018-04-13 - Friday - Spring ferns

The Christmas fern fiddle heads are up, and the lady ferns growing happily this spring. Have I mentioned how much I like ferns? I thought so.

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2018-03-24 - Saturday - Spring plants

Spring happenings in the back yard. Things are popping all over.

May apples.

Cranefly orchids.

Fiddle heads.

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2018-02-28 - Wednesday - Many things

The May Apples are starting to pop up. I'm always pleased to see that they like it in our yard.

Wednesday night I went to Clayworks and did the slip transfer on the cut rim bowls. Not too bad. I may have to do more of this in the future.

On the way out I noticed that tree again. I checked; it is a Bradford Pear. I'm not a fan, but it sure did bloom nicely this year.

I stopped at the store on the way home and was completely grossed out (again) by the latest Oreo flavors. Please make it stop!

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2018-02-21 - Wednesday - Spring!

Spring has definitely taken a foothold in our yard.

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2016-12-23 - Friday - Meredith's new ride

Meredith's 2002 Ford Escape was having more problems so she decided it was time for a change. She bought a 2013 Honda Accord (the bow was just a photo prop). She figures she will be able to make the payment more easily with all the money she will save on gas.

It's hard to believe that our youngest child will be graduating from college in the spring. Where does the time go?

She's already got a job lined up after graduation and we're very proud of her.


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2016-04-10 - Sunday - Plant Rescue and Re-Planting

Sunday I went on a native plant rescue with Project Idlewild. We rescue plants from impending construction sites. My friend Nick delineates wetlands before construction begins and knows where there are nice specimens of native plants that are going to be plowed under. Before that can happen we go in and rescue them to transplant into our yards. It's a win/win as the plants are rescued and native plants require almost no maintenance.

This was one of our objectives Sunday:
the cinnamon fern.

I have had some bags of top soil sitting on the edge of the driveway since last year. When I used them Sunday, I was surprised to find earthworms and moss inside the bags.

When I put down the landscape fabric I found a spider crawling across it. At first glance I thought it might have been a black widow based on its shape, but the abdomen was brown and distended with no hourglass underneath. I sent her on her way.

When I came home from Greensboro on Saturday evening I emptied the ice out of the cooler I took with me. It was in the cooler all day and didn't melt much. I often dump the ice in the flower beds outside the back door to let the plants have the water.

I knew it was cool overnight but I was astounded to find a bunch of the ice still in the flower bed at 1:00 pm the next day. It's a slow spring this year.

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2016-03-24 - Thursday - Spring has sprung

I always like to take stock in the yard during the spring as everything comes back to life. Spring is such a hopeful time.

The last gasp of the crane fly orchid leaves from last year.
Soon a flower stalk will emerge.

The lady ferns are coming back.

I'm pleased that the may apples are propagating and thriving.

Even the weeds are competing with themselves.
The onion is growing over the wild violet.

On the downside it appears that this canker worm band
has trapped a whole ant colony.

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2015-05-30 - Saturday - Pineville Sale

Saturday was the inaugural Pineville Spring pottery sale. It was a hot day and since I didn't use my tent I slathered on the sunscreen and used an umbrella in the afternoon.

The park is a beautiful location and we all set up on one side of the lake. It was fun watching the fish between customers.

The traffic was pretty steady and I was surprised at how many people came out for a daily walk around the lake. A few friends also stopped by to chat and share the nice spring day.

Looking into the booth.

Looking out of the booth.

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2015-03-21 - Saturday - Yard, museum, and pots - oh my

Saturday I was all over the place.

I started out in the yard reveling in spring's progress. The daffodil show is over and we're moving into the heart of spring where everything else starts to emerge and the overpowering green of summer gets a foothold.

I used to joke with a friend years ago that during early summer in the Carolinas everything was such a vibrant green that there seemed to be a green haze hanging over the wooded areas. We would laugh, but we still marveled at it. I miss Jim. He's been gone a long time now, but I think of him most in the spring and summer.

I am glad to see the may apples
I transplanted last year are propagating.

The native orchids are looking a bit rough after the winter,
but they're still here.

I think this native plant is called spotted wintergreen,
and it always makes me think of peppermint candies.

The lenten roses I transplanted from a neighbor's yard last year
are happily blooming. Thanks Sheilah!

The hydrangea is peeking out.

The vinca minor in the front yard is filling in nicely.

I love the fiddle heads on ferns.
This one is a holly fern.

Here is another holly fern past the fiddle head stage.

A close-up of the vinca minor flowers.

In the afternoon I went to the Mint Museum to hear Rose B. Simpson speak about her art. I arrived at the last moment and found a small contingent from Clayworks to sit with. Rose was amazing. She is a skateboarder, punk rocker, poetry slammer, multimedia artist from the Santa Clara Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico. She told us about her life and strong connection with her heritage. She amazed us with her artwork and her vision. She even treated us to one of her poetry slam performances. It was fun just to be around that kind of energy for a while.

Lindsay, Cathy, and Jeff.

Rose B. Simpson.

After the talk at the Mint I went to Clayworks to do some more work on my pots from March 11. They waited patiently under plastic for me to return so I decided to alter them a bit. The left one is softly altered, the right one is done with my usual method of adding clay to make the facial features. The middle face was made only by removing clay, so it appears a bit flatter.

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2015-03-17 - Tuesday - Spring & glazing

Spring is coming in this week. The trees are budding and the weather is warming. It's like an old friend is back to visit for a while. Familiar and warm with lots of surprises popping up out of the ground.

Unfortunately it brings it's annoying cousin: pollen.

Tuesday night I went to Clayworks to finish glazing. I wanted to put some underglaze on some of the pots I didn't finish the other day. I am starting to bring some of the elements I used on my Empty Bowls into my cone 10 work. I'm not sure where it's going to go from here, but it'll turn up here eventually.

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2015-02-11 - Wednesday - Spring is early

Spring is starting even earlier than usual this year.

The daffodils are blooming along with the lenten roses. I hope the daffodils make it through the much colder weather that's coming.

When I did the wash today I found an unopened Star Brite mint wrapper in the bottom of the machine. The candy was completely dissolved, but the wrapper was still twisted shut. At least my clothes are minty fresh.

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Hydrangea break

During all these Spring activities the hydrangea bush out back has been doing spectacular things so I thought I would take a moment to acknowledge them.  Karen gave me the hydrangea when we moved in and I love the large blue flowers it gets every year.  This year it has put on a great show and I have been snapping photos with my phone when I walk out the door.

Nature puts on the best shows.

May 10.

May 10.

May 14.

May 17.

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