Tuesday 5 April 2022

Noon Walkabout - April 5th

 Today is pleasantly sunny and mild. It is currently 8 degrees celsius (46 fahrenheit) and I was doing a bit of raking. I am trying not to be foolish and do too much at once, so I don't end up in lower back pain world, but it doesn't take much for me to feel it again. I am getting terribly lazy with keeping up with my physio exercises at home. Note to self: don't be a fool.

After raking, I thought I'd talk a walk around with my phone (i.e. camera) and show you some signs of Spring here in Ontario.

In the first pictures, you will see "snow crocus" in pretty yellow and purple colours. They are usually ahead of all others.



Next are the first little nubs of rhubarb. This plant is years and years old and always produces well. It's silly really because I still have bags and bags of frozen rhubarb and I only make a couple of different rhubarb desserts, but it's a shame to waste it. Now that I'm not working full time, I can't even bring in bundles for other people. 



This next picture is one of my two tiny cluster of snowdrops. I used to have more, but over the years they have diminished and pushed back under the tree line. I never planted them, they are remnants of previous owners.




I have purple crocus in other flower beds. They too probably need replenishing. Almost every year they get snowed on. We shall see for this year.


My tulips are pushing their way up. Daughter's birthday is May 3 and when she was little we always associated tulips with her birthday.


Finally, it wouldn't be Spring without raking. We have a very old, very large Norway Spruce on one side of our house and a very old, very large Blue Spruce on the other side. They always drop cones (the Norway Spruce much more and bigger cones) and with the many high winds we have had, countless branches from other trees have come down as well. I rake into piles and then go around and load them up in the Gorilla Cart. Rakings get burned in the burn barrel (which is actually half of an old oil tank from the basement so it holds much more). I started raking a few weeks ago in a mild spell, but of course, we have windy storms since then, so I need to rake again and add to the piles.



Here is another view of the same part of the property. Notice the scary lean on that arbour! It is also years and years old and has rotted at the bottom and parts have come away, so it is on the list of outdoor projects. It will be ripped down completely and we will just have the rail fence. I will cut back the trumpet vine that currently crawls up the arbour. The arbour may get replaced, it may not. There are always projects to be done at this old house. 


And finally, it wouldn't be an outdoor moment without Murphy. Here he is enjoying the sunshine on the back porch with me. He is adorable, but also a royal pain when I'm trying to rake. Everything is a toy!


I hope you are having a sunshiny day wherever you are. 

39 comments:

  1. But of course everything - especially cones - is a plaything that's what they are made for - didn't he tll you.

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    1. Cones, yes, but what is even more fun is the rake itself- he chases it and sometimes lies in front of it!

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  2. It's definitely time for Spring cleanup and the weather is cooperating for now. Your Spring bulbs provide a nice, rich colorful display. I raked out my iris flowerbeds today and walked the woodlands to gather branches that fell during the winter. The branches are piled up in an open area in preparation for a bonfire. There's still lots to do but at least we've started.

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  3. I really need to get a new post up on my blog and, for a second there, you inspired me to do a walk-about and take pictures. Then I quickly realized how silly that would be as most of the shots would be of white snow! Yes, we still have a lot of it covering the ground but we're supposed to have a 90% chance of rain tonight into tomorrow so we're hoping that will take a lot of it away. Your spring flower colors are lovely. And your start (wisely and slowly, Jenn) on outside spring chores gives me something to look forward to!

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    1. We had some snow after losing most of it, but we are currently snow- free.

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  4. Lovely seeing your spring photos. Murphy is sweet, the spring flowers so colourful. It's a great time of the year

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    1. It is such a nice time of year - renewal and relief after a cold winter.

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  5. It's so nice to be able to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. The spring flowers are so very pretty (as is Murphy!)

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    1. It was a nice day again today ( Wednesday) but rain later in the day.

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  6. Murphy is looking very well behaved in the photo, can't believe he could be a pain! Wish I had some of the rhubarb from your freezer - I never seem to have enough on my two plants. I never give any away!

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    1. I struggle with some things like cucumber beetles or tomato blight but that rhubarb has always just survived on neglect.

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  7. Mom had some nice "stools" of rhubarb. Is that right?
    Now I can buy them and make some pies. I have a blood orange tree that should be producing this year. That would made some good eating.

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    1. I’ve never heard them called stools before. I can’t imagine having citrus trees! It would be wonderful!

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  8. I love Murphy. So much! Nice to see things blooming where you are -- you are far ahead of us. I took a walk today, hoping but nothing but sprouts for daffs -- which is better than nothing! I took a long walk today and should have done raking but decided not to. Now I learn it's supposed to rain for the next three days. Which reminds me -- fill the feeders tonight or it will be mud-city!

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    1. That’s funny, I would have thought you’d be ahead of us! We are having rain right now on Wednesday night.

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  9. Love the crocuses and snowdrops! And of course Murphy too!

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  10. Our beds all need raked, but neither of us feels up to it now.

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    1. Just one of those spring tasks. You get to it or not. Either way, things keep growing and filling in.

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  11. Love that Murphy! What a perfect little man he is! Thanks for sharing the spring with us!

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    1. Equals parts perfect little man and pain in the backside 🙂

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  12. Yes, flowers are coming earlier..the worry is that they are no longer out when the insects need them.
    Overdoing it in Spring is traditional..good thing you have Murphy to keep an eye on you!!

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    1. There’s buzzing going on right now, too. Murphy- my supervisor.

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  13. Murphy looks on high alert. Such a handsome boy. I was wandering the yard yesterday & what I noticed first before I saw all the bees on my early crocus was the sound of the bee humming. I do hope your arbour survives another year. ... Mary-Lou =^[..]^=

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    1. Yes, I just responded to gz that I heard buzzing! The arbour needs to come down unfortunately as it’s just not safe.

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  14. Thanks for those lovely glimpses of spring. Love Murphy. Still looking for snowdrops and crocus. Rhubarb is just barely showing, deep in the middle of the patch. Your grass is sure greening up..not so here, yet.

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  15. Murphy is such a handsome boy, and it looks like he knows it. He looks much like our Clyde. Your Spring is about a month behind us I think, but you generally catch up about mid-June--and hopefully you don't have the horrible summer heat we have. I seem to remember though that last year you had some real heat waves?

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    1. There are so many cats out there that are tabbies or tabbies with white. They often seem to have the same “personality “- easy going, cool, good all- around cats.
      I read your comment and thought how easily I have forgotten what last summer was like! I guess that’s why we blog! Ha ha.

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  16. It is wonderful to see growth in the garden...and everywhere around us. And Murphy is adorable! What a beautiful cat.

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  17. Oh, I know the feeling of wanting to turn loose and work like crazy. Lower back pain is awful. I love all your spring flowers. Don't you just love spring after all the cold winter days? Those are heavy looking pine cones. Must be a job to rake them. So different from what we have here. You have such a beautiful place. That Murphy is absolutely beautiful!

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  18. Beautiful blue in those crocus, we had those but we thought we'd bought mixed colours.

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  19. Pity you can't use those rakings in a heating system. Mr T would like your burn barrel; he has a strange attraction to fire. We have had to extinguish the cat a few times when he got too close to a garden clean-up fire.

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  20. Murphy has become a full size cat so quickly. He looks lovely. x

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  21. I love seeing the bulbs come up in spring; they make me feel good weather is near.

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  22. You are well ahead of us weather wise. I still have snow. The flowers are uplifting. I love the arbors and fence. Thanks for sharing.

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  23. You have a lot to do. I think the arbor would look nice if it were replaced. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

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  24. Oh I wish I was close enough to you to take you up on the rhubarb offering. My one small plant will give me some but not as much as I would like. I planted 2 new plants last year but the soil in the raised bed was not great and they finally died. I plan to get more this year and plant them by my current plant and expand the bed. Nothing says spring more to me than rhubarb. That said, I will be making a dessert with it this week. And stewing some for yougut topping for breakfast. :)

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