easter blue

female

male

Today I went for a long walk and then sat 

in an open field and knitted all afternoon.

Along the creekside my beloved muscari were in bloom

and the blue birds have returned to claim a nesting box.

perfect

Happy Easter!

xo, j

jacobsburg state park - high meadow trail

the march wind has returned

to wake the slumbering trees

more snow...

downy woodpecker

Yes, today we received about 5" of snow.

The roads and sidewalks are messy and difficult to clear,

there is no where to put all the white stuff!

I went into work and then stopped by 

my local library to pay off an over due fine.

Their computers were down so I couldn't check out any books.

sigh…

The Downy Woodpecker is a very shy bird 

so this was the one photo I could take before it flew back to the trees.

Today I registered with Cornell University to be a bird counter.

It's late in the season to start but I will automatically be set up for next year.

xo, j

snowstorm!

mocking bird

tufted titmouse

finished?

next one!

Early this morning a strong storm dropped

about 10" of snow at a rate of 2-3" an hour.

An afternoon lull brought some cold rain and now

another 3-6"of snow is expected this evening.

My work was closed today and

other than the necessary task of shoveling out my car

I've stayed inside, painted and watched a movie.

Sadly, my hands hurt too much to knit right now.

The birds were taking turns at my feeder all day.

Poor little ones still found the courage to sing at my window.

I can't wait to see the ground again…!

xo, j

stay inside weekend

It rained all day Saturday then by early Sunday 

evening the clouds began to clear.

I stayed in, drank copious amounts of green tea with ginger

and inspired by V's beautiful mittens, started a new knitting project.

Narcissus bulbs are now nearly a week grown, the photo is from last Wednesday.

I read somewhere to start bulbs out of direct sunlight to prevent them from growing too tall.

Mine always seem to topple over when they bloom!

The painting was also part of the visiting collection from the Hague

and gathered almost as many admirers as the Vermeer.

The Goldfinch, by Carel Fabritius

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

xo, j

things that fly

It's been bitterly cold here with a wind chill bringing the

real feel temperature down to -35f.  Brrrrr!

A recent snow storm brought a flock of Robins to the treeline,

a bird I am not accustomed to seeing until mid March.

My flying fish paintings are now done and I've moved on to horses

suspended with balloons!

I may not possess the technical skill of Patrice

but I am thoroughly enjoying the process of painting again.

Friday is fast approaching!

florida

wetland along trail

lake alice

anhinga

big snapping turtle looking for handouts

pied-billed grebe

american egret

spanish moss

morning thunderstorm

Last weekend I was able to fly down to Florida to celebrate 

a belated Christmas with my family.

The sky was grey but the temperature mild.

Saturday morning Farmer's Market (imagine fresh produce!)

and a hike through the woods with my brothers and nephew.

Although we didn't see a gator there was a splash 

and then a bubble trail in the marsh that suggested one was close.

Many birds including Ibis, Sandhill Cranes and Snowy Egrets

as well as the species shown above.

It was good to get away and be around all those I love.

I must admit to sleeping most of this weekend away…

but an adventure awaits on Friday!

xo, j

Happy New Year

A belated Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

I apologize for not posting in a while, it's been a very hectic few weeks.

I promise to get back on track and post more often.

On Christmas day I opened an envelope from the beautiful Xenia

and found these two little birds, aren't they amazing!

I wasn't able to be with family (although I flew to Florida the following weekend)

so this little surprise warmed my heart more than you can know.

Thank you, dear friend.

And thank you to all who have visited this sight 

and left the gift of lovely comments throughout the year.

I wish you all great health and happiness for 2014.

xo, j

snow day

Another day of snow,

how fortunate that it is all mine.

Willi Singleton cup

the hot tea melting a ring in the snow.

I finished a pair of gloves.

Next time I will carry the twisted knit stitch 

up the middle finger.

xo, j

autumn

dogwood fruit, wild apples, yarn, pumpkin

Today I went for a drive to my favorite stretch of local road

and took a few photos of the changing landscape.

The wind crackled through the drying corn 

and set the goldenrod tops dancing.

What appeared to be a golden eagle hunted over the field.

I admit it's early to see these majestic birds migrating,

but the size, level wing span, golden head 

and lack of white had me convinced.

The photos aren't the best, the bird was quite high up.

(I cropped them down to the last point of focus.)

You can see the bird as a dark spot in the upper right corner of the first photo.

Back home to an afternoon with a new knitting project  

and a bowl of vegetable soup for dinner.

Happy Equinox!

xo, j

rainy north carolina

I'm back from my 1200 mile whirlwind tour of North Carolina and Virginia.

It was great to visit my older brother's new home for the first time.

My nephew was away at camp but his dog Joey was a great cuddle bug!

D is safely back in Florida...the apartment is quiet.

There was a lot of rain but that didn't deter the hummingbirds.

Such a beautiful countryside all lush and green.

The farmers' market was busy on Saturday morning 

and I picked up some delicious honey.

Letters need to be written and packages sent...so much to do before

I leave on a business trip to Chicago next week!

road trip

Tomorrow morning my brother and I are heading out on a road trip.

I'm scrambling to get packed, it must be done before I leave for work in an hour!

One thing that I've been a bit obsessed with lately is this book

of illustrations by Charlie Harper.

We've had the book in the store for about a month now and I often 

found myself wandering over to the table for a quick flip through during the day.

Now I've purchased it and couldn't be happier, I highly recommend it.

The bold and simple renderings just seem to resonate with the embroidery

work and little paintings that I've been doing, we'll see what becomes of it!

So off to the mountains of Western North Carolina we go.

I won't be back for about a week but will surely have many photos on my return.

Take care and enjoy the 'dog days of summer!"

xo, j