Spring has arrived!!!

Yes, spring really has arrived....and summer will soon be upon us, but let me "wallow" in the joys of spring for just a little while....

 

"Scrambled egg" daffodils, as our neighbor calls them....

And we consider it a good sign of spring when the goldfinch return to the finch feeder....let me tell you, they can clean that thing out in just a few days!

 And I mustn't forget the bluebirds....they just make me smile!

 We have a pair who are tending a nest with five eggs in it....

Spring also means it is time to start checking the bees.  One of our hives is doing great, but the one behind Willie....well, we had to order a new box of bees and a queen.  (Insert really sad face here!)

 Love our flowering quince...

 Just a bright spot at the back of the lot...looks like this robin agrees!

 





The damsen plum out back by the apple trees was LOADED with blossoms.  I'm hoping that translates into a bumper crop of plums....yum, yum!

Our garden is already producing...the chives wintered over well, and have already been the "victim" of harvesting....

 And our deck planters have already provided a few fresh-as-fresh-can-be salad greens....

Now I'm impatiently waiting for that spinach...

A stroll around the yard reveals that the daffodils have faded, the tulips ARE fading, but look, the Asiatic lilies are sprouting up fast and furiously

 ...the peonies are budding...

 ...and the grape hyacinths are still blooming back by the shed.

Oh, and look...the radishes are popping up,
 
 ....the dogwood are blooming....

 ....along with the apple trees.

And, of course, a tour of "Our Green Acre" wouldn't be complete without a shot of my favorite view from the back deck...

On this Easter Sunday, our prayer is that you will know the risen Messiah as your personal Savior and Lord, and rejoice in the power and glory of His resurrection.

Charleston - continued

 Day 2 of our time in Charleston... 

Willie and I were both "taken" with this bridge....love the clean lines against the blue sky!

We stopped into the Visitor Center to check out some places to visit, and they had a small Fire Museum there....pretty cool, huh?  I know one little boy who would have loved it...isn't that right, Lucas?  (For his birthday this last fall, his dad, Chris (who was deployed at the time), had made arrangements with the local fire station to have a fire truck come down their street for Lucas' birthday...pretty cool, huh?)

So ornate that it reminded me of an amusement park ride!

And then we were off on our whirlwind sightseeing...

This was one of the outposts used to watch for foreign invaders during WWII....

Then it was on to Fort Moultrie...

 Welcome to Shem Creek....where the seafood is boat to table fresh....

There was a nice boardwalk out into the "creek"....a bit cold for a walk, but we braved the elements (by then the wind was bitter cold) and enjoyed the views.

This "boatel" caught Willie's eye.... 

This pelican is to remind visitors NOT to leave their trash behind!  He is made entirely of plastic taken from the waters....sad. 

 

And,yes, we had planned to feast on seafood, but it didn't work out that way.....God had other plans.  We somehow found ourselves 30 miles away at an Outback Steakhouse where we had a "divine appointment" and were able to encourage a young man who had just graduated from college and was going to be going to seminary in the fall.  He was working until then so that he would be able to continue his education debt-free....of course, we had to tell him we have a son who works for Dave Ramsey!  It was so neat to be a part of God's plan and to know that the time we spent sharing with him was an encouragement.

 

So for now we say goodbye to Charleston....and I'll say goodbye to you....until the next post.

Check back in a few days....a lot is going on around here....spring is in the air, the bees are a buzzin' (half of them, anyway), and there are changes in the air, so don't miss it!