Growing Rains

Growing pains for my dry April gardens have been replaced with "Growing Rains"! We all knew this weather was desperately needed. The rains have finally arrived and the gardens are beginning to look lush now, ready to burst. Seedlings are opening, the newly planted grass is coming in nicely and forgotten flowers are raising their sleepy heads. Droplets from the thirst quenching rains sparkle even on this cloudy day!

On an early budding Columbine and a large almost "fabric like" Hosta leaf, the droplets are a welcome sight.

My Poppies and Iris that have lived in my garden long before I moved to this home (almost 33 years ago!) are short lived but amazing to watch unfold and do their best to stand tall.

Sparkling like jewels on the Solomon's Seal or hanging as a crystal earring on an Alberta Spruce the garden feels dressed up and ready for a sophisticated affair.

St Francis doesn't mind getting his feet wet or standing for hours holding his bird friend while the trees reflect in his rain filled bird bath! Garden pots filled with rusty beach treasures give an indication of just how much rain has fallen but soon must be emptied...nesting mosquitoes enjoy the water a bit too much!

 Bursting with beauty and looking for the sun now that the rains have done their magic the Camassia spires are still vibrant and clean after their spring shower! 

I hope the rains have made you as happy as my garden is. As for myself, I am starting a new job and am thankful for the feeling of a fresh start after a good Spring rain.

Beauties and the Beast

Gifts from the sea. Some a bit surprising at times, some breath taking and some are curiosities. This past week I received a gift from another source but ultimately it was also from the sea. My Aunt Anne searched her attic space for a jar she knew lay hidden...full of seaglass from many years ago. Possibly gathered with her mother, my grandmother and my first seaglass mentor!

Some of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen were contained in a huge jar she presented to me, knowing my addiction to collecting seaglass was a family trait, a tradition and I would cherish the contents. 

But this treasure chest of beauties didn't mean my seaglass walks could take a breather....quite the opposite. It fueled me!

And quite the curiosity I did find!

A rusty appendage attached to its very worn and stained wood spine.

I question, where could this be from, what did it support and am I holding a little piece of history?

Is it a beast or is it a beauty?

Prehistoric, fossil like and with such a personality, I had to bring it home. Maybe it will go back to the sea, maybe it will become another garden ornament, but for now it is telling me a story.

Some of the "beauties" from the sea are nearby. The lavender piece a gift from my daughter and the aqua green are yet another story. So thick & old and luminous, where are they from? Nuggets of this size and color are certainly not from recent times!

Beauties meet the Beast. But what is the saying? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

They are both beautiful in my mind and especially together. All are gifts from the sea!