A Sure Sign Of Spring

in Pennsylvania anyway, is the arrival of the Robins.  That more than anything tells you that Spring is here, even if the calendar says it is a few weeks away.

Earlier this week, I was looking out the sliding door in the kitchen, checking on the chickens, and I spotted two Robins in the yard!  We've had warmer temps, we've had that unmistakable spring sunshine, but we hadn't had Robins yet.

I worked on adding more spring to the inside of the house this week in honor of the Robins.

I needed a new centerpiece for spring, so I brought out a white metal lantern, a birds nest, some ivy, and two sweet birds.
 

 Very simple, but I like it.

Then I remembered these cute birds that my dear friend Amy gave me when she moved back home to Texas.

 With all the blue and white on my mantel, I placed these across the room on the piano.  They are cute and bring a bit of color balance to the room

I changed out the message on my chalkboard platter last week.

I'm glad I have these words to hold on to, because overnight we had a spring snow!
 

Typical spring!  This is only an inch maybe and the roads are clear.  As I look out my window there are teeny tiny snowflakes falling.

  At least I have this....

because spring IS here.  

I've seen the Robins.

Seasons: Spring Has Arrived

Last night I heard the definitive sound of spring - the spring peepers!  They were singing away when I let Sadie out for one last chance to do her business before we go to bed.  The peepers weren't loud as they are sometimes, but this made me know without a doubt that spring had arrived.

We worked in the front flower garden yesterday.  Our home faces west and our neighbor to the west has a huge oak tree.  All fall and winter that tree loses leaves and they blow our way.  We raked in the fall but yesterday there was a ton more!  They also blow up the driveway and swirl around and land right by our kitchen door.  That all got swept out and those we allowed to get blown towards the creek!  It was a windy day yesterday.  Otherwise between cutting a few things back, pulling up some weeds and scooping up the leaves we had 3 wheelbarrows full!  

It is lovely to see the tulips poking up through the soil.   I wish they would be in bloom by Sunday but it will be several weeks yet.  We also need to mulch soon!

The birds are singing and busily going about their business in the front yard.

Soon a small bird family will make their home in this cute bird house.

 I may need to move this bird house.  I want to use 12x12 inch pavers to make a sitting area in this section of the garden.  It is in an awkward space and mostly gets weeds that must be pulled!  I can envision a small table and chairs in this space.  In the photo below, taken a few weeks ago at dusk, it would be down at the far end of the garden just past the front door.  It would allow for us to enjoy the flowers in this front garden by giving us a place to sit rather than just sit on the steps.

I love dreaming about ways to make our home a space that is warm and welcoming, outside as well as inside!

So, what is your definitive sign of spring where you live?

One Week

It's one week until SPRING, but the signs are everywhere.

Even though the grasses are brown, and the trees are still barren, we live in such a beautiful place.

The starlings are visiting our neighborhood this morning.  You can see them in the side yard of our property.

We have yet to see what March will do but we have the hope of spring now!

How does it look where you live?  I know our 'down under' friends are moving into Autumn.  

The Time Has Come

The Echinacea (purple coneflower) and the Black Eyed Susan's are finished for the year.  My front garden is looking like Morticia Adam's garden.  It's time to cut it back for the year.  

I like all the seasons of the garden, from all the freshly blooming plants in the Spring to the dormant garden of the winter.  The only reason I keep these flowers around as long as I do after they have gone to seed, is that the finches like to visit the coneflowers and eat at the seed heads.  

Can you see the little visitor we had the other day?

She wasn't as bright yellow as most, in fact she seemed a bit greenish, but she was sweet.

I may need to get the bird feeder out soon, because this garden is going to sleep tomorrow.