For Blue Mountain Mama, who needs more pregnancy photos.   It's funny that I seem to be seen in this dress rather a lot, here and there.  A little narcissism on a Springy Friday afternoon. ;-)

Happy Weekend!!

Yesterday was our annual field trip with the Friends.  This time we concentrated on the areas along the Creeper Trail and Beartree Recreation Area, where I gave some of the best years of my life. Here are some scenes from the trip:



A yellow violet.  Anna?  What kind?



A hemlock tree marked for treatment.  Sara the Ranger says that the Mount Rogers area will have two places of treatment to save the trees--Hurricane Campground and Beartree Recreation Area.



Fresh beaver activity.



The first fiddle heads I've seen--bracken ferns, I've believe. 



After Beartree, we went over to Green Cove station and then down to Taylor's Valley for lunch, where I was very gluttonous with the ketchup. ;-)

We're fluctuating between cold and warm around here.  Some days are so glorious I can't ever imagine why I hated Spring and then some days are so damp and chilly, I feel like a melancholy teenager again.  I'm thankful for the rain, ever thankful for each drop that falls.  Last Summer taught the lesson that we should never, never look down on rainy days--or at least not in the new climate change Appalachia.  Some places have too much, I know, and that is the way of it now that weather is crazy.

Mike planted the blueberries yesterday while I sewed on a big order for the etsy shop.  We planned for them to grow big and left plenty of room for me to pick the berries (since Mike said it would be my job).  He also planted some broccoli and a few of the onions I started from seed.  We hope to get to work on some new raised beds today.

The bleeding hearts are very impressive this year and mikecnichols has taken some great pictures of them and posted them on flickr, so go eat them up.  They've always been among my favorites.

First up: the very first knitted items for the baby.  A green pixie hat to match mine and little tiny mittens to keep those itty bitty fingers warm.  These will go wonderfully with the Christmas sleeper.  :-)



I worked on this while we went to Roanoke with Mike's parents.  We had a great time there.  We ate at Tong Thai again and it was fabulous, again.  We browsed the farmers' market and I picked up some fresh eggs, new potatoes, and English peas.  I got some seeds for mom and Mike and I enjoyed doughnuts cooked right on the street!  Too bad wetkneefarm wasn't there. ;-)



When we got home, I set to shelling the peas on the front porch.  The weather was warm and sunny, but the wind was violent.  No two ways about it.  I worked for awhile and began to fear for my safety and went in!  We enjoyed the peas and new potatoes on Sunday for lunch.  It had been so long since I had them creamed together.  Yum!

Lots to do tonight--tidying up the house from a visit that took two days to recover from.  That's WIP you won't be seeing a photo of! :-D

Spring's first day dawned cold and windy with snow in the air.  Winter's last day was glorious and started with gorgeous sunshine and warm air.  At work, I had to go out and check about a road to be named and my journeys took me to the middle of nowhere.  And for once, there was a good road to get there! 

The homemade guardrail, however, was a little disconcerting.  I don't think it would stop me from falling down the hill, much less me in a car.  Still, it was entertaining as I drove the backroads to Griffith's Knob in search of trailers and campers and cabins.  The air was so warm I had the window down and I sung along to classic country on WBRF.  All the while, the DJ kept talking about how the weather was all nasty and gloomy and that he believed he'd just stay inside. 

The gloom was coming our way, bringing more much-needed rain and some very high winds.  It was funny to walk outside the house this morning into the snow.  Yesterday was so balmy, I took advantage of it and made it my first official Moss Day of the year.  I do believe Spring is more exciting when the new life is not only around you, but inside, too. :-)