Wednesday...

Yep, still here. We had our first spring hailstorm this afternoon - half to three-quarter inch hail, but mercifully brief - and I took some photos of the apple blossoms afterwards.



Not much new otherwise... one more photo, of some early cherry blossoms, minus one petal:



-GRG

Still here...

...80's over the weekend, and today it's snowing! Spring in Colorado...



Lately I've been writing essays for one of ADF's study programs, and have put two of them up on this site on this page. Enjoy!

Friday...

Spring weather has arrived in force, and as is common with Denver, it's going from too cold to too hot by the end of next week. There'll be more snow before summer arrives, but in the meantime it's a welcome break, and a chance for more of the ground to thaw in the garden...

Rhubarb buds in the garden yesterday:



...and spring in the coldframe:



-GRG

Thursday...

Well, for the last week I've been busy -- first with writing, then over the weekend with Beltane celebrations; after that, with a new time sink called ancestry.com, and finally with gardening. Hopefully I can get some writing done today!

For Beltane we had two celebrations: first, our private one on Friday night, and then the public ADF celebration on Saturday in Cheeseman Park with SBGH. Chilly weather for both - Friday night we actually had a little sleet and snow, so the warmth of the leaping fire was very welcome. Saturday was dry but cold. I took my camp stove to provide hot tea and mulled wine for the potluck that follows the ceremony, and was very popular as a result!

Still getting frost most nights, though the next three days will be warmer. Time to till the tomato beds...

-GRG

Thursday...

Thursday already? I'm still getting caught up from Ireland. Strangely enough, spring was not much farther along there than it is here in Denver - and an early spring in both places. Good information, since this is about the time Gwernin will arrive there in the current book.

In the meantime, my larger apple tree has started to bloom, the daffodils are almost finished, the potatoes have started to come up (today!) in their raised bed, and the grass needs cutting. I've been working on the last a bit, much to the cats' disgust.

I'll have more pictures up soon (I promise!), but in the meantime here's another from Ireland:



-GRG

Saturday...

I'm home again, with lots of new ideas for The Druid's Son and lots more pictures, which I'll upload today or tomorrow. In the meantime, another springtime picture from Ireland:



-GRG

Wednesday...

Cool and windy here, with a touch of snow again yesterday morning, but the next few days are supposed to be warmer. Spring in the Rockies...

The yellow crocuses are still blooming, and my first daffodil is about to open:



-GRG

Monday...

A fine spring morning - not!



Oh well, we need the moisture.

Here's a more seasonal shot from yesterday...



(It's stopped snowing now, but I don't think I'll be doing much gardening today!)

-GRG

Tuesday...

The crocuses are performing so brilliantly I just had to share another picture:



-GRG

Monday...

More crocus pictures - these little guys popped up under my older apple tree yesterday.





Definitely it's spring!

-GRG

Sunday...

After a gray dawn, a sunny day. It actually rained last night! It must be spring indeed. A beautiful moist smell in the air, and life stirring all around...

Today's photo: a pot of crocuses (croci?) from the cold frame. The yellow one bloomed last week, but the purple striped ones are just starting.



-GRG

Saturday...

Colder weather yesterday and today, but here's a shot of spring in the coldframe I took earlier in the week. Catmint in the upper right, chives in the lower right, violets blooming in the middle! Meant to get another shot yesterday as one of the crocus bulbs is now blooming as well, but it was too cold to leave the lid up for long.



Maybe in a day or so... Lots of tulip noses appearing in the garden now. Definitely spring.

-GRG

Monday...

I didn't post last week partly because I wanted to leave the daffodil picture on top, and partly because I was mostly doing garden-related carpentry (of which more below) and other yard work.

This morning when I went out a little after sunrise, I found this beautiful feather. I think it's a breast feather from one of the flickers which frequent my bird feeders and bird baths, probably one of the females.



The carpentry involved building some raised box beds out of scrap lumber - about 3 days work, 2 of which were spent on the lids (the chicken wire is to keep squirrels out - they love to dig in any exposed dirt in order to bury things):



Hopefully back to work writing soon, although I've thought of a bit more reading I want to do first...

-GRG

Tuesday...

Hmmm. Progress of a sort... I did get some writing done yesterday, but then had some thoughts about the overall plot structure which led to another pause for research. I think a little more action is called for...

Daffodils from the market, not the yard, alas, although the temperature here was in the 60's F. yesterday:



Back to work...

-GRG

Beltane

Saturday we celebrated Beltane with some local Druids. This came about through a chance encounter last October, when we visited Newgrange on the Irish trip. All very appropriate to my current research.

I've tentatively started writing again. I realized I was waiting to figure out the rest of the plot, and it doesn't work that way - not for me, anyway. So it's time to get back to work!

-GRG

Still here...

How the time flies - and how the writing doesn't! Beltane already, and I haven't posted! (Memo to self: must do better!)

But the garden's dug, I've read quite a bit about ancient European religions, and the tomato seedlings are beginning to fill the cold frame. The first apple tree is in full bloom, the new one (got to pollinate the first) is starting, and the first cherry blossoms opened two days ago. Tonight and tomorrow we're celebrating Beltane, and Sunday I will start writing again - no excuses!

So - happy Beltane, all!

-GRG

Signs of spring

These are blooming in a sheltered bed by a building near where I work. Click on them for a gorgeous close-up.

The last week has been mostly mild - expected now that I have a new furnace.

-GRG

Yma o hyd / Still here

Mae'n drwg gen i, dw i ddim wedi bod yn "blogi" ers y penwythnos. Ddecreais i un pennod arall nos Llun (neu roedd hi nos Sul?), ond mae lawer o bethau wedi bod yn digwydd. Gobeithio mi alla' i orffen Pennod 27 y penwythnos 'ma, ac efallai dechreu y pennod nesaf.

Mae'r penwythnos 'ma calan gwanwyn hefyd ... mwy ohoni hi yn fuan.
------------------------------------------
I'm sorry I haven't been blogging since the weekend. I started one more chapter Monday night (or was it Sunday night?), but lots of things have happened. I hope I can finish Chapter 27 this weekend, and perhaps start the next chapter.

This weekend is the first of spring too ... more about that soon.

-GRG