POSTCARDS FROM VEGAS

While Las Vegas is not a vacation destination we would normally choose, Mike had to go on business and I tagged along because I had reached the absolute end of my tolerance for MUD. It was sunny and warm, and in four days I did not see a single snow flurry or bit of slush. Lovely! Excellent meals, some Cirque de Soleil, a Faberge exhibit at the Bellagio, and miles of walking with my camera. My Fitbit is proud and sending me encouraging messages. Thirty thousand blister inducing steps in one day! A personal best to ease the guilt of those excellent meals.
We arrived home in the wee hours this morning, caught some sleep and woke to snow, which turned to rain and now more MUD. I am grateful for the getaway and the first day of spring. 
It took some doing, but I managed to find some wildlife that looked like this, in Vegas...

Tropical gardens at the Flamingo.

Rather than this...

The Wynn.

Bellagio

Wynn.

Caesar's Palace. The Forum Shoppes.

Pansy parasols at the Wynn.

Bellagio

Happy first day of spring, blog friends! Wish you were there! XO

P.S. Hey, you people with selfie sticks, be careful. You're gonna put somebody's eye out!

CHEERFUL THINGS

It is officially spring, so I should not still  be wearing these...

On the up side, I did get to test drive these...

My cherry red, and super soft, alpaca fingerless gloves from the the Outstanding Dreams Alpaca Farm Shop.
Also cheering me today, my polka dot teapot with tulips...

The arrival of a new art book, which was free, because Amazon settled a lawsuit giving all their book customers a credit. Found money! Always a good thing. I ordered Drawing For Mixed-Media Artists by Carla Sonheim. Can't wait to dive in.

And last but not least, there is this...

I am packed and ready to go. My camera and I are going back to school. Starting a photography class this evening. Wish us luck.
Got to run. Going to spend the afternoon with Michael McGrath, tweaking the photos I took of his beautiful design project on the Tred-Avon.

Hope you're finding something to be cheerful about, even if you had to buy your tulips, and you're still wearing insulated coveralls to go out to your barn. 
Later gators! XO.

THREE GOOD THINGS

This week got off to a slow start. I have waffled between feeling I am definitely catching a cold, to wondering if it is just my allergies. Whatever it is, hasn't left me with a lot of energy. I was feeling winter weary and distinctly unmotivated, until today.
Good things are happening today. First, I received my postcard from the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap, all the way from Brussels...and it is adorable!!

How could I not be cheery looking at this? It even came in a handmade wax paper envelope, so the mail carrier could enjoy it too. Thank you, Aisling. It was awfully nice to meet you. Find out more about Aisling and her work, here!
Second, I found out this morning that one of my shots from Monday's snowstorm was chosen as Photo of the Day by Capture Maryland. You can see it here.
Third, it is the first day of spring. After a misty start, the sun is peeking through, so I am going to try to ignore the mud and slop from this week's snow and rain and focus my attention on these...

Poor little things, they have tried so hard to be perky, but they keep getting squashed. I am also going to try and ignore the rumblings about the cold and snow that might be coming our way next week. Bah!!
Hope your week is full of good and spring-like things. Now, I've just remembered another. Going to take pics at an alpaca farm on Saturday with my best girls. You know you're going to see and hear all about that.
XO

SNOW BIRDS

Another five inches of fluffy snow fell last night, so of course my camera and I were out first thing. Walked down to the river, spying these robins along the way.

I heard while walking on a snowy morn,

A robin red-breast's song forlorn.

In time, a happier tune he'll sing,

Born on the first sweet breaths of spring.

Then I spent some time in the backyard with these monkeys, who I do believe enjoy a snowfall every bit as much as children.

Stop! That tickles!

Hope you're keeping safe and warm, with a dog or two to cuddle, and a little bird song to remind you of spring.

                                                                           XO

SPRING WEEKEND

Spring weekends can be so crazy busy. With a big backlog of things we've been wanting to do once it warmed up and things we should do, now that it HAS warmed up, we were very busy little bees.
We mowed, trimmed, mulched, potted, kayaked, dog walked, weeded, painted fencing, and so on... Stole a few moments with my camera when I could. 

Hope you made time for a little fun this weekend .Spring makes me sore.  I'm taking some ibuprofen and going to bed! XO.

SPRING?

I know. You haven't heard a Peep from me since last Friday. After a great weekend with our visiting niece and celebrating my Dad's birthday, we were laid low with a really awful cold. First Mr. C., who brought the dreadful thing home in the first place, then me, and now our girl. We were congratulating ourselves for making it all the way to spring with no colds or flu. Bahhhh!!!
"I should do a blog post," I croaked through chapped lips yesterday, but I never even opened my laptop.
It's been a funny old first week of spring, as we finally got a snow day. It snowed all day on Monday without much accumulation. It was lovely though, and our girl got a day off.
  

I promised last week to show you a Smith Island Cake. It is Maryland's state desert and is traditionally 8 to 10 pencil thin layers of yellow cake with frosting. I get mine from Classic Cakes in Salisbury. Visit them here. The owner is a native Smith Islander. There are lots of flavors to choose from but we usually go with chocolate or chocolate/peanut butter. If you're tempted and don't live in the area, I know from experience that they do an excellent job of packing/shipping.

Now it's time to shake off this bug and get ready for Easter. Fortunately, I've had my peeps around to take care of me.

Better days ahead. Hope you're busy with Easter preparations and not tending spring colds. XO.

SEARCHING FOR SPRING

Note to Old Man Winter: Give us some real snow, or pack up your bitter winds, your wintry mixes, your bone chilling damp and get out of town. My poor old sinuses can't take much more.

There was an estate auction in town on Monday. I went to the preview on Saturday, and again on Monday. I took pictures and made a wish list. I intended to dazzle you with my brilliant finds...
Trays of vintage costume jewelry...

Furniture...

Even a garden temple swing, sort of thing, which was in many pieces and very dry rotted, but I loved it so...

After 3 hours I was thoroughly chilled and had lost my will to bid. Faced with waiting while the auctioneer worked his way through an extensive gun collection, I gave up and came home, with only this to show for my efforts. All those lovely things, and I came home with a lousy garden spreader!  I had spent most of the morning doing barn chores, and holding the horses for the farrier, and needed hot tea and my dinner. I'm a wimp! 

It was very cold again today, but the vet is coming to give spring shots tomorrow, so with that in mind I took a walk and searched for signs of spring.  This proved more successful than the auction.

Brave little dandelion in the manure.

Honeysuckle vine.

Brier patch.

Knockout roses.

Daffodils.

Red maple.

Dunno, but I like the shot.

Sedum.

Hope you're seeing signs of spring at your house.

P.S. Happy Birthday to my husband. You are the best. Period. XO.