Cat Tales ~ Green Excesses

Mommy has a green thumb. She loves flowers and trees and all things growing in the dirt.
Mommy said she wanted to  make the new place look bee-utiful. A place that when people who stop to look at the old house say, "WoW! Look at those flowers. And at this altitude!"

{{Mommy said that the people who stop in the street or on the sidewalk out in front of the house are taking pictures of the house because it is old and pretty. Me disagrees. Those people are taking pictures of ME! cause Me is so handsome and Me likes to sit in the front window to show off Me's fantastic good-looks}}

Back to Mommy and her thumb. Mommy ordered seeds to plant to make her garden pretty. But she didn't want to plant the seeds in the ground. She wanted to plant the seeds in the house. Really???  I know those Doggies are pigs but Me didn't think the floor was that dirty!

Mommy got a mini-greenhouse - that's what Mommy called it. Me told her that it wasn't very green but she pointed out that the shelves and supports were green. And soon, Mommy said, there would be green in the trays and trays and trays and trays of dirt sitting in the greenhouse.

Well, Mommy wasn't wrong. There are trays and trays and trays and trays of green everywhere in the house. Mommy said that as soon as the weather breaks, she would be planting the green outside.

Now, how do you break the weather???

Can it Be?

Happy Joyous Spring!

Welcome Back!

Today is the Vernal Equinox! 

Welcome Back to Spring!

Don't forget to check out the Ostara edition of Imramma magazine!

And this coming Sunday, the Sunday Stew will return! Be sure to add that to your Sunday reading material! (the Sunday Stew can be found at the Imramma link)

Easter Witches

I just knew that a holiday as fun as Easter (Who doesn't love running around playing hide and seek with a bunch of eggs? And eating the ears off of chocolate bunnies?) had to have Witches involved some way, some how! And so they are!

In Scandinavian countries there is a tradition where young children dress up as Witches and then go door to door bringing willow sticks which have been decorated with ribbon and crepe paper to drive away evil spirits. In return, the children are given treats like small chocolate eggs or other sweets.

The Little Witches recite a rhyme at the door - I wave a twig for a fresh and healthy year ahead; a twig for you, a treat to me. 

Excuse me......I need to go find my Witchy Hat and some willow sticks.

Click here to read more!  Or Here!

Deadly Spring Snows

This was the scene we woke up to on May 1, 2013.

Another Spring storm had blanketed the area with snow. That makes at least one storm a week since the first of April. And each storm has given us any where from 6" - 24" of snow. Now I'm not complaining....living in the arid West gives a person a whole new appreciation of any moisture. No matter the form it comes in.

But these Spring storms, though beautiful and usually short lived, can be deadly. A report coming from Grand County in Colorado (a county located in the central mountains west of Denver) recently told of the deaths of an estimated 100-200 birds. The heavy Spring snows covered the birds food sources and the birds starved to death.

And more recently, an avalanche occurred in the Colorado High Country killing five men - the state's deadliest avalanche in more than 50 years. These backcountry snowboarders were all experienced and were equipped with avalanche safety equipment (Avalung breathing device and avalanche airbags). But the avalanche which this group triggered happened so quickly, the group had no time to react. There was one survivor - he wasn't buried as deeply as his companions and his lower left arm was free which enabled him to clear the snow away from his face so that he could breath. He was buried over 4 hrs before help arrived.

image source

In the above picture a cornice of snow is about to fall. Cracks in the snow are visible in area (1). Area (3) fell, leaving area (2) as the new edge.

This recent deadly avalanche was a slab avalanche, which occurs when a thick layer of hard snow breaks loose from a weak, deep layer of snowpack underneath. Most frequently, this will occur when snow has been deposited or redeposited by wind.

These Spring Storms have come not only with snow but with high winds. On a recent trip to the High Country. Hubby & I observed deadly overhangs or cornices on almost every mountain peak - the snow being deposited there by the winds. These overhangs are just waiting for the right trigger to set them on a course down the mountain.

Always be aware when trekking in the mountains. Mother Nature is nothing to be trifled with.

Cat Tales ~ Tree Rats

When We moved to this place of many houses, this Urban Wildwoods, Mommy told Us Kitties about these creatures called, "Tree Rats". She said that the "Tree Rats" would be seen the most during the winter when they raid the bird feeders.

And Mommy was right. Me has spent most of the winter watching the "Tree Rats" eat sunflower seeds from the bird feeders.

Purz and Catnip Dreams .......Gomez

Life "March-es" On

new iris growth

Spring is just around the corner. My iris are sending up new growth. The peony has gorgeous burgundy shoots popping out and the mint is greening up under its winter mulch of leaves. Before we know it, the fruit trees will be in bloom.

We've had a mild winter here in this part of Colorado. The majority of our snow (and there hasn't been that much!) has arrived, and melted, just in the past few weeks. And unless we get frequent Spring rains, the coming Summer will be another dry one! Many cities are already speaking of extreme water conservation measures. I think I need to brush up on how to do a 'rain dance' !

new peony shoots

February was a rough month for us. We were all stricken with the norovirus flu. One at a time. This flu was not to be taken lightly! It laid Hubby up for a week. I wasn't affected as seriously as everyone else. For which I am very thankful. I do believe that my daily serving of yogurt made all the difference between me being the nurse or the patient.

Life has settled into a somewhat comfortable, but albeit shallow, rut. Hubby and I have adjusted to living with four small children (our Grands). And our daughter is adjusting well to life as a single mother. Should a problem arise, we all jump in to tackle it. Our first challenge was our oldest Grand-daughter, who is ADD. Not being a fan of medication, we did a lot of research and with a change in diet - more protein, less processed - and some behavior modification, we were able to 'calm down' some of her 'unbridled energy'.

Front Yard blanketed with February snow

Hubby and I are still searching for our bit of Colorado heaven. And I do believe we are getting closer with every piece of property we look at. Soon. Very soon.

I am still working on a craft show list to post in my sidebar. I have been working on a few artsy projects despite all the interruptions. But not enough 'ART" to satisfy my urges. So I think I will double my efforts on unleashing those creative juices. Especially because I'll be starting school next month and my time may be limited.

December wreath covered with February snow

But stay tuned for next week's post on school and the theme for this summer's weekend excursions!

Oh, I forgot to tell you....there is a new grandbaby on the way! The lovely couple who got married last July (Click here to read about them!) are expecting a baby at the end of September. 

Before I leave you, I'd like to ask all my readers to keep a Blogging Friend, Robin Larkspur, in your thoughts and prayers. Her husband is currently in the hospital recovering from surgery and he is having a tough time of it. They both can use your healing thoughts and energy.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Cat Tales ~ Blooming Update

Mommy ask Me to put aside Mes Dissertation on Catnip which Me had prepared for today's post and give everyone a "Blooming Update".

Hhhmmmmm.......Mommy said that all you wonderful readers would like to see what was blooming in the Urban WildWoods. Me can only concern Meself with Catnip when it blooms but Me understands that Humans like other blooming things. So here goes......

Apple Blossoms with snow

Lilacs~Mommy snuffs these a lot

Cherry Tree in Front Yard

Ornamental Apple Tree in neighbor's yard

Large Patch of Dandelions in Front Yard

Purz and Catnip Dreams ....... Gomez

Spring is in the Air

Spring has been trying to make an appearance here for several weeks. The unseasonably warm temperatures are not only bringing people out of their Winter hibernation but the plants are emerging as well. 

The daffodils that I dug up before I left Arkansas are up and beginning to bloom. 

The rose bush's leaves can be seen. And even the plants in the house are showing signs of Spring. 

My Clivia is blooming and has sent up an offshoot.

My Staghorn Fern has a new baby.

I do believe I see a rake and shovel in my future...

An "AA" Day

Last week was Spring Break for Hubby. Schoolwork has been keeping him busy but he is on the downhill stretch - graduation is in a little over a month. 

And I have been living with a paintbrush (or paint roller) in my hand. We both needed a break! Desperately!  

So we decided to take an AA {Attitude Adjustment} Day!  

It was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies, plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. And Mother Nature beckoned to us to come out and play. So off we went for a day trip to the Cossatot River State Park. 

Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area is located in southwest Arkansas. This National Wild and Scenic River is a watershed basin with flow levels dependent on rainfall. After significant precipitation, the river level rises. It has been a dry winter following a dry summer and autumn so the water level in the river was low and the bottom could be seen in numerous places.

These underwater rocks look like cobblestones. Maybe this is a road from an ancient civilization....

This State Park-Natural Area stretches for 12 miles along the scenic Cossatot River, Arkansas's premier whitewater experience renowned as the best whitewater float stream in mid-America. 

Looking downriver over whitewater area.

Rock ledges at Cossatot Falls area

There are several camping and picnicking places along the river but we stopped at Cossatot Falls to explore. The Falls are located in a section of rugged and rocky canyon that challenges the most experienced canoeists and kayakers with its Class IV and V rapids, when the water is high. At Cossatot Falls, with its distinct ledges, the river drops 33 feet in elevation within 1/3 of a mile. Hence it's name Cossatot, which comes from the French cassé-tête which translates roughly to skull crusher.

Rock at Cossatot River. Actual colors of rock and lichen.

We wandered around the river and climbed on a lot of rocks. Took pictures of rocks and the river. And rocks under the river. And just had a fun time.

This is the beginning of the rapids area. But because the water was low, it wasn't very  rapid.

Amazing how smooth the rocks are from the water.

On the way back home we took in the sights and enjoyed seeing the wild cherry and redbud trees in full bloom. Just gorgeous! And we found a long stretch of mountainside where there was mile after mile of redbud trees blooming. Their pinkish lavender blooms were gorgeous against the green of the forest.