Things Of Spring

I'm finally seeing the signs of Spring around here. Little signs. Subtle bits of life amongst the chilly winds and the frost.

Bunches of pencil thin asparagus are in abundance.

Tulips emerge from the earth.

Bees are out to score some pollen.

and ...

Knitting projects shift from dark, chunky sweaters to light, bouncy skirts.

Under The Sea

Living a few hours away from the nearest ocean, my children haven't been exposed much to sea life. While we stayed in Newport, Oregon for Spring Break the weather was rather blustery and wet - in fact if those weren't hurricane force winds, then I definitely wouldn't want to be caught in one of those storms! The perfect solution to keeping the kids busy and dry was to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium and The Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Jellyfish

Spider Crab

Tufted Puffin

My daughter took well to observing the different marine animals. Her favorite seemed to be the jellyfish and the vibrant sunflower sea stars. She loved to touch the anemones and watch the sharks swim above her in the Passages of the Deep exhibit at The Aquarium.

My son however, wished that he never learned to walk so that he could be pushed around in a stroller or that Daddy would carry him everywhere.


And Mom and Dad enjoyed taking photos of the little darlings, capturing our adventures at the coast ... and we were lucky, we even got a few of them looking happy to be there.

The Aquarium is fairly spendy, but worth it for an occasional visit. The Marine Science Center is perfect for the scientifically-minded or for those who enjoy pushing buttons and looking through microscopes. And while we barely spent any time on the frigid beach like we would have liked, learning about what lives in the ocean went just swimmingly. Pun intended.

Feed The Birds

Spring Break was quite an adventure for us this year. We went to the Oregon Coast where we saw all sorts of marine life and rainy days. One of the most fun activities was feeding the sea gulls on the pier next to the Mo's restaurant in Lincoln City.

Here are a few tips and techniques for achieving the perfect bird feeding experience:

First, note that there a several gulls just waiting around for a good snack (and evidently some have had MANY snacks lately). You cannot choose just one bird, they all want in on the action.

Next, pick your feeding plan:

Hand-feeding is polite and personal ... but watch out for the bird slobber ... oh yes, they do slobber!

Or you can choose the entertaining route and throw the chunk of bread into the air. This makes the birds work for their meal and can often result in mid-air collisions!

Or, to one very lucky gull you can give them the ENTIRE slice of bread. Don't be stingy!

And most importantly, feed the birds with great gusto and enthusiasm. A smile sure can light up a gloomy day.

Hamming It Up

Since we don't have any current house projects going on, we decided it was time to take some Spring portraits of the kiddos. Surprisingly, they were fairly cooperative:

My favorite of her.

I like the creativity of this one, yet it oddly reminds me of a Summer's Eve ad.

This one came out a little bit blurry, but I love it so much I kept it.

So dapper.

Around These Parts

Technically it isn't Spring yet, so I probably shouldn't complain that around these parts it has been looking like this:


But oh how I am longing for it to look like this:

For those of you who are already seeing daffodils, tulips, crocuses and irises ... enjoy them for me, for I won't see any of these things until at least May.

Not that I'm feeling sorry for myself. Sniff.

What Is This Color Called "Green"?

Did you know that the word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan which means "to grow"? It is one of my favorite colors, one that I haven't seen much of until very recently.

This last weekend I had an amazing opportunity to head in to the Willamette Valley for some much needed time with my mom and sisters. It was a reunion of sorts and a wonderful time celebrating my mom's birthday.

One of the things I noticed when pulling into town was that in mid-February, crocuses and daffodils were already starting to poke up through the earth. The grass was indescribably green and everything was covered in moss. Living in the high desert of Southern Oregon, I see a lot of brown, golden tones, and the vibrant blue of the sky; so I happily took in the colors of an early Spring and went a little camera happy.

My mom's yard provided a lot of nature to study. The tree in the front yard had several varieties of moss and lichens. The very prolific ivy dazzled me with its green and red veins, and sweet buds were forming on trees and bushes everywhere.


I felt the sting of sadness during my drive home as my surroundings changed from the lush forests of ferns and fir trees, to sparse collections of pines. I will just have to wait until May for our Spring to come, but it will be lovely. So lovely to see the color green once more.

An Earl Grey Kind of a Day

It has been raining so much the last few days, which is a bit surprising since I live in "Oregon's City of Sunshine". They have been the kind of days when you just want to curl up with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a blanket.

It is so easy to find reason to complain about the rain; but it is also easy to see the good that comes of it. It encourages cozy days spent inside. It is cleansing. It helps things to grow and it enhances the beauty around us. And, oh how I appreciate a good nap on a drizzly afternoon.

These gorgeous blooms were taken on a particularly dark and wet day. Isn't it amazing how water brings out the vibrant colors of nature? I love how the grayness of the backdrop allows the bright hues of God's creations to really pop!

Rêver de Printemps

I fear that I may miss Spring! I am dreaming of gorgeous color, warm sunny weather, and the heavenly scent of lilacs in the air. I have had so much graphic design work lately (which is a blessing in this economy) that I have spent most of my time indoors, in front of a computer screen. Also, we live in the high desert which means snow in April and the lilacs and poppies don't start blooming until May. Fortunately for me, May is tomorrow!

I did manage to snap a photo of a blossoming tree in Bend to tide me over until I start to see some color around here.

The Plant Whisperer

It's true. I am a genius! I have single-handedly brought a plant back to life!

Well, not really, but that's what we humans would like to believe. That we have the ability to perform miracles, to breathe life into something. It is our nature to want to take the credit and have all the glory. When really, the glory and the credit belongs to God.

After realizing that I had an amaryllis bulb still in it's box out in the garage (that had been there for about three years!), I decided that it would be a good project for my daughter and I to work on. I pulled the pot and the bulb out of the box and discovered that the bulb had actually flowered and produced leaves! The flower didn't get very big, it was shriveled and dry and the leaves were not very impressive. I started to peel away layers off the bulb and found the bulb to be very small and sad looking. I found the beginnings of two leaves, struggling to find the light ... and they were as white as snow.

As fast as we could, my daughter and I put the bulb in the soil and set the pot by the window so it could get some sun. It has been a week now, and the leaves have found the light. They are becoming green and starting to grow. It is a miracle.

After only a week, the leaves are growing and turning a beautiful green with pinkish tips!

This left an impression on me. I equate it to my spiritual life in that if I am not feeding myself with the Word of God, I am stunted and unable to bear fruit or flower. I may try on my own, but unless I can find the light, I will remain colorless and sad.

I would rather be a brilliant red flower.

Something To Look Forward To

Aren't these tulips gorgeous? Just perfect for a rainy day I think. Unfortunately, they aren't growing my my yard because it isn't yet spring yet and there are very few signs of it around here. Living in the high desert means that spring doesn't really arrive until May or sometimes June. But while I have been pining away for sandal weather and blooming lilacs, I discovered a sign of new life in my own house ...

My amaryllis is getting ready to bloom again. And by again I mean for the third time since I brought it home. Thanksgiving of 2005 is when I obtained this red flowered beauty and it bloomed for the first time the following January of 2006. As long as it keeps producing leaves, I keep watering it. It bloomed for the second time on the day my son was born in March of 2007 and now it is making an appearance yet again. Oh how I look forward to seeing those brilliant red flowers!