An Unusually Warm Day for March

 Saturday, March 21, 2026

Beautiful day.

Bought some cigars at Stogies On Grand earlier today. The woman at the register and I were reminiscing about St. Patrick's Day back in 2012 when it got to 80 degrees. Not only did it get to 80 degrees but on top of that it was sunny AND it fell on a Saturday. I remember Dale and I sitting out in the backyard having cocktails.

Well, it didn't hit 80 but it was very pleasant out. 

Started a new book.

VERY pleasant. Had an Old Fashioned while Dale had some red wine.

Remembering June 2012

 

Remembering May 2012

 

Photo taken back in May of 2012. Our next door neighbor at the time trimmed back his bridal wreath spiria and I was pissed. I think it looked more beautiful in our yard than it did in his. The branches draped over into our yard and the white flowers that appear in the spring looked beautiful. It was like a waterfall of white. Anyway, they grew back eventually and looked great again. Now, in 2025, the bushes are not as full as they used to be. Maybe they're just old. 

Lily of the Valley in 2012.

Snow on the Mountain, 2012.

Another photo from 2012. The hosts around the back yard pine tree don't come in as nicely as this either. 

Bleeding Hearts, 2012

Peony Buds

Can't wait for the peonies to bloom. I planted some during the late part of summer in 2012. Deb was getting rid of them and asked me if I wanted them. They came back in 2013 but no flowers. They're back again this year but I'm not seeing any buds. I'll keep my fingers crossed. The ones pictured above are on Warren's blooming boulevard. I remember when my family moved into the house on Stevens so many years ago. There must have been about 10 peony bushes lined up along where the driveway bordered the yard. I remember watching the ants crawl over the buds and, being so young and not in the know about such things, asked Mom why they were doing this. She said they actually helped the buds open and that there must be something on the buds they liked.

Helenium

My helenium by the driveway didn't come back this year. I think this flower in the grill garden is helenium but I'm not quite sure. Beautiful none-the-less.

Less Than Nine Months 'Til Christmas

This would look great in December. The problem is, I took this picture today. It's April. The long-term forecast isn't giving me much hope.

For the sake of comparison...

New Year's Eve 2012

New Year's Eve Lantern

A Winter Nap

Full Moon

The December Full Moon is called the Full Cold Moon and is also referred to as the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes.

12-12-12

The past weekend we found ourselves with at least 12 inches of snow. Considering we had around 22 inches ALL last season, I'd say that's pretty substantial! Dale did most of the shoveling, God bless him, but I raked the roof. Got that done in about 30 minutes. Not bad, huh? Shoveling all the snow I pulled down took longer. We got to 41 degrees today so we experienced some melting. The above photo was taken a few days ago in the backyard. 

Ornamental Grasses

About a month ago I bought some ornamental/drought resistant grasses from a colleague at work. I got some of them in the ground a few weeks ago but only got the last few in the ground today. Since it has been above freezing so much I hope it won't be a problem. I think they're going to look great in the next year. We're still in a significant dought. I can't believe I'm still planting and watering in December.

Squirrels and Pumpkins

These photos were taken on November 21, and I just never got around to posting them. Someone at work told me they put cinnamon on their pumpkins to keep the squirrels from eating them. I would have preferred that the little urchins would have held off a bit longer before going after them but, at this point, who cares? 

November Full Moon

I wasn't able to get  my own photo of the full moon this month although, as always, it was quite stunning. The one here was  found on Tumblr. The November full moon is often referred to as the Full Beaver Moon. It is also sometimes known as the Frosty Moon.

Bat Garden Stone

I'm at my brother Pete's place in Arkansas for Thanksgiving. He has in his front yard one of the garden stones that Dad  made. It's the one with the bat and it's one of my favorites. I can't remember exactly when Dad made it but I'm sure it was sometime in the 2000s.

Anne Gets Ready for Winter

I ran into Deb yesterday and noticed that she was getting Anne ready for winter. She's got some chicken wire around her that is filled with leaves.  I think she'll be nice and cozy.

Hunter's Full Moon - Monday October 29, 2012

The following is from the Farmers' Almanac:

"This full Moon is often referred to as the Full Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. Many moons ago, Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it's time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October, hunters could easily see fox and other animals that come out to glean from the fallen grains. Probably because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunter's Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes."

The Full Moon - Monday October 29, 2012

Top photo: The full moon from the back yard.
Bottom photo: The full moon from the front yard.

Anne's Leaves Are Down

Here, just shortly after I took the picture in the previous post, is Anne with here leaves down. Things can really change fast. Some trees lose their leaves gradually and some all at once. 

Anne in Fall

Deb's magnolia tree, Anne, is doing quite well. I was curious what color she'd turn in the fall - looks like a nice greenish yellow.

Squirrels Like Pumpkins

Yesterday I put some pumpkins out in the yard for some fall color. Don't they look nice?

Well, the squirrels are back helping themselves. Athena  checks it out.

Maybe a little coffee will keep them away. Otherwise it'll just make them more hyper than they already are.