restless spring

What a difference a month makes in the landscape here in the driftless region. It's time to add a second walk about to my daily routine, as so much changes in the gardens from morning to evening.
Last weekend the weather was perfection and Jerome and I spent every moment we could outside. Since then we've had turbulent weather, lots of rain, heavy winds, but looking at the landscape one is overwhelmed by green!
They say timing is everything, and it's certainly true in what happened Monday night. There was a slight break in the clouds in time for the top curve of the sun to shine just as she was dropping down the horizon. With rain pouring down over the farmhouse and brilliant light moving through it from the sunset, a complete rainbow with a faint repeated arc formed southeast of the farm. The colors took our breath away.

I opened the upstairs sliders to take this photo...note the raindrop on the camera lens.

And took this photo of the setting sun through the window beside my computer desk.
The lightning from this storm struck the home of one of Jerome's antique tractor club buddies in a town north of us. Some of the thunder from that storm sent Dovey diving for cover.
Last night's winds sent two of my solar powered lanterns flying across the back yard but fortunately I was able to retrieve them. Lights flickered but power did stay on.
I'd been pretty smug about getting such a jump on the garden work, spending time every day on the tasks at hand, but now that it's warmer and Mother Nature has been watering everything so diligently, I realize she's had the upper hand all along. Oh well, there are still two weeks left in May and all of the summer ahead.
You've got to love this time of year. Such potential. Such evidence of life's ability for regeneration. So many reasons for hope.

is any other month quite as delicious as May?

Slow down, May.
So much to savor.
Days that allow going back out to the garden after dinner.
Sun setting after 8pm resulting in a few of the chickens lingering in their yard until nearly 8:30. (Remember  December when they're all tucked in just past 4?)

Took a 2 day bus quilt shop hop last Friday and Saturday. I haven't laughed so much in months. 16 women, 7 shops, 3 states. Total in $$ for all of us over 2 days nearly $7,000. I did not match the average spent, but did bring back many treasures that I'm certain will bring hours and hours of delightful projects which I promise to share.

Took a day out with Anne at the Amish greenhouses yesterday and between us we packed my car.

Will head out again on Thursday when my sister Terri is here. There will be less room in the car with 3 of us, but we'll just drive home, unpack, and head out again if need be. We've done that before...

The forecast shows no nights below 40 in the days ahead so the tomatoes have gone out onto the back deck into the mini greenhouse to begin hardening off. We've been cleaning beds, fertilizing, weeding, and mulching. We've begun eating from the garden.
In May everything seems possible. It's all good.

Rain and chilly today and tomorrow. Grocery shopping and getting the house ready for Terri's arrival.  No time for playing with my new fabrics just yet. Doesn't stop me from going into the sewing room and stroking them, though.