is it spring yet?

It's snowing lightly just now and the forecast shows a low of 13 for tomorrow night.
Yesterday we pruned the grapevines and today took down a diseased fruit tree. Too soon to clean up the flower beds or spread the compost. But I'm eager.
Still no sign of spring bulbs and only the tiniest bit of red identifies the spots where the rhubarbs live. Or did I imagine it?
The cats daily watch through the windows, being entertained as the birds consume the remains of last summer, the rabbits continue to put shrubs and small trees in jeopardy with their incessant nibbling, and winds rearrange the oak leaves around the yard.
Oh for a little bit of green.
Soon. Soon.

holy week hoarfrost

National Weather Service predicted today would be an ideal day to prune the grapevines. Sunny, light wind, mid 50s.
In a late March moment, Mother Nature decided to softly blow her frozen breath across the landscape.

I have not as yet emptied the urns at the front porch steps. Looks as if this arrangement has been flocked.

And the grapevines...

frost covered this morning, are now standing in the brilliant sunshine, waiting for me.

one good thing

I've been away from this blog for a while. Life hasn't been standing still for me. Usually when I find myself returning to post after an absence, I feel the need to fill in all the blanks between the last post and the present.
Today I prefer to concentrate on just one good thing.
Anne celebrated her birthday this past Thursday and has been our custom since they've joined us out here in the driftless region, she was given the task of choosing her birthday lunch venue and any interesting places to explore nearby.
You can see her post about her special day here.
Let me begin by saying we had a most enjoyable day. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is a gem. So many amazing pieces in the permanent collection.
And such a wealth of local artists whose work is on temporary loan.
One temporary exhibit currently in place still brings joy several days later. Anne shared her favorite piece in the Leo and Marilyn Smith retrospective collection. Below is my favorite, Shaggy Walker.

The lighting of these pieces cast deep shadows on the carpet below.

Not an accident as there was a table in this room set up with a tiny focused lamp shining on a roll of white paper, several objects of various shapes to hold in front of the lamp to cast shadows, and crayons for drawing the silhouettes onto the paper. Shadow art!

The museum is in Winona, Minnesota. A town named for an Indian princess.

If Lake Pepin sounds familiar it's because Pepin is the town from which Laura Ingalls and her family moved at the end of Little House in the Big Woods. It is just up the Mississippi from Winona on the Wisconsin side where the river bulges to form a lake named for the city beside it.
I also loved the Smith's interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf,

and found a child's delight in this river otter.

I had several questions for the docent that was working while we were there.  He explained that many of the pieces in the permanent collection are owned by private parties but on permanent loan to the museum. I guess I hadn't consciously realized that tiny museums could never exist without benefactors and we would never get to stand before these treasures owned by wealthy individuals without their generous spirit of sharing.
Thanks to each of you, whoever you are.