Think Spring! #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time to THINK SPRING.  Musically, that is.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and Yours Truly.

Why not join our music loving folks?  It's so easy. All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video.  No music video? Your post may be removed, or may be labeled *NO MUSIC*.  

Every other week has a theme.  Today's theme was picked by me:  Spring begins today in the Northern Hemisphere and fall in the Southern.  Pick songs about spring (or fall, depending on where you live) or that have Spring (or fall) in the title.

It's only March, but we can dream about April in Paris.  This song was written in 1932 for a Broadway play called Walk a Little Faster.  It's been covered many times and I've chosen a cover sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong in 1956.

With spring comes major league baseball.  1985's Centerfield was perhaps the best song ever written about baseball.  Let's join John Fogerty on the field.

Season Suite:  Spring, from John Denver.

Spring is Here - Carly Simon, to me, has an old fashioned sound, which, to me, is a good thing.

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)- Simon and Garfunkel just makes you feel so springtime happy.

I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash may not be strictly about spring time, but we can look forward to some bright, bright sunshiny days where the rainbows appear come spring, can't we? 

Let's end with a song inspired by the thought of spring - The Beatles and Here Comes the Sun.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

First Signs of Spring 2023

Two days before the calendar beginning of spring, spring finally showed up at my house.  We can't get too excited - I woke up this morning to a dusting of snow.  But still, spring is here.

I had seen crocuses and snowdrops locally before now, but they bloom a little late at my home.

We had seen the buds on St. Patrick's Day, and, yesterday, they opened up.

Yellow

White

On the side of our house, the first daffodil buds (taken on St. Patrick's Day).

Finally, our Lenten Rose is sending up flower buds.

Yes, Nature, you may not be done with us as far as throwing winter weather our way.  We've had snow storms as late as mid April here.  But we also know that some of Nature is stretching and yawning and waking up after its winter sleep (including, sigh, the chipmunks).   Our lilac buds are greening.  We saw a male and female cardinal touching beaks the other day.

Spring really is here.  Despite the dusting of snow.

April will follow March.

April Come She Will.

Join me tomorrow for more spring music and Music Moves Me.

Sad Thoughts and Irish Whiskey Salmon

Sad thoughts and Irish Whiskey Salmon.  What a combination.

I was getting ready to publish my Saturday post, which was going to discuss a wonderful recipe my spouse made for St. Patrick's Day dinner. (Long story, but the traditional corned beef, cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, and potatoes are waiting for tomorrow.)

Then I opened up Facebook and saw the news that someone I had known through the blogging world (and a Facebook friend) passed away after a short illness.

I didn't know her exact age but I suspect she was at least 15 years younger than I am.  Those are the kinds of deaths, especially when unexpected, that tend to stun me a lot more than some others. 

I didn't know her in the non-virtual world, but, reading her Facebook page and comments from family and friends (and remembering some of the posts in a blog she wrote about caregiving) I am sad that I didn't.

May she rest in peace and may family and friends receive comfort though the memories they have of her.

And now, the topic I was going to blog about today.  Looking for a simple Friday night recipe (for my spouse, not me!) I found this.   Here's salmon marinated in Irish whiskey, honey, cider vinegar, thyme and lemon zest, then baked.  The recipe is in the link.

Turns out this must be a popular dish - there were a number of these recipes online.

The result?

It was delicious.  The whiskey gave it an interesting flavor, one that I wouldn't have guessed.  For two people, we halved the recipe and only had to buy one miniature bottle of whiskey.  We had the other ingredients.

So, a strange combination, these two topics, but they are both part of life.

The Sky As It Prepares to Snow #SkywatchFriday

It's St. Patrick's Day and, here in the United States, many are preparing to celebrate.

Last Friday, though, we were preparing for snow.

Spouse and I went down to the park a little after 10am.   The sun was shining through clouds.

A slightly different view.

We walked some more, where the clouds weren't as thick.  At the bottom of the photo are Canada geese.

A tree.

We went back a little later.  The clouds had continued to thicken as the morning progressed.

Totally clouded over by early afternoon.

About 3:30pm, the snow began.  A male woodpecker pecked at a suet cake as large flakes fell around him.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers, as I do each Friday, for #SkywatchFriday.

Spring Rewind

 Escaping winter is on everyone's mind where I live in New York State, especially on a day like yesterday with snow and blustery winds.

We had our escape (temporary) already. Because so much of the Southern United States was having early spring, we decided to take a February trip and decided to visit Greenville, South Carolina.

We found spring and I want to share some of spring with you, my readers.  Here's a fringe flower, something that isn't hardy where I live.

A star magnolia, which we do have.

And many, many daffodils.

Alas, eventually, we had to go back home, and, as we drove back north, we watched spring rewind.

Forsythia, Lambsburg, Virginia (near the North Carolina border) Virginia Welcome Center.

By the time we reached the West Virginia Welcome Center in Bunker Hill, all that was left of spring was a stand of crocuses.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day March 2023

Beware the Ides of March.  It's good advice.  It's nasty outside on this March 15.

Brrrr. 

On this cold winter's day full of wind, it's time for both Wordless Wednesday and Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in my zone 5b Southern Tier of New York garden.

Today, I don't have much to share with you, and it is all indoors.  My one Lenten Rose that had flower buds is buried in snow.  One of my crocuses had a flower bud on it Monday.  It's buried now, also.  We were fortunate - we didn't get anywhere near the amount of snow that others in our state did, and we have power.

This is what I have to share with you:

African violet - common.

A fancy African violet which used to have variegated leaves.  It no longer does.  Its blooms are relatively insignificant.

Flowers can be a surprise.  Here's a reblooming Thanksgiving cactus. A March bloom for the Thanksgiving varieties of this plant has never happened to me until now.  This plant has several buds on it and one of them is just about to open.

Kalanchoe. 

One last flower - a little bit of a cheat.  This is an impatien voluteer that came up in my airplane plant pot.  Good thing I took a picture of it a few days ago (because it was blooming so nicely) because I found it wilted.  Hopefully it's just too dry and the watering I just gave it will bring it back.

And that's it for my flowers this month.  Anything blooming for you?

Joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens for her 15th of the month meme Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I'm also joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Blogging from A to Z Theme Reveal #AtoZChallenge #AtoZReveal

I talked myself into it.  I am going to do the Blogging from A to Z Challenge once again.

For those new to this challenge, (and it's one I highly recommend, especially if you are new to blogging) on April 1 your topic for blogging begins with "A", then on April 2, "B", and so forth.  Sundays are off days (except, this year, April 30), so we get 26 letters in 30 days. 

Does this interest you?  If so, the link to the challenge is above.  You don't have to sign up just yet, but there are deadlines.

Before I reveal my theme, a bit about my blog and what I've done for past challenges. 

I started to blog in 2009, and started to blog daily in 2011.  I blog about music on Mondays, a Wordless Wednesday on Wednesday, Skywatch Friday on Fridays, and, on the 15th of the month, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (although I am not a garden blogger, I love flower gardening).  I will keep up this schedule as much as possible in April.

I've taken the A to Z Challenge every year since 2015. 

Most all my previous themes have been related to travel.  I am a confirmed photo hoarder - right now there are approximately 12,000 photos on my phone.  That's about 41 GB worth. 

Wherever I go, I take pictures.  Pictures of things.  Quirky things.  Historic things.  Plants.  Flowers.  Sunsets.  Graves of famous people.  I weave some of these into my daily posts and will this April, too.

Here are my past themes, and you can see a pattern here:

2015:  America the Beautiful

2016:  Days of our Lives (no not the soap opera)

2017 - Traveling Through Time and Space

2018 -  Florida Outside the Theme Parks (this may have been my favorite one)

2019 -  Finding America Through Photos

2020 - America the Beautiful (I never realized I repeated my 2015 theme!)

2021:  New York State

2022:  From Florida to Vermont with Stops Inbetween 

For 2023, I am going to pick (surprise!) another theme involving domestic travel.

Back in February, spouse and I spent six days in Greenville, South Carolina in an effort to escape the New York blahs of winter.  I've been to the Carolinas (our American states of North and South Carolina) several times in the past, although my last time was in August of 2017 for a total eclipse of the sun.

The things I found in the Greenville area are what sparked the possibility that I might join this Challenge again this year.  It's an interesting area.  Since I'm starting on this late (again....) my last minute writing skills will be tested once again.

I didn't want to chain myself to this theme, though. You may find an occasional post not connected to the Carolinas. 

So here's my reveal:  Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.

I hope you'll join me for the journey.