Shadowshot Sunday - First Day of Spring Shadows

We had several days with sun this past week, including the first day of spring.

We took a walk and our first spring shadows were visible.   It was so nice to see shadows and not snow.

 

An overhead line tower.

 And, later in the week, a lone goose in the park swims between tree shdows.

Joining up with Shadow Shot Sunday.

The Small Beginnings of a 2023 Garden

We (meaning mainly my spouse) are gardening for another year.

In our zone 5b area, it's too early to start most planting, but we are behind on even doing a seed inventory to see what we have on hand.

In the meantime, we traveled to our new raised bed we were able to rent this year from our local community garden.

Right now, it doesn't look like much, but don't be fooled.  A month will make a big difference.

Last year, this new raised bed had been planted and then never harvested.  I remember there being a lot of unharvested yellow pear tomatoes, the remains of which were lying on top of the soil.  Last year's renter even left some nylon (?) fencing, which we may or may not reuse.  These raised beds are prone to deer attacks.  Last year was a bad year for that - we lost all our peas.  Theft, sometimes, too - someone dug up a couple of white eggplant plants with eggplants growing on them.

It's discouraging but my spouse soldiers on because growing things is in his genes.

It will be interesting to see what will come up once we add some soil additives and put in our seeds and plants.  A lot of the new bed will be the home of onion plants that will be coming (mail order) in May.  Spouse uses a lot of onions in his cooking.

Meanwhile, back in the raised bed we've had for several years, plants are coming to life.

The green you see is garlic planted in the fall coming up.

This is a chive plant we rescued (with permission) from a walkway in the raised bed area (apparently someone's chives had seeded the walkway, which was full of chive plants last year) and that is sprouting, too.

Yesterday and today, it's been raining.  It probably won't get into the 40's F today, and as soon as the rain stops, it will get quite windy.  No planting today.

But it won't be long.

Hopefully.

Blue Sky Walk #SkywatchFriday

It was March 22, it wasn't windy, and the sky was blue!  Hello, Mr. Blue Sky.

I got off from work at 12:30 and headed, with my spouse, to a park with various walking trails.

Let's take a walk, shall we?

That sky sure is blue.

A loan Canada goose took advantage of the solitude.

Saying goodbye to the sun, because it just can't stay sunny all day.

It was nice while it lasted.  Yesterday, the skies were back to a grim grey, and it started to rain on us when we walked in that same park.

Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.

Am I Spamming Myself?

 Something interesting to me (and, perhaps other bloggers who use Blogger) has been happening in the past few days.

My spam comments folder has been filling up with comments made years ago - the oldest ones so far are from 2014.  Most all of them date from 2019 and earlier.

Not only that, but most of them are comments I've made responding to other commenters on my blog.

Yes, you read that right.

In other words, I am spamming myself.   Spamming myself, traveling through time, to 2014?

The comments were all made through my Google user name.  Doesn't Google know that this is my blog?  Maybe spamming detection duties have been given over to an AI?

I would rather not go to my blog in the morning and find 14 spam comments from myself, which is what happened yesterday.  I have to reapprove every one of them.

I would much rather be looking at crocus in my front yard and celebrating the arrival of spring.

And you would much rather be looking at my flowers than reading about my blogging problems.

So, let's try this...what is irritating you the most about online life lately?  Please feel free to comment below.

Let's see how many of those comments go into spam.

Spring Mystery #WordlessWednesday

It's time to party.  Spring is here.  It's really here.

It got up to 61F (16.1 C) yesterday.

My crocuses are blooming or nearly ready to.  I have buds on a couple of daffodils.  Tulip leaves are poking above the soil.  We may have chives ready to eat in another week.

But spring also has a mystery for me.

For years, I've wondered what this insect is.  I'm thinking it may be something called a stonefly.

Years ago, when we had almost constant snow cover, these were the first insects we saw.  They reliably showed up in March and would walk on the surface of the snow.

Now the ground is bare part of the month, and I wonder - do they miss the snow?

One even landed on me while I was outside yesterday on my laptop and listening to the birds sing their spring songs.  

Does anyone know what this insect is?  I'd like to finally solve this mystery.

To all those in the Northern Hemisphere, I wish a happy spring.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Does Anyone Know What Day of the Week It Is?

I blogged this back in the beginning of January and on this, the first full day of spring, perhaps it's time to publish this.

The Southern Tier of New York was closed for the winter.

No, not really, but sometimes it feels that way.  Let's pretend it's January.

Days blend into each other.  Normally, skies would be overcast and temperatures would be low, day after day.  Snow would cover the ground, and bare ground would make one feel just a little uneasy.  Many places are on winter hours.  Museums are closed the early part of the week.  Garden centers and some farm markets are closed until April or even May.  Outdoor farmers markets are definitely closed.

Although our temperatures are cooler than last week, they are still above normal.  I am still taking exercise walks outdoors without wearing boots.  The snow is gone.  It will return, I know.  What I am afraid of is January weather in April.  Or even May.  

It's happened before.

Blowing snow (taken December 23)

One loses track of time easier at this time of year although my guess is, it's still winter.

Is it just me, or has it become harder and harder to remember what day of the week it is?  Even Siri is having problems.  I was talking to my spouse outdoors as I took a picture last week and Siri suddenly spoke up, without me prompting it by saying "Hey, Siri".  It started to inform me what the date was.

Did I ask it to?

I have to remember days, as I still work part time.  It would be embarrassing not to sign in Monday because I thought it was a non-work day.  In fact, when I wake up, the first thing I do is tell myself "today is ________".  Like today.  Tuesday.  I work today.

But my spouse, who is retired, doesn't always remember the day of the week right off.  Neither does my brother in law or his wife, both of whom are retired.

And meanwhile, now, it's spring.

The first of the garden centers I frequent opened on Saturday.  

Trees have come awake.  The birds are singing.  Northern cardinals, blackbirds, chickadees, and yes, robins.

And yet, it can still be hard to remember what day of the week it is.

Does everyone forget about time when they retire?  I wonder.

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.