It's been so wet here, rain has fallen for weeks on end and many of our familiar pathways through the woods are now well beyond muddy and are completely flooded and impassable. It's been mild too, we've only had a few frosts here this winter and everything now seems to be sprouting and proclaiming the arrival of Spring. Hopefully it's not too soon and there are no snow storms just around the corner.
The old plum tree in the garden is currently in blossom, though with all the rain it's been hard to get good pictures. Usually I post with pictures of it's beautiful frothy white blossom against bright blue skies, but this year it's rain soaked blossom. It's still a lovely sight though and has been a magnet for the growing local population of green parakeets, who've been enjoying feasting on the unopened flower buds, sometimes 6 of them in the tree at a time.
We've also had daily visits from Squidgy the squirrel who now scrabbles at the back door to get our attention each morning and who loves Brazil nuts best of all. Up until a couple of weeks ago Kit was also visiting frequently and always in daylight. Now however it seems as if we have a new friendly fox, who always visits in the dark. It's so unusual for a wild fox to tolerate being visible to humans, usually as soon as they see or hear you they disappear into the shadows and are gone. But this new fox is much bolder and, like Kit, stays in the garden when we come out of the house, she sits a safe distance away, ready to run if the need arises but looking hopefully for a snack of one of Toby's cocktail sausages, which I'm more than happy to share with her. Amy has named her Kira and she's been visiting every day for the last week. I'm not sure if that means Kit has been turfed off her territory again (a while back she disappeared for many months) and we are wondering, because of the bold behaviour, if Kira is actually one of Kit's cubs that were raised in our garden in 2020. No way to know of course, I'm just delighted to be able to see these beautiful wild creatures up close.
In between planning for Toby (hopefully we're nearing the final stages of that all now) I have of course been knitting. I've been wanting to knit a lamb in spring green colours, I'm so drawn to green as a colour at the moment, but am dithering about what shade to knit in, I find it's one of the more difficult colours to choose tonal shades in. Hopefully I'll reach a decision and finish a spring lamb soon.
Hope that you're finding small joys in your days, J x
little cotton rabbits 
As always it is lovely to see you photos, with Spring almost upon us. Goodness we have had a lot of rain this Winter. So nice to meet Kira, she is beautiful. Looking forward to seeing your latest knitted creations. Have a lovely week.
Hi Kit! You’re looking healthy =) And wouldn’t it be lovely if Kira is one of her cubs!
Happy almost Spring from Chicago!
We had a mild winter, too, unlike other parts of the US that experienced terrible snow and rain. It was unusual to have a small flock of Mallard ducks enjoying winter swims in our backyard pond throughout the winter.
Thank you for your lovely blog. The picture of plums reminded me of the Plum Festival my parents and I visited every year in Japan. Our squirrels, Nutty, Shorty, and SkinnyMinny, stand tall and peek into our kitchen to see if we have peanuts ready for them. I only see our skinny fox in the very early morning.
My joy in the day is knitting your friends! I’m knitting a bunny again for my cousin’s new baby girl and I love imagining the delight this little bunny would bring. I love all the green colors you chose for your lamb. LCR has brought so much joy and happiness to my life, and I am always so thankful to you.
I hope everything goes well with Toby’s plans. Thinking of you and your family and sending love and hugs.
Sachiko
The green yarns you’ve chosen look so fresh and lovely! Don’t choose, use them all!
Beautiful pics Julie … and I love hearing about all your wonderful wild visitors!
Loving all those gorgeous greens. 🙂
V x
My heart leaps up at your lovely photos of nature and the first hints of spring! Thank you so much for sharing. And I do hope your arrangements for Toby will work our for all of you.
Peace
Cecilia
Your photos are simply fabulous and many are breathtaking! You have a real gift.
Thank you for sending them in your posts. Please continue to share with us.
Your spring photos are a joy to see, Julie. I always enjoy seeing and reading about your garden visitors. What lovely shades of green you have chosen for your projects! Best of luck with finalizing the care for Toby. I like the name Kira!
We’ve had a major snowstorm here and spring seems so far away. I look forward to seeing the photos and escapades of Kira and while I’m waiting for spring, I think I’ll knit a sweater😊
I hope you draw comfort to yourself knowing how much comfort you give away.
Thank you for the wonderful knitted creations, your insightful prose and your incredibly
beautiful photographs. My life is better because of you. ☺️
Thanks for the beautiful post again, Julie. I must admit the constant cold and rain here in Cambridgeshire is beginning to get me down. It seems more like January than March.
Love the fresh greens. Perfect for a spring bunny.
Take care of yourself and your lovely family!
As always amazing photos!! Beautiful. xxxxxx
So lovely to see the photos. Yes, here in Hampshire UK we’ve had rain all throughout winter, the grounds are sodden. We too love the wildlife that visit the gardens – we have Faisal the cock pheasant (very noisy at present, clearly looking for a girlfriend) and 3 young Roe deer who are very naughty and have eaten most of the heads off the Spring bulbs. Look for to seeing your designs for spring green clothing for lamb. Enjoy life and I look forward to your next update.
I am always happy when I get a post from you! God bless you in all you do!
Beautiful photos – added to my list of “small joys” for today!! Here in the Southern hemisphere we have been having much more rain than usual too – the changing weather patterns are quite concerning. Australia has been having intense heat and awful bush fires and across the ditch in NZ we shiver and get soaking wet on a daily basis. Continue to take care of ourself, sending big hugs!
Wow Julie, this is so beautiful. Absolutely love the green colour palette. Very refreshing and inspiring.
I always enjoy your posts. Here in North Carolina we had one week of below freezing days and that was it for winter. That week and a few nights were the only time I have had to move plants inside. I am most interested in the picture of the parakeet. Is there a flock? And I love your knitting. Way beyond my skill level. But always a joy to see.