spring – Page 11 – Skelton Sketches

Spring comes Marching…

Posted on March 17, 2012May 18, 2018 by lindaskelton

We’re HOME again from visiting much family, and just in time! Home to wind and weather, even a smattering of snow—wild, wild winds that keep the ferries huddled in their terminals, and make roadside trees come crashing down, and power fail…. Days like these I’m glad for a wood stove…which can not only heat the house but can provide hot tea to go with a cold toast-less breakfast…

The willow still hasn’t any flaxen loveliness to her tresses. She more resembles an old hag tossing about in the wind, making work for the picker-up-of-branches in our yard, again.

But at least the torrential rain took a break long enough for a short walk through a much-trod trail and back around home…

The dead give-away that spring is surely afoot is the upsurge of crocuses in all their brilliance!

And though I don’t know the name of this antique-looking bloom, it captured my eye and would surely make a splendid watercolor painting someday when I’m holed up in the house watching the rain fall…

Spring is on the march—watch for it!

–LS

Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase…Lev.26:4

Blossoms

Posted on May 13, 2011April 30, 2017 by lindaskelton

The hope of fruit to come…

Plum

Pear

Cherry

Apple

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? Rom.8:23,24

In eager expectation of what’s to come,

—LS

Rhizomes Rising

Posted on April 22, 2011 by lindaskelton

[horsetail pic borrowed from random internet source]

Spring may be slow in coming this year but one sure crop is coming right along. We’ve had an education in rhizomes this week. Horsetail are prolific in heavy wet soils such as ours and a scourge that is seemingly impossible to eradicate. Jim found out why when he got do digging down, down, down for their origin–rhizomes…”A continuously growing horizontal underground stem that puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals.” Two feet below the surface these tenacious ‘stems’ with their hard shell black nodes at intervals act like subterranean factories continuously supplying replacements for all the crazy bottlebrushes one weeds out up above. But this year, at least for a little while, my potato bed will be horsetail free thanks to Jim’s tenacious rhizome ridding.

Ugly aren’t they?!

A much lovelier rhizome is one I miss seeing here. It carpeted the woods of my childhood. I had to ‘google’ this pic as I’m too many miles away to see if the Mayflowers have raised their umbrellas in ‘my’ little wood in time for Easter. Perhaps it’s too early yet. Anybody know?

What bit of nature reminds you of springtime?

Here are some of my favorites:

Robins picnicking in the yard. Their cheery chirrups are a sure sign that winter’s past.

And who can resent spring’s first dandelions with their bright faces?

T(This dandy fellow seems to be harboring a couple tiny spiders!)

My bleeding hearts have risen to fill their nook by an old stump…

Rhubarb doesn’t mind a cool spring. It always emerges with such enthusiasm!

In contrast, one of spring’s tiniest beauties… have not forgotten to bloom.

For they are ‘forget-me-not’s!

And that’s my bit of springtime blogging for now. With the garden begging to be dug into there haven’t been many hikes this week.

May your hopes keep rising unthwarted, like a hardy rhizome,

fed by ‘subterranean’ joy.

For Christ is risen and has overcome the world!

O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?…But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I Cor.15:55,57

–LS