March in Ohio

 Like so much of the country, we had a mild winter here in Ohio, which extended into bizarre warm days in February and early March. I was wearing sandals by March 4th! All the plants began to wake up, and things started to bloom early. But by mid month, Mother Nature seemed to remember that spring is generally chilly in March, and she did an about face. We had snow and cold, and all the blooming was halted. Even my pansies weren't happy, and they don't usually mind a chill. I stuck pansy pots into the garage for days on end, and covered the other ones with heavy towels. But finally here at the end of the month, we seem to be past the winter weather. 

Although a few flowers peeked out last month, the warm weather in early March is what really made the difference. 

During that burst of warm weather early in the month, I knew that I'd hear the spring peepers singing at the nearby wetland area. I absolutely LOVE this sound, and it's much louder than you would think. This area is remote enough that I can usually just stop my car in the middle of the road, turn off the engine, and record right out the window. Keep in mind this video is meant to by heard, not seen! 

During the cold spell mid month, I went back to indoor pursuits. I crocheted a few cat toys, hung out my newly painted birdhouse, made felt flowers for my cord wreath, watched my Hoya plant bloom, finished my neutral crochet blanket, baked lemon cookies, and filled my favorite vase with orange carnations. I'm someone who just loves to add those extra touches around the house, whether it's fresh flowers, homemade cookies, new crochet blankets or other extras. 

In preparation for Easter, I put out a few decorations, mostly to celebrate spring. My favorite is the blue and white pottery bunny below, since it's Polish pottery. My husband is 100% Polish! 

I stopped in at one of my favorite autumn parks the other day, Chestnut Ridge, when I realized that I've never visited there in early spring. While most of the trees are still bare, I did find a big patch of forsythia, mossy trees, and a blooming serviceberry tree. Most of the white blooming trees seen right now are the dreaded invasive pear trees, but I noticed there were none to be seen at this park. Good! 

 Once the short spell of cold weather was past, the flowers began to bloom again, especially the hellebores.  And yes, I do have a pear tree! But I didn't plant it here, it was placed by the city we live in. It's at least 20 years old, so I doubt it will live much longer. In the meantime, it is pretty. Just don't tell anyone I said that. Ha!

My skywatching is tricky in the month of March, as the sunsets line up in a way that's harder to catch from my house. Soon enough, it will be back in the front where I can see it better. By cruising around nearby, I can always find other sunset views. 

Thanks for coming by to see what's going on in Robin's Nest this month. I always appreciate when you stop by here! Hope to see you at the end of April, where I'll surely have plenty of tulips to share. I even spotted one today, but I'll save that for next time. Till then! 

February at Home

 February was a quiet month in the Nest, with not much going on. So I spent most of the month at home following my usual pursuits. I did a lot of reading, some crocheting, a little cooking, and lots of photo editing. Whenever the weather gets wintery, you'll find me going through old photos, trying to thin them out a little. Just how many photos does one need of the same flowers? Turns out, not as many as I thought at the time! 

Speaking of my usual pursuits, I didn't finish up a single craft project this month. Instead, I made progress on the neutral colors blanket I showed last month. I decided to skip another photo until it's actually finished. The only home projects I took photos of are a small valentine cake I made, and changing my tray over to St. Patrick's Day decor. I was busy, but it just doesn't show in my photos.

For lack of outdoor flowers, I did keep my vases filled with bouquets. 

We had a couple of pretty snowfalls in February, which gave me a brief window of winter scenery to enjoy. It really is the main reason why I like snow, it's so much prettier than bland winter views. 

But by mid month, the weather turned warm and my bulbs began to pop up. It's always a thrill for a gardener. 

And by the end of the month, I found blooms! Every year, I find something blooming by the end of February, and yet it always thrills me. I think it's because I lived most of my life in Michigan, and I don't think I ever saw flowers in February. But here in Ohio, I planted early bulbs, and they reward me every year. 

And so the quietest month comes to an end with my usual sky watching. I’ve always loved how much sky I can see from the Nest, it thrills me all the time. 

Thanks as usual for coming to see Life in Robin's Nest. I'm always grateful to "see" you here. March will surely hold blooms galore, so I'll look forward to posting next month. Winter does get a little drab around here, and spring should perks things up. Hope to see you then!