I’m writing this to the steady beat of morning rain. It’s cozy here with my tea and even though it’s been storming since yesterday, it doesn’t feel like winter anymore.
The rain has been washing away all the telltale bits of snow and ice around town. The ground looks like it simply wants to grow; the grass is on the verge of reaching for the sky. Organic alert is everywhere, from the damp ground to the smell in the air.
Maybe it’s time to start thinking about the garden and getting one’s hand’s dirty in the ground. I love those kinds of thoughts. More than any other time of year, going into the beds and primping and cleaning and poking around for signs of life brings me up way high and away from the winter lows. Even the color of the clouds looks different, more inviting and open with life.
Its time for some color.
Every year for a long time, I went south to New Orleans for a refresher. In mid-February, the azaleas and rhododendrons might be ready to play. There you would see the most wonderfully saturated blossoms, all a-petticoat, ready for a grand spring show. The amazing colors collected all attention to themselves and it was hard to find other flowers more inviting after they’d cast their spell.
This color reminds me of lush and sprawling bushes I’d see walking the streets of NOLA. City parks were ringed with them; houses had side yards given over. I always fell in love.
What a beautiful sight to start the day! Thanks Bonne Marie!
Oh, my goodness — such gorgeous images! Wonderful start to a Tuesday up here, where there are still many inches of snow on the ground. Here’s an odd image of hope, though: yesterday I stepped in *mud* on my way in to work! :-D
So-o-o-o pretty! It’s -33C here this morning, and I needed your little pick-me-up. Maybe today I’ll plant those seeds I want to start, just in case spring actually gets *here*. :-)
That is one gorgeous color and a super pretty and versatile sweater, girl!
That reminds me of the bougainvilleas that were everywhere when we visited the south of France. Such a shame that azaleas and bougainvilleas don’t do so well so far north. I’d have them all around my house. That rich fuschia color always makes me happy.
What a lovely lift to a grey day! Thank you!
We lived in NOLA for several years, and our whole yard, front and back, was lined with azaleas in that exact color. Love it, love it, love it. What is that gorgeous yarn, anyway?
Funny that I just looked up my Scoop du Jour pattern the same day as this post! I can see it in a light-colored cotton for me… I may try to do part of it on my Ultimate Sweater Machine…
Love that color. There is an orchid exhibit at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens right now, and this color reminds me of the orchids I saw last week… spring is on its way!
Oh, this is a fun one for the knitting machine. I made one like that here
https://bigbrainmultimedia.com/rambles/archives/2004_09_02.html
The yarn is Cascade 220 but I lost the band info. I think the color was “Cerise”?