Wednesday, March 20, 2013

First Day of Spring!


{Rurality Blog Hop}

It is a typical First Day of Spring here in the foothills. 

Torrential rain. 

Wind. 

But mild temperatures. 




It is now 44 degrees. 




Just two days ago we had a little glimpse of Mt. Rainier, just as the sun was setting. 

But that is a rare sight this time of year, as clouds and mist shroud The Mountain most of the time. 




Today is a day of glimmering raindrops, puddles, and seasonal rivulets of water running down hill. 

I can hear the river roaring down below in the steep little valley. 

Named 'South Prairie Creek', it flows directly down from one of Mt. Rainier's many glaciers and into the wider valley through the town of South Prairie, hence it's name. 

But this is no trickling little creek. 

More like a raging force of nature at this time of year when the snow starts to melt and the spring rains trickle down from the many higher hills. 




It is morning and Whitey waits by the door, cookie in mouth, to accompany me on our morning walk. 




But once I open the door and he sees the rain, he runs back to his bed in the kitchen and refuses to budge. 

I laugh and try to coax, but he is the smart one and stays inside where it is warm and dry. 




So I grab my raincoat, bear spray hanging out of the pocket, and head out without him. 




But I am not alone, as my faithful friend, Champ is always up for a good game of catch 
no matter what the weather! 




He waits patiently as I fill one bird feeder with black oil sunflower seeds. 

A favorite treat of the many species of birds we have here. 

Recently, the wild pigeons and doves have returned and have filled the air with their mournful cooing. 

Oh, I do love that sound. 




We pass The Mr.'s chopping block, glistening with rain. 

Every evening Ol' Blue Eyes carries in armfuls of firewood to keep the woodstove going. 

He stopped in mid-stride last night to tell me he has split, stacked and carried approximately 240 cord of wood in the last 30 years. 

My Dear Sweet Man. 




Tiny wildflower seedlings are springing up in every bare spot. 

A sure sign of Spring! 




We continue on towards the second bird feeder up by the Holly tree. A tiny Indian Plum blossom cheers the way. 

I keep the bird feeders well away from the house. 

But I have two sets of binoculars. 

Here on the edge of the wilderness, you never know who might stop in for a little treat. 

The reason I carry bear spray. 

And have two very watchful dogs. 

The last few nights, the coyotes have been singing, not too far away. 

Champ does not like this and barks with his deep growly voice, Whitey chiming in alongside. 

But we have also been treated to the delightful sound of peeping frogs. 

Thousands of them, filling the night air. 




Oh, Champ! Why do you always drop your ball right in the drainage ditch? 

The Mr. keeps this ditch clear of debris, especially during spring run-off. 

Now it is a trickle, but later it will be a good sized creek, filled with run-off from the heavy rain.  

The bird feeder is in a tree alongside. 

So I climb down into the ditch and resume our game of catch. 




We pass some blooming Narcissus, battered by the rain. 




I make a mental note to come out later if the rain dies down, to pluck the battered blooms for a springtime bouquet. 




But now we must head for home and the warmth of the fire, and Whitey waiting inside. 




And two unhappy cats gazing longingly through the glass, wishing for the rain to stop. 




Still, Ling Ling is not to be dissuaded. But once outside, she quickly changes her mind! 




So we all gaze out forlornly and settle in for a long and quiet day inside. 




Cozy and warm. 



And dreaming of sunshine. 




Wishing you a Happy First Day of Spring! 

And sunny skies! 

xoxo

Sharing with : http://www.theviewfromrighthere.com/blog/?p=9906

Rurality Blog Hop #6

38 comments:

  1. how i am envying your rain! we need it. just looking around the pond today and realized how low it is already. *sigh*

    love your pups and cats!

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  2. I love the sounds you describe. So lovely! I love the sound of doves and of all the spring birds. You also mention coyotes - I have always wanted to hear coyotes but never have!!

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  3. Beautiful post full of wonderful photos, I love the fact that Whitey was not going to get her paws wet for no-one... Bless her!!

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  4. Every weather has its charme... You make a nice post of any situation ;-)


    Greetings from the Netherlands,
    DzjieDzjee

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  5. We have the blustery here in Ontario but not the mild temperatures. It will still be a while before we see daffodils. You have such a lovely view!

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  6. Happy spring! Even though it was a rainy day, it still seems like a nice first day of spring for you. I loved seeing the mountain as always :) And all your animals are so cute!

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  7. There may have been no sunshine for your first day of spring but you sure gave us a fun and beautiful walk in the rain including all kinds of nature sounds....

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  8. Happy first day of Spring! Your photos and descriptions are beautiful. It's actually sunny, here, today - but cold - so I guess our weather is the opposite :-)

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  9. Thank you, Karen for all the time you put into your blog posts. I can't tell you enough how charming each one is. I am always eager to see your latest photos :)

    Your cats are too cute. My cat, Rosie Girl, loves the rain and snow. When we have snow banks around she will run and push her head into the snow. She is rather odd, but we still love her! :)

    The daffodils are lovely. They are my favorite Spring flower.

    It doesn't feel like Spring here either. We're supposed to get snow for the next few days. My son and I went for a walk and boy was it cold and windy! I am off to make me a cup of hot coffee.

    Hugs to you,
    Stephanie

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  10. What a lovely and divine post with rich and creative photography ~ you are indeed blessed ~ ^_^

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  11. Oh I LOVE everything about this post. The photos are incredible and your narration through the process of your delightful rainy day makes me want to be there. Bear spray good idea all I have is a bell I hope never to need Bear spray:)
    Your husband is a good man indeed to do all that wood. Just beautiful where you live. B

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  12. Always love your narration as you take us on a walk on a rainy first day of spring.

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  13. Wow-That is quite a picture of Spring in your area. Those pictures towards the hills are amazing!! We had a blizzard here for the first day of Spring. xo Diana

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  14. What a view off your deck. I hope we start seeing temps in the 40's soon. Our first day of spring was in the single digits :(

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  15. Happy spring Karen! Your walk was lovely and your photos are stunning! That one with the rain drops is breath taking! So glad to see blooms!!! It is still to cold here for any spring flowers just yet! Have a great weekend!

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  16. What a wonderfully Washington first day of spring. We had heavy rain and monstrous winds up here, but never lost power. Your photos are fabulous and the walk was wonderfully refreshing. Now it is time for a cup of hot tea and relaxing.

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  17. what a lovely place. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at your photos.

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  18. A wonderful walk partaking of your lovely surroundings!
    I love a spring rain and how it makes things glisten. Your walkway is so inviting.
    I'm wondering if you've ever seen bears close or if the spray is purely caution.
    That last shot is a picture perfect postcard of Spring!

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    1. Thank you, Carletta for your very nice comments. Yes, I have been face to face with Mr. Bear and Mrs. Bear with cubs. You get to see how really LARGE they are and how very small you are, and if it wasn't for my very brave dogs not backing down, I might not be writing this now. I am very cautious whenever I go out. xoxo

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  19. Hey Karen - thanks for the great pictures and a great post ...... Bear Spray - there bears where you live? Esker to see pictures of your dogs / cats love dyr.Dejligt to see spring has arrived for you - here is the ground covered with 5-6 cm of snow no sign of spring at present. Wish you a good Thursday :) Hugs Hanne Bente

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  20. I followed you with my mind and really enjoyed your walk and dailys activities. Your narration is always so vivid and sweet ! Hugs!

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  21. Thank you for another lovely walk through your rainy Northwest morning. I can just smell the evergreens, and hear the plink-plonk of the raindrops. I woke up to snow this morning in Aberdeen. A cold spring for sure! x

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  22. Bear spray?! Your fur babies are so sweet and beautiful and the photos are amazing as always! We're not too far from 44 degrees today as it's currently 51 here in Fla... Yesterday we had the ac cranking. Crazy weather! :)

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  23. Felt like I was taking a walk with you!! Great photos. :)

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  24. Bear spray? Oh my! Well, I'm glad you are prepared. Great photos, even in the rain!

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  25. Thanks for taking us along on your walk. I wish we had rain here. It would melt the snow that we still have.

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  26. Lovely,lovely photo's. I saw a coyote while walking Scout last night! Luckily it was out in a field, and not right next to us. I may need to get some bear spray too! You have reminded me that I must hang some bird feeders pronto!! Have a lovely day!

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  27. Thanks for sharing your spring day on your gorgeous property. A very smart idea to carry the bear spray....hopefully you won't need it.

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  28. Warm and cozy sounds pretty good for the first day of spring. I love taking walks with you, even in the rain! <3

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  29. I can't imagine having a mountain view and not being able to see it. Mind you, I can't imagine having a mountain view at all. I'm looking at my neighbours' houses. ;) We do have a pond behind our house, though, and I love the wild chorus of frogs at night (when that time comes). Your dogs are sweet. My Jolene won't go out in the rain either.

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  30. Dearest Karen,
    This spring day I will never forget... The weather was lovely though!
    What is the distance from your home to Mt. Glacier; in birds eye view?
    Also what is 8 cord of wood in one year? That's the calculation I made for each year of faithful chopping...
    You made great photos of very lush surroundings. That looks so healthy and you are all prepared for spring to start new growth with water available. Oh, bear spray, a milder form of pepper spray; guess that is a MUST if you have coyotes, cougars and bears in your surroundings.
    Are our dogs and cats not smart for opting to stay cozy?! They do make us laugh.
    Hugs to you and thanks for sharing this with great photos!
    Mariette

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mariette, I always love your visits, so sweet and fun - Thank you for that. Well, to answer your question, first it is Mt. Rainier, and as the crow flies it might be 10-20 miles. But to drive, much longer 50 - 60 miles over winding and steep roads, as there are only two roads either way. One way, faster; 1 hour, the other way to Paradise Lodge, much longer. Three hours.

      Hope you are having a nice start to spring! Hugs, Karen xoxo

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  31. There is something wonderful about seeing drops of rain - love all your photos Karen and #4 photo is what I am refereeing to when I said seeing drops of rain = water and if you had show this to me come summer here in Az. I would be very envious - wink - thanks goodness it's not summer yet!!
    Hugs

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  32. The rain drop puddles are really cool!

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  33. Great pictures Karen. I have hopped over to your blog and few times and wanted to just say you seem to have such a wonderful heart. Your children's smiles show how much of a great family unit you have and I aspire to me a momma like you one day. We can't WAIT for spring here in Ohio and the snow we received yesterday wasn't really welcomed. Hope you have a great weekend!

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  34. So exciting to see every tiny detail in the return of spring! We are getting more snow today - any form of precipitation is welcome as we seem to be starting another year of drought.
    Enjoy your lush, green surroundings, sweet Karen!!!
    Hugs,
    Zuzu

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  35. Oh, Karen...a truly beautiful post! I can just feel the warmth of your home with your very hard-working hubby and your great animal friends. The photos are gorgeous, and your narrative, so peaceful.

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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