Happy Easter

So far this Spring has been a great Winter!

Tennis balls freeze outside 

while Rusty Pups come inside to warm up the fire.

But then

the sun comes out again

and there is a spring in everyone's step again.

Springtime blessings on you all.

Daybreak on the Basin

Walking along the Basin as the sun comes up

Way down there on the horizon

the suns rays hit rooftops in Digby

Birds were very active this morning

Small groups of geese flew overhead

and ducks paddled the waters 

reacquainting themselves with their surroundings

One RP chased a deer across the marshlands

and got a big finger wagging when she returned.

A murder of crows cawed a noisy hullabaloo

but I couldn't see why....no eagle in sight.

Starting Points

Design wall
Pins
Bits and pieces of cloth
A Threesome that can provide hours of fun.
That middle strip of seductive silk velvet

surprisingly adds nothing to this arrangement.

Much better to my eye.

On another wall

a second piece is being designed

but can't show you right now...

Showing you more
might give away this surprise for somebody special!

Scratched So Far This Year

At the end of March I will start a separate scroll for the next three months.

They will be separate but will either button or Velcro together when necessary.

Life will be easier looking back through several smaller scrolls than one looooooong one!

The grass was revealed

and low and behold the geese arrived back

from their winter vacation

on Mark's Birthday

This week we sprayed marks onto blue fabric

The snow came back with a vengeance!

We're wallowing in it

Decided to put some blue back on my discharged fabric.

On Friday our Steve and Andi came round

and so, four place settings.

We have the greatest neighbours

On Saturday monochrome was the word

For Sunday I used two of the button loops from my wedding dress

and then went loopy!

Springtime Travellers

They're back!

Waddling around 

under a bright afternoon sun

Gorging after their long journey.

But since taking these snapshots

they must be having second thoughts

'cos we're deep in snow again.

Those who hung around all winter

are forming into welcome home parties

under the shade of Diane's Rhododendron

a handsome pheasant ignores all the excitement

Discharged Play

It's so important to take the time to play....

and not take things too seriously...

and allow accidents to become an opportunity.

Spraying over threads

my favourite so far

Couldn't resist playing around with this photo

exaggerating everything

Folded and dipped

straight laced

Scratch, Scratch, Scratching Away!

First of all...

apologies for the quality of these pics...

they were done in a rush under difficult lighting.

On Monday I was paging through a favourite book

"The Language of the Goddess"

by Marija Gimbutas.

Because Spring is on it's way

(hopefully sooner rather than later)

I thought a "ship of renewal" as found in Scandinavian rock art

might encourage Spring on her slow journey to this part of the world.

It rained most of the day

puddles were gathering in the garden

So I felt like making a puddle with bling!

Not a very beautiful puddle though.

(The first time I've scratched with beads''

and probably the last!)

For Thursday, I just went with the flow.

On Friday we made tracks up the valley as the snow fell

all for a mammogram!

Not my favourite way of spending a day.

just doodling

Friends had a wine tasting party with a difference...

they were all our home made wines.

And guess who won for the best red wine...

my Handy Hubby!

Work in Progress

Started by stitching myself in black thread

except for the red glasses of course!

looked way too boring

it needed a bit of fun

It's on a very sheer lawn

can't add anything too heavy

so stitched on some sheers.

Now I'm wondering what to do

on the enormous amount of background that surrounds me.

Do I add stitch?

Do I stitch in a myriad of colours or just white?

Decisions

Decisions

If You Were Down On The Dike Today

You would have caught sight of a weathered sentry

standing tall among bushy chaos...

Leaves that amazingly still cling to trees

after a windy winter

and yet

in our woods we've lost about five entire trees....

You would have seen a thick blanket of cloud

kissing the top of the North Mountain....

And you would have seen the scallop fishermen

returning home.

My goodness this one needs a new paint job does it not!

If You Were In The Woods Today

You would have seen icy snow

hovering over the stream....

Fungi clinging on the sunny sides of trees....

Fallen trees slowly enriching the land...

Lush green lichen spreading over broken bark....

And perhaps a Rusty Pup of two

If only I could find the other one but

She's off hunting deeper in the woods.

A Week Scratched on Cloth

Perhaps winter is waning.

On Monday fourteen of us met at Laurie's home

Some of us knit great socks!

Not me...I never did finish my one attempt! 

Handy Hubby looked out the front window

and there on the front porch was a mink

looking back at him.

Mark and Donna have set a June date for their wedding.

Handy Hubby went down the road to help a friend

bottle his wine.

Time on Face Time organizing

Taking snapshots of  this week's scratchings

I smashed my one year old camera

against that rock

and now the lens cover is smashed into a thousand pieces.

Oh joy!

Supposed to illustrate "springing forward"

'cos we jumped forward to daylight savings time.

A Monochromatic World

The Teasels are still standing tall through wind and snow

The squirrels are out munching even as the snow swirls around them

The old rusty wheel is probably rusting up a bit more

getting ready to transfer that lovely colour onto cotton next summer

The baby spruce are weighed down with a fresh coating

and

it's hard to believe

I spied snowdrops preparing to bloom just a couple of days ago