A Welcome to April...

April...
 that blustery month that brings beautiful days, whispery warm breezes, sunshine and SNOW, gale force winds that blow the tops out of trees, beautiful blooms, and busy bees...

 Already in the few short

days that April has been upon us,

we have had every kind of

weather imaginable...

one day

 I am out in the sunshine

picking flowers from our yard,

and the next day 

I am watching the tree tops

blow across the field in front of our house...

our yard and gardens

are filled with the most beautiful

daffodils,

some bloom early, while others bloom late...

with over a dozen varieties,

they are always in a state

of blooming... 

 

 I've been posting 

some of my photos on my

2 BagsFull

Instagram page...

this is one of my

 favorites,

taken a few days ago at the

historic Lexington Arboretum and Cemetery

 the Lexington Cemetery

is a spectacular showcase of

blooms in early Spring...

this is one of my favorite places

to visit in the Spring,

I could spend hours driving and walking

around taking photos of the trees

there...

the blooms from the 

Weeping Cherry trees

fall all the way to the water's edge

at the ponds there...

the beautiful colors

only last a few days though,

so I rush to get there right after the trees

begin to bloom..

this photo,

(also posted on my Instagram page,)

was taken last week at the 

Museum of Appalachia

in Clinton, TN

we love this beautiful place...

while traveling south 

a few days ago,

we stopped here for lunch

and I snapped a few photos...

Isn't this just the most perfect

little "fixer upper" ever!!

my newest friend

at the Museum of Appalachia...

(also edited and posted on my Instagram account)

(If you have an IG account-- I would love

for you to join me there...)

 

 

 and of course...

the most sure sign of Spring--

 

 there is already lots of nest building

going on outside in our yard... 

(and inside my craft room too!)

 

Notes from me...

I was so in hopes that Spring was finally here!  Have organized my shoes making my cutesy little sandals front and center, put away my winter coats,and then.... this morning I drove to work in an ALL out snowstorm!! My 30 minute commute took over an hour. Then-- about 3 hours later, the sun came out and melted off all of the snow. Geez!! I'm telling myself that this was the last little bit of winter blowing it's way out!

 

I'm taking a few weeks to create my next blog post -- I will be back then with a wonderful charitable opportunity for you all and... of course a giveaway to coincide with this amazing new way for you to share your love...

xoxo,

Vicki 

 

Season Opener

Spring came early this year - and with it a palette of colors in hues so magnificent that we all just seem to stand in amazement and stare.  Almost a full three weeks earlier than the usual arrival of spring in "these parts" - without a doubt - it has been the MOST beautiful season opener~~

 The Lexington Cemetery and Arboretum  was established in 1849 as a place of beauty and, in part, to deal with burials from the cholera epidemic that was prevalent at that time. 

 The Cemetery comprises 170 acres and is know for its spectacular display of flowering trees in the spring.  The arboretum is reputed to have some of the oldest and largest weeping cherry trees in the nation and is also home to the most concentrated plantings of burr oak trees in the world.  (the acorns from burr oak trees are almost golf ball size!)

 The Cemetery was full of visitors who were all there to enjoy the beautiful blooms.  Professional and amateur photographers were everywhere.  This lady was nice enough to allow me to photograph her beautiful afternoon sketches. (I regret that I did not ask her name - what was I thinking!!) 

 Such a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. 

 I'd love to have talent like this!

 We couldn't resist the opportunity to take some

 photos of our Grand daughter,Keri Beth 

amongst all this gorgeous color.

 Even the ground cover was a brilliant display

 of tiny little white blooms.

She was not sure about the "sitting on the ground thing!"

Our baby girl will turn 2 years old later this month.

It seems amazing to me that she can be growing up so quick!

She was fascinated by the flowering branches

 that hung to the ground. 

When  you are 2 years old -

the world is bright and new-

so many things to touch!
  

Keri Beth loves "quack-quacks".

We enjoy taking her to the beautiful lakes

at the Arboretum.

When you take Keri Beth to feed the ducks-

you need an endless supply of bread!

 She adores her Papaw

The Arboretum is huge!  Roads branch off here and there

and it is easy to get LOST!

(When we visit here I always use the "find my car" app on my iPhone!)

 

By the lake, the tulip trees were dropping their leaves.
Another baby photo-op~

Forsythia bushes in brilliant shades of yellow.

She found a turtle~

 The Breath of Spring. . . 

(John McLeod)
 
The breath of Spring
Lifting on wings that feel
The pulse of Life
Hope that will bring
A sense of 'real'
After the shadowy, wintry days
Now gone....

The sun feels warm, I'm already mowing grass - (that crazy thing I LOVE to do)~~and I'm ready to open up the pool!  My nesting is finished!! So- coming up next is my little Celebration post - and a surprise for all of you (like you don't already know what it is!!)~

Love,

Vicki