Spring beauty in Nacogdoches, TX...

I was amazed at all the blossoming trees and shrubs in the Piney Woods area of east Texas, specimens I can only dream about in my northern garden. I convinced Jeff we needed to stop at the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden on the Nacogdoches Azalea Trail. Texas had a long cold winter this year so the gardens were just beginning to bloom but it still was an awesome place to visit for this spring seeker.

a Texas spring, cycling and Joe...

I'm back from our annual "Finding Spring" cycling trip and this year it almost didn't happen! On our first day out - I was amazed by roadsides filled with daffodils until...
my trike broke down near the small town of Grapeland, TX.
There we pulled into Joe's Automotive & Welding Shop where we found the friendliest people and the best SERVICE imaginable. In TX, most motorcycle shops are closed on Mondays and Joe spent hours on the phone and internet with us trying to find the part. The open shops as far away as Houston did not even stock it and told us it would be 3-5 days to even get it in. A long story made short - is that we finally found the part back home in MN at our small town motorcycle mechanic shop, had it overnighted to Joe's shop and 24 hours later I was back on the road.
But the actual repair isn't the real story here it is Joe & his family...if any of my readers are from east Texas pay attention to the phone number above. This is the mechanic shop for you - I watched as he stopped whatever he was doing to greet each and every individual that walked into the shop or office, I watched as he talked to his employees with humor and respect, I watched as he went above and beyond to help two MN bikers get back on the road as soon as possible, I watched as his family (the girls were on spring break)worked in the office and spent time with him all day - an amazing atmosphere to run a business in.
Thank you to Josie, Eldie, Joe & Aly, the Graves' family - it was fantastic meeting all of you! I tried to scan in Joe's business card but the scanner was testy - but he has a quote on it..."if your car won't go, call Joe"...I think he can add cycle to that :) East Texan's write that phone number down!

In the coming days I'll show you spring in Texas, but the best thing is that we left home with snow everywhere and came back 16 days later to find it gone!

busy...

like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower I have been busy around here but I promise to be back to more frequent blogging next week...logging on and seeing the number of followers decrease leads me to believe I'm boring you during these days of leaving winter behind and waiting for the lushness of spring...hang in there the birds will be migrating and the flowers will be blooming before we know it!

mosaic Monday..new life

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I showed the mosaics of a spring colt? This week I show you a new spring calf and not of the bovine variety :)Isn't he/she the cutest little thing?

steeple Sunday...

Crow River Lutheran Church, rural Belgrade, MN.This rural church has been added on several times over the years but on this side shot you can see the original building. I have been in this church for a wedding and it is beautiful inside as well.
I wish I had a year built for this church but since services were going on as we drove by, I did not take the time to go read their signs.
I'm hoping this week's church will be the last one surrounded by snow for awhile :)

Happy Birthday Scottie!

J & I are wishing a Happy Birthday to our wonderful (and favorite) son-in-law, Scottie today. Found out in looking at photos of you that Jayme is always in the picture - while that is very good, I think I need to make sure I get some of you alone in the coming year :) In honor of your birthday being on St. Patrick's day, we wish you an Irish blessing...
Happy Birthday - we love you!

mosaic Monday...

I'm sick of snow and mud so I am going to do some warm weather posts. This mosaic of a sunset over a lake just gives me such a peaceful relaxed feeling...

Sunday Steeples...

Today's steeples are once again from my archives...Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church in Hanley Falls, MN.
A tree interfered with most of my shots but at least it was a leafless one on a late October day. This one is worth showing because once again it is a twin steepler.

The sign out front said it was built in 1898 after the original was destroyed by fire.
Happy Sunday!

Outdoor Wednesday...fish tales

These are what are left of my goldfish, they been dormant in a tank in the garage all winter but are starting to become more active. I checked the water and it is still very cold so hopefully they will slow down and wait for April to be fed. Yes, I said "to be fed" - did you know that it is harmful for goldfish to eat if the water temp is below 50-55 degrees? They have been in this tank since I took them out of the pond in mid-November and I haven't fed them since around the first of November since the pond was pretty cold then already.
Today's view of the garden and pond makes it look like...
they will have to continue swimming circles in the garage for a while yet.
It has been in the upper 30's & low 40's for a week so the snowpack has really gone done - I would say a foot or more already. Today it is raining so that should speed things along as well so hopefully in a month the pond will be thawed out and running. Looking back at last year's photos the pond was cleaned out and the fish were in by April 18th and green was popping out all over - I can't wait!
I began this post with "this is what is left of my goldfish" - last year my goldfish population took a huge hit - first I was visited daily for a week by this guy in May...
and in June a family of these guys must have had their fill because by late summer we couldn't hardly spot any fish.
There are only 3 large fish left that were part of the 40+ I overwintered last year. All the others you see in the above photos are last year's offspring and 3 of the 5 fantails Nathan & Tammy gave me for Mother's Day.

I know I said I just couldn't wait for the snow to melt and the garden to look like this in April, but...
who am I kidding - this is what I really want after such a long winter!
I'm joining in with our hostess, Susan, A Southern Daydreamer, for Outdoor Wednesday again today. Please click HERE to see her 61st OW post along with the 80+ others participating.

steeple Sunday...

Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Richmond, MN.
I have seen this steeple many times on the skyline as we head up Hwy 23 so one day a few weeks ago we left the highway to check it out. It was quite beautiful with the clock faces on all four sides of the steeple.

garden decor...

I'd also rather see one in someone else's garden rather than mine :)

That said I do like to tuck fun little things in my garden - remember this thrift store gazebo that is in Pine Hollow?
Most of the objects in Pine Hollow are thrift store objects or homemade such as the red bridge at the bottom of this photo.
I never really liked the paint job on the gazebo and the red bridge was lacking something so last week I remodeled them as well as a birdhouse by covering them with stones.
The paint brushes are back out for this week's projects, a fairy house and a bird feeder.

Have a wonderful weekend!