Take not for granted our precious, clean water. It is a privilege and gift!
~
“People ask: Why should I care about the ocean?
Because the ocean is the cornerstone
of earth’s life support system,
it shapes climate and weather.
It holds most of life on earth; 97% of earth’s water is there.
It’s the blue heart of the planet —
we should take care of our heart.
It’s what makes life possible for us.
We still have a really good chance
to make things better than they are.
They won’t get better unless we take the action
and inspire others to do the same thing.
No one is without power.
Everybody has the capacity to do something.”
.
Sylvia A. Earle
~
~
“There is such solace in the mere sight of water.
It clothes us delicately in its blowing salt and scent,
gossamer items that medicate the poor soul”
.
Sebastian Barry
~
~
“What begins at the water shall end there,
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Just wanted to show why I’m still not posting any spring flower photos. As you can see, it’ll be a while yet.
After a mishap destroyed half my Witch-Alder shrub (Fothergilla major) in front of my porch, rather than throw the branches in the brush pile, I thought I’d try to force them into bloom.
A blizzard came through the Northeast today and amid white-out conditions, a flock of around forty pine siskins and American goldfinches fed all day at my two thistle feeders and one sunflower feeder. At the start of the day, the feeders were full of seed and by end, two-thirds had been eaten by this hungry hoard. I wondered what they’d have done if this buffet wasn’t here?
At one point, there also were eight red-wing blackbirds checking out the action, along with a pair of cardinals, a few juncos and a lone mourning dove. Chickadees favored the sunflower food, while red-bellied and hairy woodpeckers visited the suet.
The temperature never got higher than 25F (-4C) and with winds gusting to 25 mph, the snow was often falling sideways, whipping around the house and making icy patterns on the windows.
Collected in October, these dried hydrangea (H. paniculata) look as fresh as the day I picked them. Arrange and forget, what can be easier? Eventually, they will lose their color and fade once humidity returns in late spring and early summer.
Dried pink roses, bits of orange peel, pine cones, balsam fir and bracken fern create a potpourri in a lacy, heirloom Dresden bowl that belonged to my late mother-in-law. The cloth runner was woven by my sister.
A large flock of migrating robins came through our yard today– at least several dozen, they were impossible to count over such a large area. Can you count sixteen in the photo? I’m always happy to see them, as it means spring really is just around the corner!
