Last week, when I wrote about spring approaching and looking forward to seeing that first robin, hearing frogs, or getting that first thunderstorm, I didn’t think it would be the next day that this would happen.
We literally had our first thunderstorm the very next day, and that same night, I saw a frog crossing the road as I went to pick Tyler up from work. I still haven’t heard the frogs yet because it’s still cooler, but it was nice to see one that came out of hibernation a little early. Then, the following day, a robin stood in our yard as I came home from the grocery store. It’s funny because that morning, as I walked out of the car to take Ty to school, I swore I heard a robin but couldn’t find it. I knew I wasn’t crazy!
(Well, I am. Just a different kind of crazy, haha.)
So, we talked about our family being kind of obsessed with the weather/radar app come thunderstorm season. My family calls Chris and I, Tom and Noreen Clark. If people want to know the weather, they ask us! Having a party on Saturday at 2 p.m. and want to know the weather? Just ask Tom! Want to know if it’s safe to hang clothes on the line outside on Tuesday? Ask Noreen! No joke, it’s totally a thing. Ty is into it, too, but not as hardcore as mini-Noreen. Kenzy is absolutely hysterical when it comes to thunderstorms and the radar app.
When she got her very first tablet, the first thing she asked Daddy to put on it was the radar app. What six-year-old do you know with a radar app!? If the sky gets just a little black, she will ask to see our phones to check out the radar. Once she knows a storm is on its way, she will check in on this storm using our phones or her tablet to see the position of this storm and if we are a direct hit. Kenz will then sit on our front porch like a little old lady just waiting for it to arrive once the black clouds start rolling into the holler. She’s all about a good storm. The bigger, the better! Last week, when I went to get Ty from work, I got an image text on my phone from my hubby. When I looked at it, it was a black-filled photo with teeny, little yellow bright squares at the bottom. I texted back, “What am I looking at here?”
The response: “Our first thunderstorm.”
I hadn’t even known it was thundering as the music played loud in the car, and my happy butt was just singing away, entertaining myself on the way to pick up Ty. Who doesn’t love to hear themselves sing!? I mean, come on now!
Anywho, so Ty and I pull up in the driveway, and Tyler says, “Mom, what is on the rocking chair? It looks like your blanket?” Once we got up close to the house and the lights from the car hit, Kenzy Mae sat wrapped in my blanket, alone in the dark, watching this thunderstorm. I get out of the car and ask what she is up to.
She responds with, “Watching the first storm of the season!”
I asked, “Are you the one that texted me!?”
“Yes, I was!” she said.
Chris and I were cracking up when I showed him the photo she sent me. She kept trying to capture the lighting, but it was such a weak storm that the lightning wasn’t showing. All I could see was black and those little yellow squares that were distant house windows. The storm wouldn’t amount to much, but she sat in her glory out there, just listening to the thunder and watching the distant lighting. So, as you can imagine, we are ready for thunderstorm season.
I’m also ready for gardening season!
Oh, my goodness, last year was the very first time I planted anything, and it was from seeds. Cucumbers, peppers, zinnias, and wildflowers. I started them all indoors. Once I replanted them outside when the weather finally broke, I put the peppers and cukes in a lifted garden box and planted all my flowers out by my fence. Everything was going well, and I was so proud of myself. I watered them and gave them food when needed. I took that job very seriously. Even on long weekends at the river, I would come home to water my gardens if it was hot. Long story short, I had one pepper and two cukes. My other cucumbers just didn’t seem to want to grow! I had tons, but they just stayed the size of my finger.
But my zinnias?? Oh, my goodness, my zinnias! The ones I grew from seeds, my babies. They were absolutely beautiful! I made the prettiest bouquets out of them all summer long and clear into fall. They were stunning! My wildflowers also did decent, but the zinnias were so bright and vibrant. I kept up with cutting them so new ones would grow. I am so excited to expand my flower garden this year and try for cukes and peppers again. Except this time, I am just going to buy the darn plant instead of growing veggies from seeds. I’ll have to keep you posted on how it goes. Any gardening tips would be appreciated! I ordered special seeds from Long Lane Farm this year. Crichton honey dahlia and purple waterlily dahlias! Then I ordered 1,000 + seeds of crazy blend zinnias on Amazon! 7.99. Can’t beat that price. Absolutely GORGEOUS colors!!
I cannot wait to start planting this spring! Who’s with me?
Instead of a recipe this week, I will include a photo of some of my bouquets from last year, and maybe it will give some of you the itch to plant a few of your own this year!
I hope these brighten your day.
Top Left: A sweet bouquet I made to enjoy in our camper.
Top Right: Three simple, elegant bouquets. One sat on the top of our toilet tank. Prettiest toilet tank on this side of Lycoming County baby!
Bottom Left: My very last bouquet I got clear into October! Yes, that’s my very adorable dog Bear in the background.
Bottom Right: The very first bouquet I picked in July.
