The Beauty of Spring

Today was a beautiful Spring day in the mid seventies degrees Fahrenheit. While grilling cheesburgers this evening, I took the following photos around home. It's a fun time. :)

 A beautiful red-flowering shrub

 A forsythia beginning to bloom

 A hyacinth in our flower bed

 Beautiful crocuses in our neighbor's flowerbed

 Another sign of spring - charcoal grilling has begun

 Smoking good burgers

Delicious charcoal-grilled cheeseburgers just about ready to be eaten :)

Signs of Spring around Home

This past Saturday, I decided to explore right around home for signs of Spring. Below are some of the items I found. Enjoy!

 Johnny Jump Ups blooming in our rose bed

 A couple of red blossoms with many more buds
on a shrub in the hedgerow

 Daffadils at the trunk of tree with a few buds

 A hyacinth with buds

 purple crocuses on our neighbor's property

 More crocuses on our neighbor's property

A row of daffadils in our hedgerow

A Day in Skippack, PA, with my Sister

This past Wednesday, my only sister and I spent a day in Skippack doing window shopping and enjoying the sights. Skippack is a town with many fascinating little shops and restaurants. It was a beautiful warm day great for walking from place to place. Below are a few of the sights we enjoyed. Some of the pictures are not quite the quality I like since I only took a snapshot camera with me that day. But they will give a flavor of the experience of the day.

A flying pig and other crafts

A scene in a doll shop

A scene in a clock shop with other miscellaneous items

Floral and Hardy

I love the artsy cows

A pottery shop where one can paint the pottery one purchases
A beautiful place that seeks to build community

A humorous sign on an old covered bridge

My sister standing next to an old trolly

Love the flamingoes

A window scene

I said we were going window shopping :)

Valentines

With Valentines Day not being too far pass, I thought I highlight some Valentines Day related activities and objects. It was a fun time blessing my Sweetheart and in the last photo remembering my Mom from the days before Alzheimers. So enjoy the photos below.

 My Sweetheart decorating sugar cutout cookies
that we had made together the Sunday before Valentine's Day

 A closer view of the yummy cookies
I iced them; my Sweetheart did the sprinkles

 A jigsaw puzzle my Sweetheart recently put together

 An African Violet for my Sweetheart

 And roses, too :)

This wall hanging was pieced together and quilted by my Mom
a number of years ago. A precious possession and memory.

A Little Snow - Lenape Park and Whitesmill Preservation Area

This past Friday night (February 10) into early Saturday morning we had a little bit of snow accumulating about an inch. But it was fast disappearing already when we got out to enjoy it. But below are a few pictures from Lenape Park near Perkasie, Bucks County, PA and Whitesmill Preservation Area in Salford Township, Montgomery County, PA.

Lenape Park

 Snow-covered branches

 Snow-covered leaves on the ground

 Crocuses

The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

Whitesmill Preservation Area

 A partial view of the lake

 A rhododendron with buds

 A cattail with some snow on it

 A view of hilly forest behind the lake

 My Sweetheart with the lake and cattails as background

A larger view of the lake

A Walk at Lenape Park - Signs of Spring and More

Tuesday, a week ago on January 31, my wife and I took a hike at Lenape Park in Perkasie, Bucks County, PA. It was a beautiful evening. Among other things we were surprised by some signs of Spring. They are included in the latter part of the sights highlighted below.

 A section of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
with some ducks in the foreground swimming towards the geese in the background

 More Ducks

 More geese

 A crested duck

 Crocus blooming

 A view from a different angle

 Daffadils six inches plus high

 A marsh marigold blooming

 A pair of mallards
I like the design in the water

A wildflower with buds and blossoms already gone to seed