Positively SPRING

 by Mauverneen

Yes, it's Spring! The weather is spring-like, the sun is shining, the snow is gone. At least, in my neck of the woods. 

I was going through some photos on my pc, looking for something or other, and came across a picture I took of my backyard. I must have taken it last spring. I can't believe how absolutely green everything was! I'm sharing it here to show as a contrast and to give us all some hope. It may get chilly again, it may even snow yet, but the promise of spring and summer is here. 

This past year, with covid and lockdowns and sheltering in place, has been hard on us all. I suppose bad weather helped, you couldn't go anywhere anyway. But now, I drive by a park and the number of people out walking is incredible. I see green popping up in gardens in the form of early blooms pulling themselves up to meet the sun and pretty soon they will be blooming. Tiny buds are on some of the trees and they too will soon be bursting with green and pink and white. Spring is wonderful! And so is hope, and expectation, and promise. 

Have a POSITIVELY wonderful week!

Remember this? Just a couple of weeks ago!

Today. All bare and dreary...

What we look forward to - Get Ready! 

As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.

However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!

Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com

See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html

and visit my website:  mauveonthemove.com

Positively Leprechauns!

 by Mauverneen

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. What better time for a little Leprechaun fun. Did you know Ireland has a National Leprechaun Museum? In Dublin. I couldn't visit Ireland without seeing that! Right? 

There was a nice, friendly group that I entered with, and the guide was fun; telling stories and encouraging us to participate in the inter-active aspects of the museum tour.  We assembled in a room filled with displays on leprechauns and their influence on literature, movies, folk lore, etc. There was even a box of Lucky Charms on display! Remember those?

Traditional Leprechaun attire

We entered a room where we became leprechaun size...All the furniture was oh-so-big. and everyone enjoyed climbing on it

. 

There were other scenes and plenty of stories, and of course, the pot of gold awaited anyone who could actually get hold of it. The museum and the contents are designed for fun - children would love it!

 Of course the museum wasn't the only place in Ireland where there were signs of the wee folk. 

And I did see a rainbow, which if I'd have had time to follow, might have led me to that Pot 'O Gold! I think whoever lives in that house must be pretty lucky!

Positively MARCHing

 by Mauverneen

"March - in like a lion, out like a lamb."

March dawned yesterday, very sunny and still - not like the usual March winds we have been known to wake up to. I'm not sure what that means for the rest of the month, but I'll take it! It was so nice after a cold and snowy, rather nasty February, to have a sunny morning.  But that old saying made me wonder if there were others sayings about the month of March. Of course there are.

                                    "So many mists in March you see / So many frosts in May will be."                                                                            "As it rains in March, so it rains in June."

I'll have to keep an eye on those two predictions - keep track of the fog and rain this month and see if what the olde tyme folks had to say about May and June are true. Of course, from March sayings I got to thinking about other weather related lore. I remember my grandfather telling me that a ring around the moon meant rain was coming. And it usually does within 48 hours. And if the raindrops are large, the shower will be short. If the raindrops are small, well, you'd better have your umbrella. I couldn't find any poetry to back up the size of the raindrops, but there's plenty of science out there to tell you why there are different size drops.  As for the ring around the moon...

"Ring around the moon? Rain real soon."

There are a couple of other sayings that are pretty common that some of you may have heard. You can keep track of these easy enough to see if they hold true.

“Rain before seven, clear before eleven.”

Red sky at night, Sailors delight.

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.

 Sometimes, the old ways, or the old wives tales, are not just fiction and pretty words but good advice. I'm sure some of you have heard that when the leaves of certain trees face upwards, it means rain is coming. Scientifically, the leaves of deciduous trees, like maples and poplars, do often turn upward before heavy rain. The leaves are actually reacting to the sudden increase in humidity that usually precedes a storm. So, yeah, you can predict rain by them. At least by some of them. So we can all be weather predictors, and lyrical ones at that.

When windows won't open and the salt clogs the shaker,

The weather will favour the umbrella maker!

. You can google more sayings for different months and different seasons, but with spring on our doorstep, that's what I'm concerned with. I want out of the house, I want to see grass, I want sunshine and flowers. I'm ready for a little rolling thunder and some large raindrops.

When dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.”

"When clouds appear like towers, the earth is refreshed by frequent showers."

As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.

However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!

Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com

See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html

and visit my website:  mauveonthemove.com

Positively Photographing Birds ( in Winter)

 by Mauverneen

I love watching my birds and I love photographing them. And in winter, it's a good pastime to help pass time. That said, I have to add - they are a challenge. They're quick. And unpredictable. And uncooperative. And infuriating. So often by the time I get my camera focused on them, they are gone. Lots of blurry shots. Delete, delete, delete. Digital was invented for times like these. So, I set my camera up on the tripod and pick a spot. 

I decide to focus on the feeder they have been swarming. They all decide to land on the branch and take a look first. Make sure it's safe. Ok. So I focus on the branch where about 50 of them have just taken turns sitting. They all decide to bypass the branch and go directly to the feeder. Ok, back to focusing on the branch. They all decide to bypass the branch and go directly...  

And so it goes. Somehow they know. Somehow, they know.

But I still love them so I will be back tomorrow, or later today, or just stay here for another hour and keep trying. They have issued the challenge.  

As I pour myself another cup of coffee I can see out the window. A bird. A beautiful bird. Sitting perfectly still right where my camera is focused. Of course.  But am I there, hand on the trigger? Of course not. I took 15 seconds to go pour myself some coffee.

Sometimes I get lucky. Luck, along with doses of patience and perseverance. And maybe a little sympathy on the part of the bird. After all, they know. I know that they know.

There is one species however that will sit and pose happily as long as there is seed available. The Gray Long-tailed Wannabe! 

As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.

However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!

Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com

See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html

and visit my website:  mauveonthemove.com

Positively February

 by Mauverneen

Happy February!

My backyard. Notice the birds on the table off the deck. 

 The shortest month of the year. That means just a little bit less winter. We just had our big snowfall of the year - about 9". Typical for a "big" winter storm in these parts. Some people had a lot more, but 9" is enough. Believe me. 

Locals may well remember this store. It's a sturdy yardstick!

My wonderful neighbor and his two young sons have been keeping my driveway cleared. It's about 90 feet long. Which means they do theirs and then they do mine. They are awesome neighbors. I had to say thank you somehow, so I baked them an apple pie. I hope they like apple pie.

February brings Valentine's Day - the 14th, and Mardi Gras - the 16th. I've had my Mardi Gras wreath on my door since I took took the Christmas one down. 

Mardi Gras! I love the colors! And the sparkle! 

I keep the birds fed - a little more seed in the feeders this time of year. It's so cold. And the feeders are swarmed with birds of all kinds. I have my camera set up in a window, hoping to take some good photos. I've taken a lot of photos. 

Well, there's still feed in the feeder, and I know I'm missing something so I will go pour my self another cup of coffee and stand watch at that window. Oh, and I have apple pie. You don't think I wouldn't make one for myself while I was at it do you? 

As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.
However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!
Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com
See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html
and visit my website:  mauveonthemove.com