Monday, April 4, 2011

The First Flowers of Spring (and Chicks and Rabbits)

 Violets taste as good as they look!

 Greetings, dear friends!

We have been enchanted by our first spring in Missouri, with Magnolia, cherry, apricot, and pear trees all abloom.


Pink and White Perfection!




Not to mention the yellows of forsythia, dandelions, and daffodils!



Mr. Graham surprised us with a dozen chicks last weekend; We found a tick on Tasha and decided we needed tick control!


And we have been finding rabbits everywhere, both pretend and real~
 
 This wild rabbit was resting comfortably in the Grandparents Graham's back yard~


(Don't mind the yam in the background, hee hee!)


Our little peas and greens are coming up, and we have a few herbs to make a potted garden (we really miss our herb garden in Idaho!)~



We feel so blessed by your friendship, and visiting with you makes the world seem a little cozier, somehow! You all are so creative and talented, and give so much love to your families. May you be blessed with strength and peace to continue on as you do.

Love,

Marqueta

**************************
A Prayer in Spring  
by Robert Frost
OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

15 comments:

  1. Oooooo Baby Chicks!!! Wow a whole dozen!! Hee.. you will have your hands full for a while!!
    The only (first) flowers I have seen are the snow drops, but I think that the crocuses are in bloom around here.
    I bought a little wooden bunny at the thrift store today, but an "around the house" Bunny hunt sounds like a perfect idea >;-)
    Blessings Hugs and lots of love, Linnie

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  2. How cute ~ Becky eating violets! Have you ever made violet jelly? I read about that on a blog a year or two ago. I had never heard of it before, but the pictures she showed were beautiful ~ just like jewels!
    We are still awaiting Spring here in WA! I don't usually complain about the rain, haven't minded it much, but this year I am feeling like I better start building an ark!
    The Magnolia tree is delighful! as I'm sure the cherry, apricot and pear trees are! Ahhh! Makes one think of the White Way of Delight from Anne of Green Gables. (Am I remembering the name correctly?)
    My forsythia didn't survive a transplant, haven't had any dandelions yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying all of the daffy-down-dillies blooming en masse here at our little farm!
    I just love having baby chicks around! They are such beneficial creatures, for sure! And I especially love the Orphingtons. They have the sweetest dispositions and personalities! I remember you had some back in Idaho.
    I guess it is time for me to do a little Easter decorating, too. I don't have many rabbits, but I do have some sweet Easter chicks that will have to do!
    I just got some of my vegies started in the greenhouse, but (shame on me!) haven't gotten my peas or sweet peas in the ground yet! It has just been soo wet I would only make mud instead of furrows for the seeds. I will have to try again in a day or so if the rain will stop for a minute! I am hoping to remember this year, to try the little curly tendrils of my snap peas in salads. I think they will look so cute and add a fun little crunch!
    Have a Blessed week, my friend!

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  3. Yikes! Sorry that was so loooong!
    :~O

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  4. How wonderfully pretty your new neighbourhood looks Marqueta, and everone looks so contented. I can see you are going to have a beautiful Easter together (bunnies and chicks included). Eli x

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  5. What a beautiful poem and lovely to see new seedlings growing and sweet little chicks. We thought about buying some eggs and hatching them in an incubator. We are down to two laying hens having lost four over the winter from natural causes and sadly a couple to Mr Fox despite the electric fence! It's country life but it's not always nice. Have a lovely week and hope that you ar ehaving warm sunshine, it is pouring down here today...again! Dev x

    p.s. am having another little giveaway if you are interested.

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  6. Love the rabbits and chicks. We have baby ducks coming next week and poults(turkeys) coming the week after that.

    Ash and I found our first dandalion in our yard here in the front pasture. So we transplanted it to the front flower bed next to the plantain. It looks very happy and has buds on it. I will be saving the seeds to start new ones.

    What kind of chicks are they?

    Love,

    Erika

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  7. A very sweet post as always...I always leave at peace when I visit your little cottage...blessings to all...Shelley

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  8. Hola mi querida amiga!

    La unica manera the deshacerse de pulgas y garrapatas es con las gallinas :)

    Perfecta solucion!

    Espero que Nuestro Salvador los mantega sanos durante esta temporada, la primavera es linda pero es el comienco de los animalitos.

    Estoy en otra local, espero me visites cuando tengas tiempo.

    Con mucho amor,

    Mrs. M.

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  9. Love the photos and the poem.

    Now--as to the chickens. Since you love to read older books, I recommend THE EGG AND I, by Betty MacDonald. It is the story of how she and her husband ran a chicken farm in the 20s(?). It is hilarious.

    Our forsythia has already bloomed and gone to green. Anyone know how to root cuttings for this bush?

    You have the CUTEST KIDS!

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  10. Isn't spring wonderful? We followed the rabbit tracks in our back yard and discovered they live under the raspberry bushes. That's where I'd live if I were a rabbit! Glad you are able to keep chickens once again!

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  11. What a sweet post and pictures Happy Spring my friend ~I am hoping to get some chickens soon as well!! :) I just have to get brave and do it and then of course I need Noah to build me a coop~!! Enjoy your new chickens and all those beautiful blooms Love Heather

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  12. I love you. I still remember when I first discovered your blog. It was such a depressing night, because I was looking for someone online, but really not finding her. When I found your blog, it was such a relief. If nothing more, you gave me hope that there is someone out there, who can provide me with help the help I need (and I need it - and her!) Thank you, and - again - I love you. By the way, I was utterly astounded all over again by that picture of Tasha!

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  14. Dear Marqueta and Children,

    Can't wait for violets, Magnolia, dandelions, and daffodils as pretty and colourful as the blooms in your photographs! The chicks and rabbits look so springlike, too!

    Your friends,
    Diane and daughter Sarah at the Corgyncombe Courant

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  15. Happy Spring to you! How wonderful to have chicks! I recognize watercolour pencils (my favourite!)

    Love,
    Emily

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