A Walk-About

Last week's snow has melted, bringing promise of spring, yet we know that more winter is surely to come. None the less, yesterday was as beautiful a day as one could hope for in February. Today more of the same. We are anxious; we itch to get out in the sunshine and get our hands back into the cool soil. Not so fast. Here the ground is still frozen, but even in February things are starting to wake up.

The Head Gardener had an all day meeting in the Big City (Denver) yesterday, so I puttered in the craft room finishing up the valentines for the grandchildren and trying to get an invitation for an afternoon tea that my friend and I are planning for our friends at the University. They need a break and we need a project. I decided to get some fresh air.

If you follow two delightful bloggers in England, you will enjoy the long country walks in the English country side that they share on their blogs.

Both ladies write beautiful blogs about their life in England: Elaine @Rosebank Ramblings and Lyn @Everyday Life. As a nerd for England, desperately wanting to visit there again, I do enjoy both of these blogs among my others who life in the UK. While these ladies tromp through ancient woods where fairies not doubt hide, watch from behind fallen leaves or explore ancient ruins, I must daydream as I walk the city sidewalks of our tiny town on the plains of Northern Colorado. Join me.

This time of year the corn fields are still stubble, soon the farmers will be out in force in their giant monster tractors plowing and the fields will turn rich brown, fresh and clean for planting to begin.

I walk the long country road WCR 35, heading south. I use the sidewalk until I get to then end of the side walk way down there by the sump pond and across the road from the sewage plant. (Where trolls probably hang out). About where the last orange sign warns about utility construction just over the little hill in the road.

The sidewalk ends, signaling the end of city life. On the return walk, I walk into the neighborhood across the road from us, quiet little subdivision with new houses still being built. I know a few neighbors and wave to most.

Blue skies dotted with free floating clouds--the benign kind that don't threaten bad weather. The Rocky Mountain majestic in the west. 

In between the houses, another view of the cornfields with cattle grazing, making use of the corn stubble. I like to see the black cows dot the landscape. Don't these folks have the perfect view? 

On the corner in a little park dedicated to him, Doc Thompson waves as I leave the neighborhood. The doc was the town osteopath for as long as I can remember. Active in all community affairs, his loss left a major void in our little community. We'd see him riding his bike around town to get from his office home and to the post office. Now immortalized in sculpture, he keeps century over the little community. Across the street another foundation for a new home is in works. Behind, the high school gym.

Across the road, the Garden Spot waits for spring. The boys see me out on the street. I can read their minds as they station themselves by the gate to the pasture. I decide to let them out in the hayfield for the afternoon.

Some of your are sharing gorgeous spring flowers just beginning to emerge in your gardens. Here the chamomile and perennial weeds are showing their sorry faces.

So that was my walk-about yesterday. 

Today we will load up Boone and head to the gravel ponds over on the other side of the Interstate in Ft. Collins and get some more mile high sun and fresh air.

The valentines for the girls are done. I sent the boys theirs with grandpa yesterday. The girls will get a box of chocolates and a special heart that they can put on their wall, or crumple up, or whatever they will do with them. They will also get a crocheted flower that will attach to their hair bands. I have such fun crocheting these little flowers.

The cloth collages are finished to. They did turn out pretty good. If you have some not so good photographs, they can be rescued. I used iPhoto and Picasa to fade them, to make them look vintage. For the one the right of Lucy, I added a texture to it to make it look even more elusive. 

I printed the images straight on muslin, though there are probably better ways to transfer images to cloth that might not be so hard a printer. I used an old $40. HP printer that will do most of what I ask it to do with no complaints. Now my fancy HP officejet turns up it sprockets at vellum, cloth, card stock. 

Make sure to drop by Lavender Cottage where Judith hosts Mosaic Monday.

May your week be filled with hearts and love. Thanks so much visiting.