Flora, Indoors & Out

My monstrous jasmine, grown from a tiny cutting taken at my parents' house quite a few years ago now, is at the peak of its annual bloom. The sunny, warm days caused the starry flowers to send their scent forth all over the inside of the Lodge. The Chap and I are constantly commenting on the fragrance. Nature's air freshener!

Meanwhile, outdoors in the garden, my snake's head fritillary is also peaking, quite a bit earlier than usual.

Yesterday I spotted the elusive phoebe--a pair of them--swooping over earth, snapping up flying insects.

Easter is a Season, not only a Day...

Therefore I can still wish blog visitors "Happy Easter!" It's legitimate to do so until Pentecost, May 27th.

It has been a long blogging hiatus. Some meetings, even at weekends. Cold spell. Busy Holy Week...on Maundy Thursday my church held a Seder and Eucharist.



Then Easter. More meetings in Easter Week (last week). Then a quick overnight trip to Massachusetts for a Friday-Saturday orientation session for a national/international church convention I'll attend this summer. (Remember when I went to Anaheim for 12 days in '09? Same event. Happens every 3 years.)

Yesterday after church we opened up the cottage...earliest time ever. It's now ready for human and not only rodent habitation. (The mice had a busy winter. No harm done, but they left evidence of their presence.) It was a warm and wonderful day on the Bay.



Today was even hotter. Not just warm--hot. Usually on this date we still have snow remnants in the shady spots round the Lodge. Snow is a very very distant memory now. The daffodils and hyacinths are fading fast, some of the roses and trees are well leafed-out.

Our thermometer hit 90 degrees this afternoon. Oh--I ought to point out, at that time of day the thermometer is in the shade. The radio reported that Concord reached 92 degrees. Not fun. Especially as it's so dry...seven brush fires around the state yesterday.

My big forsythia is doing its thing--earlier than usual.



The weather will soon moderate, become more seasonally normal, in the 60's and 50's 40's or even 30's at night. Of course, this means that I will have to delay my official cottage move-in. I thought it would happen this weekend, now I'm not so sure. I have a meeting on Friday, a political dessert party Friday night, and an all-day Lay Leadership training on Saturday. After Sunday it will be cold and wet. Taking a "wait and see" attitude, but after all the hard work we put in yesterday I can't help being impatient!

All day long I've heard a phoebe chirping near the house. It's really close. Yet I haven't spotted it once. So frustrating! And I haven't seen a single chipmunk since the morning of March 14--when I saw a single chipmunk. Yes, I'm the kind of person who keeps up with her chipmunks...and misses them when they're hiding.

April Fool's!

Really, it's not a joke--I'm posting to the blog!

The morning after we returned to NH, we woke to a dusting of snow. That would've been a good April Fool's joke, only it was real. During our absence, the Granite State was enjoying temperatures similar to what we experienced down South. I've had to pack away my shorts and t-shirts and summery skirts and tops. We're having "normal" seasonal temperatures now.

Another non-joke: Lake Winnipesaukee recorded its earliest ever ice-out at apparoximately 9.30 AM on March 23rd. (We were away.) The previous earliest was March 24 in 2010. Global warming, anyone? We are looking at the calendar and the long-range forecasts, working out how soon we will open the cottage on the Bay. I'm guessing it will set an "earliest ever" record.

A week ago tomorrow I was cruising around in my friend's convertible, an annual ritutal. We went to a British tea shop for lunch, we shopped (I bought 2 pair of sunglasses (including the one in the photo), 2 skirts, and some gifts.



Part of our cruising involved a visit to the church in which the Chap and I were married.



Fortunately the priest came along in time to take us inside.

The Rose Window. I spent lots of time gazing in it as a member of the choir.



The baptismal font and a favourite stained glass window.



The church has two Tiffany windows--a rare distinction, I believe only one other church can claim more than one.

This morning, Palm Sunday, I was in my local parish. It has nice windows, too!