Petunia rambles on and on….

On 04 March, I was out in the backyard looking at the trees, looking for signs of spring. Some of the trees were just bare sticks, but one was showing signs of budding. I took this picture, that right now is at the top of the sidebar, but that top pic frequently gets changed, so I’ll show it again here.

Then, a week later, I went back out with the camera and still buds, but much more of them. The tree was covered in them, and most all of them did seem a bit puffy-er, fuller, ready to pop.

The tree was covered with these buds, and I looked around, trying to get a suitable background for my pictures, and ones that didn’t look broken or dirty, or have one of last year’s leaves all crumpled and ugly still on the tree. And then I saw ONE bud open.

One bud had popped on the whole tree! Only one. And it’s a good sized tree.

And today, I was out there again, with a different camera!

Today’s results! This beauty won’t last long – oh, the leaves will be nice, and I’ll enjoy the shade, but this spring beauty doesn’t last long.

And I also got these pink ones on some trees off the road that comes off the highway and goes back around the track (Dover Downs).  I liked this shot showing both full flowers and buds in various stages of growth.

And I have pictures of a trip up to Bombay Hook the other day, and I also brought home a tick. Didn’t realize I had such a “close friend” for 2 days. Yuck.

I need someone to watch over me when I’m out, and someone who can assist me with my “control issues” or lack thereof. Although I am a capable driver (not a ticket in all the years I’ve been behind the wheel yet) and am not likely to wander off and get lost since GPS was invented, I still need to be accompanied by a responsible person when I am out.

I have enough stuff in my kitchen to supply two more. I have damn near every kitchen implement ever invented, including an ulu. I have tools that I don’t have the appropriate level of skill to use – don’t get me started about pie crust. I have bought every great pie-crust making tool, gadget, handy idea and recipe there is, and watched my mother demonstrate and turn out perfect pie crust right in front of me for 50 years. She even had the audacity to still make perfect pie crust right in front of me when she was blind. I did not get the pie-crust gene, and we just don’t go there anymore. I make my own breads, I make my own pasta, from scratch, without a bowl, by hand. My kitchen is overloaded with STUFF.

After one of our moves, when the 19th box of kitchen stuff was carried in, it got to be a bit of a family joke. For years afterward, whenever something was misplaced and a search for it was on, someone else would yell out, “It’s in a box marked ‘Kitchen’,” which essentially said, “Give it up, you ain’t never gonna see it again!”

So yesterday, being out of oregano, and generally using it quite a bit here, husband and I decide to take a run out to Byler’s where we can get a good sized amount for way less than in the grocery store. Here’s where my lack of control started to raise it’s head. Byler’s causes my mind to lose control of my hands. Paul had a bit of problem in the meat department, and came out with Braunschweiger and Scrapple. Ok, that’s reasonable. But me, I went to the right, into the kitchen stuff and craft stuff and household goods stuff – and I had enough STUFF already.

And I found these cute little kitchen utensils – all of which I already have, countless numbers of each. In RED and white.  RED. I love RED. And cute – did I mention that?

These are tiny – that’s a PINT jar they’re in!! I did not need ANY of these items! I do need the counter space they’ll take up! Heh!

And I bought an apple corer, too. Never had one of those.

It’s the middle of March, I think. I’m not sure. This “winter” has me very confused, as does much at this point in my life.

I went for a walk the other day, because it was so very nice outside (???) and ‘cause my attempts at dieting went up in flames when Paul bought those 4 packages of Oreos with chocolate filling and then went to work. I had lost a good amount and was pleased with myself, was walking and biking on a regular basis. It was working. He stopped going with me, I stopped going at all, and the pounds found their way back home. Damn.

So, I was out walking. And you know where I head.

Always find something to take a picture of. Every time. (and I know I should straighten that shot)

Trees up there are starting to bloom – not just bud but actual blooms have been there for a week or more. Uh, it’s March.

Love the pink coloring. The spring flowers of all kinds.

What a nice day – and there were other neat things around there.

First race is first weekend in June, I think.

I don’t know what sort of tree this is but aren’t these buds interesting-looking?

Hell of a zoom lens I’ve got, cause, trust me, I wasn’t climbing that high up into the tree!!