Another Cold Night in Nod

Not quite a "month of Sundays," but it’s definitely been several moons since I've posted.

Sorry (or not, depending on point of view).

The "full pink moon" at the beginning of April lived up to her name.

(Technically, this was a few days prior to my last post but, close enough.}

As with most springs in Nod, Father Winter is not leaving without a battle, but the duel between Winter and Spring seems especially prolonged this year.  In some ways, the battle reminds me of that of a teenage daughter who is testing her limits with her father. 

Personally, however, I think Spring is the underdog in this squirmish.

The snow has mostly melted, replaced by rainy, soggy, days with only periodic fits and squalls of snow flurries.

And, of course, the snow on Rib Mountain remains. The annual "snowmelt" contest (guessing the date when the snow will finally melt on the mountain) is ongoing. Last year, the winning date was June 19th.

No, that date is not a typo and, no, Rib Mountain is not a proper mountain as most of the rest of you know mountains.

We had a few (i.e., maybe 2??) days mid-April during which the temperatures climbed to the 70's. But when that happens here, it means storms and tornadoes will follow because the warmth never lasts.

{Tornado storm clouds April 17, 2026}

So far in 2026, 26 tornadoes have touched down in Wisconsin, two of which have been in my "backyard" (i.e., within 15 miles or so from Nod).

The closest one touched down on April 17, 2026. It was an EF-3 tornado (with winds of 145 mph).  It stayed on the ground 17 minutes and covered a distance of 13.5 miles.

At least 75 homes were damaged or destroyed in the immediate area. (Later, official reports indicated 140 homes were damaged/destroyed in the township.)

Thankfully, no lives were lost.

While the duel is ongoing, we cheer Spring on.

This little Eastern Phoebe is an incredibly melodic cheerleader.

Despite the "greening," more nights than not come with a frost or freeze warning and that doesn't appear that it will change anytime particularly soon.

{Ice-covered leaves and branches on the crab apple tree}

Despite being known as a "Flower Moon," the most recent full moon (last week) was clothed in cold, moody-colored, clouds. 

Had I not known better, I could have sworn that it was the Wolf Moon.

 

{I was having some difficulty uploading this video, so fingers crossed it works. It is dark (because it WAS dark) so all you will likely see to click on is an arrow...and you will need to make sure your volume is turned up.}

It looks to be another cold night in Nod.

Meanwhile, Back in Nod...

It's a rainy, gloomy, day here in Nod with areal flood warnings posted...and extended.  But I am not complaining...we do need the rain and, while I have more outdoor work to do than I will ever accomplish, the rain gives me a guilt-less excuse.

I thought it would be a perfect time to squeeze in a post and then saw my half-hearted, half-started, post from last week.

So, I thought I would just trash the words and dump the photos...

A look around Nod, if you will.

This photo is a bit dated, obviously...last month's full "Flower Moon."

It was truly dazzling.

Like most full moon nights, I did not sleep well.

I gave up around 5:15 a.m., and the moon was just going down.

Guess it's a night owl like me.

The magnolia's fragrant blooms:

The flowering crabapple trees: 

{Pretty even at night...}

My very favorite:

The rabbits are, once again, more than plentiful...

...Wait...there are more....

(...and actually, 2 more out of range of the above photo.)

...of all colors and sizes....

{This guy looks like he needs a smoke... Hmmm, wonder what he was doing.}

{The fawn was still wobbly on this day...}

{Nothing special to most of you, I'm sure, but, around Nod, black squirrels are rarer than white deer...}

And because someone asked....

Should I Tell Them?

Nah, I don't think so.

But get the snowballs ready...

Little Joys

It's Mother's Day.  

I know everyone's circumstances are different.

Some are celebrating with, or celebrated by, their families.

Others are alone or grieving.

Yet for others it is just another Sunday.

Whatever your inner world view is at this point in time, I'm sharing some little joys of mine on this day.

Look close...a baby robin peeks out of its nest outside my kitchen window:

Not exactly a "joy," but they are pretty cute...and put an end to my trying to live trap the critters:

Magic in the night sky:

A gray thatcher singing his heart out:

The thatcher's song:

I wish for you a day of little joys.

Three Snows on the Robin's Tail

{Apologies for the amorphous nature of the photos...the blurs are made by falling snow.} 

 The old saying is that it will snow on the robin's tail three times before spring is sprung.  My mum, however, upped the number to 7 being that we live in Nod.

I can't tell you when the robins returned this spring (I wasn't paying attention) but, despite our mild winter, their little tails have been dumped on twice already that I know of.

Early this past Friday morning, we got about 5" of snow and this weekend we received another 11" or a bit more. 

I am grateful, though, that it wasn't the 21" Cathy from Acorn Hollow received.

Little blessings - I'll take 'em.

Regardless, it is a strange sensation to wake to the muffled stillness created by a heavy snowfall and have it pierced by the cacophony of a bobbin of robins descending on the berried trees.

I believe the robins from every corner of Nod visited our crabapple trees and bittersweet vines.

I am glad they have the berries and seeds to tide them over until Spring is brave enough to show her face again and melts this stuff.  

But I do wish I had a barn for them to sit in, poor things.

A Rose By Any Other Name....

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...."

...so said Juliet to Romeo, suggesting that it mattered not that his last name was Montague and he was from her family's rival house.

In other words, things are what they are, no matter what name you give them.  And no truer thing could ever be said about Woodrose floss from The Gentle Art:  It is what is no matter that it is called Woodrose...  No matter that one Woodrose is entirely different in tone and color from another Woodrose.  (Come to think of it, that is very true of families too....)

I love overdyed flosses for the variegation they have. I hate them for the same reason.  There is just too MUCH variation in the variegation.

I am still in that equivocal place of uncertainty as I have been for some time regarding my next "project," so thought I would once again "fill in" with a quick (ha!) stitch while I decide where I go next.  Besides, I needed a bunny fix.

So I started a little design called "imagine*dream*believe" by Artful Offerings.

It came kitted, but since I (relatively recently) organized my stitching and knew from my journal that I already had the Woodrose floss called for, I thought it wise to use what was started rather than start on a new skein.

After stitching several of the numbers in the pattern, I began have to have throwbacks to the mauve-y pinks and colonial/baby blues of the '80s.  

Not a good thing...so I went back and compared the Woodrose that I had and was using with the Woodrose that came in the kit.  Whoa....2 very different colors: the one I had a very pale pink, the kitted one a definite tangerine orange.

I was already not overly thrilled with the "baby blue" involved, but the pink threw me over the edge, and out it came.  Here you can see (at least a little...it was more dramatic in person) that 0, 1, and 2 are done in the "pink" Woodrose, while the 3 and 4 are done in the tangerine Woodrose:

I had actually already stitched through "5" before acknowledging I wasn't "thrilled," but happily frogged and re-stitched, grateful that I had not settled for the PINK Woodrose.

So grateful, in fact, that I stitched all the numbers AND the verbiage at the top of the design...only to become dissatisfied with the actual "variegation" (or, more precisely, the lack thereof) of the tangerine Woodrose.

(It's not easy being me....)

And, yes, I tempted fate a by going to the LNS: Most Woodroses they had were not only of the "orange" variety, but also more variegated...and less "in-your-face-plain-carrot-orange."

So....out it all came...

....and in went the perfect Woodrose (or maybe not....):

(The "8" and "9" still need to be redone....or maybe not.)

And then I saw it: I totally messed up the border.  The inner 5 vertical rows were supposed to be two rows light, 1 row dark, 2 rows light.  I did 2 rows dark, 1 row light, 2 rows dark.  

Seriously?

It was meant to mimic ticking - my version looks decidedly less like ticking, but I am not certain I have the wherewithal to actually redo it all.

  I think I am over that bunny thing.

I just may coax the Beast out of that dark closet.

Or maybe not.

In other news:  

I have spent the better part of the week at the vet.  This one had a blockage and we spent 6+ hours (and a great deal of money) at the emergency vet:

(Rajah Roo)

This one developed an upper respiratory infection from who-knows-where:

(Liza Bean)

And this one's chronic bronchitis (??) is back and his arthritis is worsening:

(SnowDog)

I have pills, liquid orals and injections...some need refrigeration, some are light sensitive.  I sure hope I keep all this straight.

Easter/spring decorating was sidelined.  I did not even put out my antique German bunny candy containers.  Little carrots and a lone needle felted bunny will be it it looks like.

Maybe next year.  Maybe not.

**********

As an unhappy side note, "Buddy" (from a few posts back about my technology issues) suffered an aneurysm and brain bleed.  They are thinking they will be taking him off life support soon.  😢  Prayers for him would be sincerely appreciated.  All sarcasm aside, he has a beautiful heart.