You will remember that the day before yesterday we opened the Big Barn Doors so that our hawk could find his way out. Which he did. I have left them open. Yesterday was fine and clear and gentle with just a touch of spring was in the air. The sun streamed into the barn, drying out the corners. We got up to 40F and that was fine with me. The early touches of spring are more promising than pretty. But they are there.
Well maybe cats in the sun are pretty.
TonTon trying to climb a vertical ladder to get into the loft is borderline pretty but only from above.
Queenie loving her time in the sun with some grass but on a dog chain is not pretty but she is happy on the inside. Daisy was mooing with disgust, watching little Queenie being led out to the grass in the orchard but Daisy is much too big now, and you will remember her last day on the feed chain. 
Clothes on the line frozen solid because I forgot to bring them in last night was not pretty. And those guineas are never going to win a beauty contest, but never mind. 
This Fat Mama sheep who insists on getting fatter with no signs of being anything other than a Fat Mama is quite pretty but lambs would be prettier. She gave birth to her quads in April last year. I was hoping we could bring her confinement back to early March but maybe not. 
Garlic coming up is a bit pretty though.
Wild onions coming up, which means plant yours now Cecilia, but I forgot to sow them yet, is really not pretty. But it is green in my sleeping garden. I will sow the onions today!
This ugly little clump of chives battling up, knowing that there must be at least one more bout of bad weather to get through, before the real spring, is pretty though.. trust me this is PRETTY. The first thing I eat out of my garden is chives.
My trusty weather man tells me that we will be having a lovely day today too. And it is dawning a transparent navy outside my loft window. I really must bring the tripod up and take a shot of my loft window sunrise for you one day! It is 19F (-7) out there at the moment though. I wonder what today has in store for us!
Good Morning!
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
63 responses to “A tiny bit of spring is not always pretty”
Looks like a beautiful spring to me!
the promise of spring, right on time! february is when spring teases me! c
I’m slightly suspicious about what tricks Mother Nature has in store for us this spring. Maybe she’s switching the seasons, and plans for the real winter to march in next month.
Ronnie
I am with you on that one Ronnie, though it appears that the la nina weather influence (which trapped this warmer weather pattern down here) should taper off as the spring progresses. Bringing warmer weather to the Pacific, I am not sure what that means to us yet though.. a long hot summer? c
I think everything is pretty and I am looking forward to more prettiness in days to come.
Good Morning – have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy
I must zap over and see whether you have posted your garden shots yet, i am sure they are pretty! c
Found a rabbit’s nest over the weekend…they don’t build until they’re ready to deliver their babies, and this is the earliest I’ve ever seen one.
Perhaps it really *is* spring?
Have a great day, C!
Hmm, i could do with an early spring, that would be a bonus! I hope you are having a great day too! should be a goodie! c
Good morning Celi … and just the signs that spring is around the corner … well, with the occasional winter blast along the way.
yes i am sure old winter is not finished with us yet, though every lovely day is a gift!! Morning Frank!
Saturday so felt like spring here in Minnesota, too, although today is supposed to bring a mixed bag of precipitation. Anyway, weather aside, the lighting in these images is lovely. And you know I appreciate the laundry hung on the clothesline. Sometimes the air temp is so cold when I hang clothes that they freeze nearly instantly on the line.
I know the freezing thing is so funny, I am tempted to stand the frozen trousers all over the lawn and take a shot of walking pants!! c
I’m impatient for spring. The weather is certainly spring like at the moment, but I don’t trust it. The French have so many rather pessimistic sayings about planting before certain dates that I have been infected with a general mistrust of weather.
That could be biodynamic…
I love those old gardening wives tales, here they have some too -like, throwing your lettuce seed into the ground before the last snowfall but no-one knows when the last snow will be! morning roger.. c
I think the guinea fowl are gorgeous. I love the spots.
they do have beautiful feathers, but unfortunate expressions!! c
Maybe they’re just pouting a little because they’re oversensitive about having gotten so well-rounded after their svelter youth.
they do have a beautiful shape! c
Lovely signs of Spring. My afternoon yesterday in Oxford was very cold, but beautifully lit and it certainly felt like Spring is on its way here. A white blanket of frost this morning though… glad I didn’t leave my washing out 🙂
When it gets a wee bit warmer i will be hanging out another couple of loads! Morning Pseu.. c
Hooray for garlic and onions 😉
I agree! I use onions in just about everything and garlic in just about everything else. And I use a lot of garlic in my animals feed so already i can see that i did not plant enough.. (sigh).. and I need 365 onions in the ground each year, then the spring onions that i can’t do without either! Such excitement! Morning Mad! c
They go into almost everything I cook too, they are invaluable 😉
New shoots are always pretty and a sunrise shot from your loft would DEFINITELY be pretty!
Our weather’s back to wind and rain today – soooo not pretty!
Christine
Oh dear.. wind and rain, however the rain is always welcome in small doses.. c
I think it all looks beautiful and I love those first signs of spring. We´re a but further along than you, but then we just have a more temperate climate year round rather than the exciting extremes you have!
You should be picking things now, lettuce? maybe some of that delighful leafy brocolli..
Yes, lettuce right now and the broad beans are almost, almost there. Our onions and garlic are about a month or so off being ready (like you, we use loads so we´ve put plenty in) and we have chard, celery and artichokes right now. We´ll be putting in some early tomatoes, peppers etc and keeping our fingers crossed that we don´t get a cold snap!
We’ve had a few days now of tricksy spring, but the constant back and forth of warm and freezing is wreaking havoc with the bulbs and azaleas, which can’t decide what they are supposed to do. Some of it really is pretty, though. Love your sunning kitties and little shoots of green. Good morning!
I think we have a few of those ahead of us too, last i heard it said snow tomorrow, i have chosen to ignore the reports fo that!!
I love your snapshots of spring – pretty, indeed.
Love today’s pics, especially TonTon trying to use the ladder. Yesterday I noticed a few buds on a rose bush and I’m a little nervous about it. This happened several years ago and was followed by a cold snap that persisted. I ended up losing several rose bushes that Spring. Let’s hope this year brings different results.
Maybe you could install a lift for TonTon? 🙂
Oh dear, if it looks like getting too cold put a blanket or heavy towel over your rose bush at night! c