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| Daffodils still blooming-- 4/3/20; They don't know there's a wicked Virus out there!!!! |
Dear Family and Friends, WELL---due to the COVID-19 CoronaVirus, our Spring so far has been quite different in many ways from previous years. YET---when it comes to our yard/flowers/plants, things are normal!!!! No matter what pain/suffering we go through as humans, the flowers still BLOOM in Spring. That is GOOD news!!!!
As I write this, I am experiencing a very different Easter Sunday from most years. There was no church services and no family dinners. However, George and I (although here alone at home) were fine today. We had our own Easter Devotions; we watched a service by Rev. Franklin Graham with music by Michael W. Smith; and I spent most of my day listening to Easter Hymns (courtesy of You Tube) as I re-lived many memories of days-gone-by.
I especially enjoyed my two favorite Easter Hymns/Videos: "Hail Thee Festival Day" and "Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today". I even shared one of these videos on Facebook on Easter Sunday. BUT--I also listened to more beautiful hymns/music. When my mother's favorite hymn ("In the Garden") started playing, I had to shed some tears just thinking about how much I miss her (and Dad)...
BUT--through all of this today, I know now that my Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, brings me so much HOPE... Even in this time of trouble in our country and world, I KNOW that I have Christ is with me and that all of us, through HOPE, will come out of this pain and hurt, and will be stronger and have a better future ahead for us... God Bless us all!!!
Here are some pictures of our April so far!!!!! Hope you enjoy them!!!
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| A beautiful Pink Tulip in our yard, 4/3/20 (We are usually at Biltmore this week checking out the Tulips and Azaleas. Glad we have some to enjoy at home!) |
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We had some entertainment on 4/5/20 when this hawk visited and captured a little Blue Jay (see the feathers?) for his lunch... Poor BlueJay!!!! There were about 10+ Crows flying around the hawk, screeching at him--but this Hawk just ignored them!!!! Hawks are beautiful birds --but I hate seeing them having lunch in my backyard with my little birdies!
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| We have two beautiful Red Bud trees in our yard... This is a close-up of one of them, taken on 4/3/20. |
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| Our new Bird Kitchen, 4/5/20; We moved our feeders to the backyard since they have made such a mess on the deck --including some wood damage, thanks to the Woodpeckers!! |
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| More EXCITEMENT: We are getting some leaves on our big trees.... Yeah!!!!! (4/9/20) |
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| On a beautiful evening in the Glade, these little does are getting a little rest!!!!! (4/5/20) |
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| The Hosta is growing!!!! (4/9/20) |
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| Our Pink Dogwood tree is blooming and SO pretty!!! (4/9/20) |
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More April Excitement: Another Hawk (or maybe the same one as before????) came to visit on 4/11/20 --but this time he didn't find any lunch (thank goodness)... This time, the crows were successful in running him off!!!!!! I have been trying to find out what kind of Hawk this is --but so far, I haven't found any Hawk-Experts who will tell me!!! We usually have Cooper's Hawks around here --but this doesn't look like a Cooper's. ?????
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| Our FIRST IRIS, named BLATANT (of many to come) bloomed on 4/9/20. I love these colors, don't you? |
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The DECK LILIES are looking good so far this year (4/10/20)!!!! Many of you remember a year ago when we brought all of our Lilies to the deck, put them in containers --so that we could keep the deer from eating them... It is working so far again this year!!!! Yeah!!!!
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| Pretty Pink AZALEAS in bloom in our backyard (4/10/20) |
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UH OH.... As happens in Tennessee the first week or two in April almost EVERY year, we had a Freeze Warning issued to us (4/10/20)... We covered the Lilies 'just in case' ---and luckily, the next morning when we got up, we realized that we had been spared--as of now... There's another possibility coming this Wed. --so we'll probably cover them again JUST in CASE!!!!! 'Tis life here on the Cumberland Plateau!!!!
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| Our Beautiful Front Yard with the Pink Dogwood showing off for us!!! (4/9/20) |
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| This last picture is a close-up of one of our Pink Dogwood Blooms (4/9/10). I put this picture on Facebook today (Easter Sunday) wishing all of my family and friends a Happy Easter... |
April is usually a 'travel' month for us whether they are long trips or just day trips... April in the Smokies is a gorgeous month---new spring growth and flowers, little bear cubs running around, and fewer people around (between the March Spring breaks and Summer rush). I will never take all of this for granted again!
I'll close with a question for you today: "What have you MISSED the MOST during this Quarantine time?" You will probably think that I would say that I miss our travels the most... WELL--that is a close second ---but most of all I miss my FAMILY. I cannot wait to see them again, hug them --and tell them all how much I love them and have missed them!!!!
Have a great week, and search for that HOPE for all of us. Hope is all around us --if we just LOOK.... It's in the flowers, the sky, the sunrises/sunsets, and even while watching the little birds making nests and feeding their young.... God's blessings on YOU.
Hugs,
