Winter Walks

Winter was still holding on quite firmly to Juneau last month when the need struck us all at once that we simply couldn't be inside the barn for another minute. We needed to small fresh air and feel sunshine.

Unfortunately, there was no sunshine that day, though there was still plenty of fresh air, so off we went to take a walk and shake off some of the cobwebs of winter.
 If you can't tell, Quinn is charging the bridge with a sword. He brought it in case we met any bears, newly awakened from their dens (probably from his yelling and carrying-on, haha!). Mom and Laura went with us, along with Greta, who was by far the most excited at the prospect of a walk and a hop in the snow.

I stand corrected, there was some sun, though it's measly rays of light did not bring us warmth - that's what our shawls and coats were for. Oh well, we had a grand time walking along our favorite boardwalk out towards the beach, Greta getting quite miffed that we weren't walking fast enough for her (and growing even angrier when we put her on a leash!).

Quinn skipped rocks, Greta searched among the piles of seaweed for treasures and good smells, and Mom, Laura and I searched the calm waters for wildlife. We were rewarded not long after with the blow of a humpback whale, but sadly he never dove too deep, never revealing his tale (If you look closely in the picture below you can see his back, the small black spot in the water). 

I climbed up higher on a nearby cliff to try to get a better view of him, but he swam under and we didn't see him again. Quinn was able to get my picture though, high up among the rocks:

(The view from the rocks where I climbed.)

The sky started to grow darker with gray clouds of rain, so we reluctantly left our ocean view and headed back into the trees towards the safety of the car. After the long winter of white snow, the green of the trees in the muskeg was a happy sight to our eyes. Quinn had me go do a twirl in the snow, resulting in this silly picture below, laughing so hard I had almost fallen over!

I'm so happy all of this snow has melted with the spring rains. It will be so nice to see more green with the coming days of spring weather - who knows - maybe we'll get lucky and get some real sunshine. My fingers are crossed!

"The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land."

Psalm 95:5

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Signs of Spring

Now that the light is slowly creeping back into our lives I have started taking Greta on more and more walks in the morning before work and in the evening. Quinn had given me a lesson on how to properly use his telephoto camera lens and I have had a grand time trying to capture photos of the birds that are returning to Juneau to make homes for themselves.

The birds returning is a sure sign of Spring.

The flats where I usually take Greta on her walk are still brown and gray, waiting for the sun and rain to bring back their green coats of sea grass. The Canadian geese have not enjoyed Greta chasing them around and often give us a wide berth when we visit.

If Quinn and I are fortunate enough to get off near the same time from work, we will often go together down to the flats and watch Greta run around. Quinn is wearing the XtraTufs I got him for Valentine's Day, a much needed accessory for Juneau's rainy spring.

Rain boots come out of hiding from inside the closet, a sure sign that Spring rains are falling.

Doesn't Greta just look so silly with her tongue hanging out? Haha! We had a hard time getting her to look at the camera for this shot, the silly girl. 

Quinn and I took turns climbing the alder trees down on the flats. It might be hard to see in the photos, but small green buds were starting to form on the barren branches.

A sure sign of the coming of Spring, new leaves will sprout from the trees.

Low against the trees, skunk cabbage, with its huge bright green leaves, grows in the marshy ground. My mother would always look forward to the first glimpses of bright green through the trees: "Look Emily! the skunk cabbage is coming up!"

The first sign of skunk cabbage is a sign that Spring is not far away for all those that live in Juneau. 

Yes, Spring is on its way to us. So many little things showing us that it's not too far off...

...the hardest one to ignore though is this:

A sure sign of Spring is the muddy puppy you have after a short walk!

Yes, that is mud all over Greta's face. 

Yes, she will need a bath this evening. 

At least Spring is on its way!

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A Birthday Tea

I was taken quite off guard as Quinn sat me down in the barn kitchen and said "Your birthday is next weekend and like it or not I am throwing you a party."

Well. What can a girl say to that?
I love to throw parties, but a party for myself is rather difficult. I don't really like to be the center of attention (yes yes, I can hear my family laughing hysterically now...), at least, not all the time.

So it was settled. Quinn would invite the guests and plan the menu and I would decorate the house next door (for the barn is still just as small as ever and Mom and Dad would be gone, allowing us to use their larger dining room).

My birthday this year fell on Sunday, the 23rd, and it would be filled with church services and singing practice with our cousins, so it was decided that Saturday evening would much better suit our needs for the party. Quinn had decided upon a tea, and I couldn't agree more with the thoughts of cucumber sandwiches and sweet treats dancing around in my head!

I was able to get Saturday off from work, so we spent the afternoon making treats, setting the table, and arranging flowers to lend an air of Spring to the indoors. The dreamy result had me bursting with joy and excitement over our soon arriving guests and friends...

Brightly colored streamers (which had been Quinn's idea) hung from the rafters along side flowery hearts of paper and bunting. Flowers in mini bud vases lined the table with tea lights, and at each spot at the table an eclectic mix of china waited for a special guest to sit down. Oh, it was simply lovely to behold!

I used my favorite Brambly Hedge tea cup for the occasion, and vintage spoons were set at each place setting. As I went around and lit the candles moments before our guests would arrive, Quinn set out the cucumber sandwiches and sweets along with a big bowl of punch with lemon floating inside. We started up the record player with a selection of songs from my favorite musicals, and before we knew it the party was in full swing!

We had a fantastic time with our dear friends and family, there was singing and dancing and lots of laughter as the evening came to a close. But of course I could never forget the best part: blowing out the birthday candles on my most favorite dessert, pumpkin pie!

A poem from my Grandpa Jim,
given to me in my birthday card.

It seems to me you always choose
The prettiest dress, the nicest shoes.
Your smile and attitude both say
You can brighten up each day.
You light up the room, you light up the sky,
Your hubby is a lucky guy!

The party was wonderful and I felt so special as everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. I am richly blessed with friends and a husband who loves me, what a happy thought!

A poem from Abigail,
sent to me all the way from Montana.

Emily Zahasky loves gray days, picking flowers in fields array.
Upon her lap a corgi lays, faithfully plodding all the day.

Amidst a crowd she blazes wild, always dressed with excellent style.
All must stop and stare awhile, as she takes the world with a smile.

She may seem timid, she may seem shy, but within her heart a fire lies.
Always burning for her Savior nigh.

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Easter Memories

Matthew 28:6

"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said."

Easter has become my favorite holiday as I have grown older. What a remarkable thing, God, the Creator of the universe, sending His Son to die for my sins. What amazing love! Easter brings renewed hope into the world: Jesus lives within my heart!

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Blueberry Barn was looking very fine when Easter Sunday dawned bright and cheery. Easter eggs dyed and painted from years past hug on blueberry brush, freshly cut from the woods around the barn. The small pink flowers that bloomed were a much needed reminder that spring wasn't too far off.

Several years ago I had made these little stuffed rabbits to hang in our windows for the Easter season and it was nice to put them up again (for last Easter we were away visiting my family and never got to decorate the barn!). And yes, if you look rather closely you will see that we still had our Christmas lights up - and still do as of this writing - *sigh* it's been busy around here. 

Christmas decorations will probably always be my favorite way to spruce up the barn, but there's something so special about flowers, pastels, and eggs that make my heart sing and long for Spring. 

Outside the barn however was another story...everything was still rather brown and ugly looking after the heavy snowfalls of winter. In Melissa's garden crocuses bloomed in the sleepy flowerbeds. 

How wonderful to see some color and some bright green poking through!

After the joyful church services held at sunrise, we gathered with our family and set about the preparations for the evening. Of course there must be a splendid meal and such a meal would not be complete without some saffron buns! I had labored late into the night the day before to have them ready and as fresh as possible - and my! - they turned out simply adorable shaped as bunny rabbits!

The table for dinner was set with potted hyacinths that smelled divine and filled the whole room with their fragrance. Nearby, Laura and Melissa's egg tree stood, hiding a family of chocolate bunnies underneath its green branches. Laura had been hard at work all week painting eggs, everything from chicks and corgis to dragons and penguins! 

Abigail was still far away at school in Montana, and oh how we missed her so much! Laura and Dad were able to call her via Skype and we had a grand time talking with her over the computer. Xochie wasn't as excited to see her, but she was civil, which is all you can really hope for from an evil parrot.

After dinner and catching up with Abigail, Quinn and I headed outside into the sunset to hide eggs for everyone to find. While they ran around searching (we're very good at hiding eggs), I cut branches of pussy-willow to dry to be enjoyed all spring. And Quinn, well...he and Dad shot at each other with a bow, resulting in a gash across the nose for Dad (don't worry, he was fine, but he heard "I told you so" multiple times from the ladies of the household). 

 

Greta loved the Easter egg hunt, but she wasn't very happy when we decided she also needed to be hidden away somewhere. A hollow log was the perfect spot in our minds - though she didn't stick around for too long after we had gotten a picture of her. 

As the sun dipped below the mountains far to the west, the sky lit up with a rainbow of colors. I took many photos of the sunset that night, for it changed and became different and more beautiful with each passing moment. I simply couldn't pick just one, so here are three:

Inside the house Melissa lit candles as we got all snug on the couches and ate the ears off our chocolate bunnies. As the sky grew dark and we went home to our beds, we pondered upon the miracle that had occurred on this day over 2,000 years ago. Because of His sacrifice we are no longer slaves, we are children of the most high God! Amen!

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