Project 365 at Catobear.com!

It feels like a storm is coming...the wind has really picked up and the air feels charged. It's 82 degrees tonight. Today was spent, at least quite a portion of it, petting tiny, frightened kittens and trying to get them to purr. I had success with two of them :)

The lilacs are also in bloom, as are my forget-me-nots. I've been working on digging out the mess in the side yard so I can expand the flower beds...it's going well, but it's a lot of work!

The crab is in full bloom, and it's beautiful this year.

Board meeting...Bille's last of her NINE years serving the organization. She is an incredible person with such a big heart. This cake is decorated with cats and dogs :)

I took a half day today. I put my hummingbird feeder up, but it looked lonely so I also put out a pot of pansies. Of course, there is a frost advisory again tonight so I will be going out shortly to cover everything.

At least it has been sunny and warm in the afternoons after these cold starts.

The crabapple is about half open.

Tonight for dinner I made pasta with sauteed ramps, fiddlehead ferns and mushrooms. It turned out okay...interesting, as I had never cooked the ramps or ferns before and they are only available for about two weeks early in the spring.

Tonight after work the board went for a tour of Alley Cat Angels' new building, and to watch the feeding of the feral colony (we got to watch from a distance, as the ferals are wary of anyone except Tracy, the feeder). This black cat was lovely, and looked bright and sassy.

Zoom-in shot of Tracy putting out the bowls. Only four came while we were there, but the colony has 16 cats in total. ACA does amazing work!

One of the flowering trees at the shelter. Lovely!

My chives returned.

I actually have some Michigan fiddleheads and ramps ordered...going to cook up a really spring-like meal when they come in later this week!

The crab apple is nearly ready to open. Today was sunny and warm, 64 degrees.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The dog violets are in bloom. My creeping phlox should be blooming tomorrow, and the crab apple isn't too far behind.

This is my little bird feeder nemesis. He's been launching himself off the tree, flying through the air and trying to cling on to the feeder. I've caught him up there a few times.

The astilbe is up...

The dog violets are within a few days...

The bleeding hearts are getting closer...

We had these two (very!) used fur coats donated. We can't use them, but are sending them to Binder Park Zoo (who knows what they will do with them)...we couldn't resist a fashion show first. This is Tabitha (left) and Alexis.

Warm today, in the mid-60s. Big thunderstorm last night, with maybe another one tonight.

Ridge came into my office today for a little, to eat his special canned food. He's such a good boy.

Happy Easter. Today was sunny and warm, in the upper 60s. All the spring flowers are in bloom...the forsythia...

the hyacinth...

and the wild violets.

The trees are starting to pop (see the tiny whirlygigs?).

We went to breakfast we Bob's folks and Cindy and Hassan. Lots of good conversation. Then we went and had more coffee, then to look at some supplies for when we eventually redo the bathroom, then on to Kellogg Forest for a very long walk.

We walked the outer loop, and it was just a perfect day. Look...the skunk cabbages are coming up!

Friday, April 30, 2010