Early Spring

Each spring seems to come a little bit earlier, but the best part is the blooms.

The house way in the back is ours. As you can see, I live in the middle of an almond orchard.

Thursday's thirteen: Signs of Spring

It's spring here in California, but I know there's places where it's still snowing. If you're tired of the winter weather, here's thirteen signs of Spring to cheer you up.

1. Daffodils
2. Blooming trees
3. Crocus 
4. Tulips
5. New spring leaves
6. Warmer weather
7. Return of song birds
8. Birds building nests
9. The grass needing to be mowed
10. Time to weed the garden
11. Spring forward time change
12. Pool parties
13. Spring Cleaning

The Earth Laughs
a poem
by Janice

Roots waken in the gloom,
reach and stretch for more room,
looking for nutrients to consume.
Tickled the Earth laughs to the moon.

Blossoms open sending out their sweet scent.
Bees buzz sweet talk the flowers with an accent.
To pollinate all the trees is the farmers intent.
And the Earth laughs content.

Robins and sparrows chirp and sing.
Killdeers drag a pretend broken wings.
Mocking birds sing everything.
The Earth laughs at these things.

Daffodils show their sunny faces,
Crocus, Tulips, and Hyacinths appear in some places.
Yellow, lavender, scarlet, and blue many a garden graces.
The Earth laughs delighted in those places.

Leaves unfurl to the fullest percent.
Children climb trees and hopefully without accident.
Bouquet of flowers are gathered for moms' a present.
And the Earth laughs to the fullest extent

Day Trip'n with Lady Jan #2

Here we are at Pea Ridge Cemetery,

that is located right across the road from the stone fence that was next to the road.

This Cemetery is a pioneer cemetery, and buried here are some of the first people that settled this area (not counting the native Americans of course).

These first three tomb stones are from the Orme family.

This one you can hardly read anymore it is so badly warn, and it shows the importance of choosing the right head stone. So let that be a lesson to you people out there--if you die choose carefully your head stone material.

This nice white marble has really weathered the test of time.

This one is interesting, it has not only the date and time and name of the decedent, but it has a warning too.

Remember man (man?) while passing where you are now so once was I.

And where I am now soon you will be.

Dispare of death and follow on.

It wasn't all death and despair, there were wild flowers too!

Yellow ones.

Purple ones.

Did I say purple already?

And of course the white ones that grace the meadows eariler.

Day Trip'in with Lady Jan #1

I'm driving down Historic Ben Hur Road and I made my husband take this picture for me. This road is located North from my home town of Madera, and above Hensly lake, and just past the small town of Raymond (CA). Then hang a left and keep on driving then the road will make a sharp right hand turn, and then it's 'Ta Da' Ben Hur Road.

The grass was still green, and as we drove we saw meadow after meadow that was covered by mostly white flowers that made the meadows look like they were touch by snow. And there where also yellow, and blue and some purple flowers as well. It made the drive that much more enjoyable.

This is the gorge on Ben Hur Road.

My daughter finally inherited my fear of heights, and took one look at this gorge (which by the way looks and is a lot deeper in person), and my daughter said "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

This is the stone fence on Ben Hur Road.

Just after the rail road that crossed the US from East to West (our side) over a hundred years ago was finished the Chinese workers that build our end of the rail road were then unemployed. The Chinese soon went into the gold country many looked for work or to pan gold. And a local farmer hired the Chinese workers to build this fence. The Chinese workers got .50 cents a day for a five foot section of fence. If the worker was unable to finish his five foot section of fence he didn't get paid.

Me, my daughter Sarah, and Arma my daughter's foreign exchange student friend from Indonesia that came with us on our day trip. We are standing in front of the section of the stone fence that is right next to the road.

My husband Dave and I.

At this point my husband took over the driving, after I explained to him I wasn't seeing too good with the over the counter sunglasses I was wearing. My regular sunglasses went missing after a trip to the Salvation Army.

I miss my prescription sunglasses, I can't hardly see with out them.

And here I was driving with out them!

Scary thought ain't it?

Easter at our house

My daughter Sarah scolding her daddy.

This is Arma my daughters friend from Indonesia, and a foreign exchanged student.

She spent the Holiday with us while her house mom was out of town.

She's a great girl and a pleasure to have over the weekend with us.

We also took her up to Mariposa yesterday and I'll post more on that later.

Hi there! That's me in the green!

I hope everyone had a happy Easter and ate lost of chocolate bunny's and eggs.

Lady Jan is Spring Dazed and Confused

Today is the first day of spring here in sunny California, and it rained!

And last week it was in the 80's and hot. We were wearing shorts, and my daughter wore them to school with my blessing.

Today I had to fight with my daughter to get her in a light jacket. I told her it's a lot cooler today, and the hottest time of the day will be between 60 and 70 degree.

And it did sprinkle all today, and rained as it got close to sundown. And it made my cats take cover on the porch.

But on my calender it said nothing about today being spring! All it told me was that tomorrow is the spring equinox when the day light hours, and night time hours are the same.

So it is Spring isn't it?

Some where?

It's GroundHog Day!

El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.

Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.

On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?

On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way.