'The days are just packed' - Calvin & Hobbes

I don't know about where you live, but spring around here has been marvelous! And with my eldest sister here, we've been doing a million things a day it seems. On sunny days: picnics at the park, riding horses, 'playing' with the little chickens, campfires.... And the days when it rains? Turns out Hulu.com has I Love Lucy episodes :)

 Today and yesterday was/will be hectic, though. Today is the day of the wedding I'm playing in, and whoooeee! Suffice it to say I got most of my music on Wednesday, annndd the rest I got last night at the rehearsal. Gulp. It'll be interesting!
 But on to a more interesting topic! {and one I have pictures of}

Campfire!

The other night we firebugs of the family {me and Little Brother} chopped firewood and gathered green roasting branches. I also snapped a few photos of the new sights of spring.

 I think this is a boxelder tree.... Kind of crumby bark, but awesome looking seeds!

Mum and everyone else came out and brought with them the best part of any campfire.....

The fixings of yumness. Have I ever mentioned I have a sweet tooth? It's the size of my head. Any other kind of food I don't care for, but chocolat? ... I've eaten one of those truffle boxes that you can get at Walmart for like $3.... by myself. I can't help it!! It's a problem I blame on my German half.

I like toasted 'mallows too. This one I caught on fire. I wanted a shot of it still flaming, but I guess Mum draws the line on my extreme lengths to get a photo when it could involve her hair catching fire.

 In case you're wondering, I've been known to lean out car windows, climb trees, and hang upside-down if I think I can get a good photo. It's kinda fun, actually.

Darn it! I'm making myself hungry!

 Does anyone else lovelove the sticky goodness of s'mores? Little Brother had marshmallow goo up to his eyebrows :)

I like messing around with the charcoal. This above is my name in Elvish. I think. I learned it back when I was a huuuge fan of LotR {when it came out in the early '00s}, so it's been awhile.

Oh, I cannot leave out this little guy I found two nights ago...

I was walking the dogs before putting them in for the night when I heard rustling in the grass. At first I freaked out - just a little. You know, I froze like a hunted hare. But I have a reason for that!  I have a reason! The night before I had a dream I was walking down the same road and came across six skunks and a bear and her two cubs. While I knew it wasn't going to be a bear {we don't have those around here} skunks seem to thrive on our place.

 Eventually I tracked down the noise to this little bugger. Isn't he sweet? I had to bring him to the house for everyone to see. They weren't too thrilled, except for LB, who got the camera out.

Toads and frogs and snakes I just love. Snakes could be a little more friendly, but they are so cool to watch, and if you do find I nice one, they're really fun to play with as well. Do you like reptiles?

Alas, for I must dash!

-Gwyn

I promised you cuteness...

But it's late in coming. And I only have two good photos right now, but it's of one of my awesome lil 'fro chickies and then some kind of white Auracuana {sp?} :)

My orange lookin hands and a sleepy fuzzball

Our server is having a lot of trouble lately - as in, not working - so I've been enjoying a loooooooong break from the computer. Also, my eldest sis is back for a month on her summer break and we've been donin' stuff. And I have a wedding to play for next week. Hoping the bride gives me the music soon. Haha. And I think I have a music gig Mother's Day.
 So yeah, I'm not exactly lounging around but I'm finding time to ride my Roanie, watch a movie with the family, write a sentence here and there for TLOS, make a coin necklace {maybe coming soon - no promises though, considering my record}, make bday and Mother's day gifts, plan the garden, snap some photos at the park, run from wasps, chase the dogs away from a new 'treasure' - a dead cow. OmyWORD did it smell!! Uuugh!!
 I also found a new book series that I like: The Monster Blood Tattoo by.... {insert two initials} Cornish. I wasn't too sure about it because of the title {sounds rather dark and primitive}, but I was mildly surprised, and enjoyed the writer's style. While this probably won't become one of  my favorite series, I do think they're worth a look. They're pretty fast reads too - I got the first one Saturday and I've only got a chapter left. I didn't even read it every day.
 If your looking for a slightly steampunk-ish book with a lot of world detail {the author created a very vivid world through his illustrations, the glossary, and notes}, try The Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling{book one} and see what you think.

Right. Now I've got loads to do and people telling me so. So, til next time, when ever that will be.

-Gwyn

A glimpse of Eternity...

in the dawn of a new day. {And I'm not just talking about the photo :)}

✠ Happy Easter ✠

✠ I apologize if any of you were expecting daily photo-posts like the last one. At first that was my intent, but then other more Easterly things happened; like Good Friday service, painting Easter eggs, playing piano purely for the love of music {something I have not done in forever}, and of course the family traditions crept in as well. So, on the one hand I feel terrible if I let anyone down, but on the other I'm glad I did. And I am aware that sounded mean and callous. Sorry. :)

✠ Prepare for cuteness. 20 adorable little chicks {five of which will have mohawks} are arriving tomorrow. Of course I'll take photos.

✠ Because it's Easter, and because of that I'm extremely happy, here's a list of my favorite Easter things...

the early church service

the new feel everything gets after hearing the Resurrection story

the chocolat. Period.

the egg dyes 

the inside jokes: laughing at a road-killed rabbit on the way home.

watching The Ten Commandments for, what? Four hours? the night before

My little brother's attempts at fooling the Easter Bunny by setting out extra baskets for imaginary 'new' siblings 

Sadly, Easter only gets celebrated one day of the year, which I don't fully understand. But I'm pretty sure it's my favorite holiday {holiday: conjugare of holy and day}
 So make it count, I guess. A very happy Easter to you!

-Gwyn

Holy Week: Tá mé buíoch

Tá mé buíoch: I am thankful

Holy Week has always been a very special and personal time of year for me. This year I want to celebrate the days leading up to Easter morning; too often they go by unnoticed in the anticipation of stuffed rabbits and chocolat eggs. Sometimes we forget the actual journey Jesus through the week leading to His resurrection and our ultimate freedom.

 I don't want to do that this year. I want to ponder each day of this holiest of weeks. One of the ways I want to do this is by reflecting each day on one thing that I am truly thankful for, photographing it or, at least a representation of it, and sharing it here.

 For the first day, I'd like to start with

Spring

Yes, peoples, spring has just about sprung in my little corner of the world. Finely. Rain {and sleet} is soaking the ground for what promises to be a lovely green summer. The early flowers are at last shyly opening their colorful blooms. And I am thankful. To me, the outside world has been too long without the benefit of color. Winter's grip is tight up North, and it clings to the earth long after decent places have blossoms and sunshine.

Then the first flower blooms, small but bright; shining like a new cut gem in the dead grass. Suddenly you remember what it's like to run barefoot in green grass. Inspiration that was slowly waning in the dull winter months awakes refreshed in the cool rain and sweet scent of tilled earth.

Reading at night has a new feel. Snuggled down in your soft covers and nestled in your squishy pillow, the gentle patter of rain on your window... cosy has a new meaning.

Who can resist the sweet song of the meadowlark? Walking down the road, splashing in all the puddles. Tracing the new buds with your fingertips and suddenly you feel like a character from a novel.

Winter is a time of reflection and slumber. Spring is the season of energy, new starts, and spontaneous joy.

The robins are back and the dirt is black.

 Some people have the sea in their blood, but I am descended from a long line of farmers, and I have the dirt in mine. My garden plans are nearly ready for action - at last!

I am so thankful for spring and all it has to offer. And this is only the beginning. Photographing a few of the signs of spring told me that. So much more is in store and I can't wait to discover it all later this season. 

So, Athair, thank you for the four seasons. Especially spring.

I'd like make Tá mé buíoch a link-up blog hop, if you'd like to join. I don't have a linky tool {no site I went to had clear instructions} but if you leave a link in the comments, I'd love to read your post!

Til  next time,

-Gwyn

Oh, dear...

alternately titled 'Here we go again'

You have again caught me between ultra-busyness and the dreadful doldrums of energetic boredom. You deserve an update, so I'll do my best to give you the short version:

 This week the weather has been nice {read: above freezing + drizzlings of rain} except for the wind which has been awful even in the local standard, so naturally it is the time Da decides my brother and I should put up new pasture fence for summer grazing ground. Thankfully we already have a skeleton to work with: most of the posts are still there {except for the gate post I ran over one foggy October morn}, but we haven't used that pasture in so long that a lot of the wire needs replacing. A note to animal owners everywhere: Never use electric wire to fence your animals. It's fickle and usually only keeps your extremely stupid animals in. I hate the stuff.
  A couple years ago we switched the stockpens to Electrobraid and that works sooo much better. We were even planning to fence the rest of the pastures in with it this year, but the grass is growing to fast and we wouldn't have time to dig all the post holes. So wire for another summer. Wheee.

 But speaking of growing grass... Grass is growing! Green grass! Aaah, I'm so excited! At last! I've been digging ing my garden beds and finding daffodil shoots and tulips and iris poking up. Nothings blooming yet, but we just got an inch of snow two weeks ago plus this is the Great Plains: Springs doesn't come fully till the last two weeks of May or so, then summer hits about the middle of June.
 Still, loving the sunshine in the mornings.

Ack! I have so many things to build this month! Our chickies are coming possibly the 23rd {Saint George's Day - who knew?} so I need to get on building another mobile house for when they're bigger. There's the kitchen garden boxes I still have to bang together, and... hmm I'm forgetting one. Anyhow, rest assured I have to hammer something else as well.
 Oh! And Mum and I have been planning some home improvements, too. So far we're still in the tearing out pictures from Southern Living and Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Gardens stage. But we've also gone through closets and unearthed a few lovely antiques! Frames, hats, jewelery, etc. Cool stuff; I'll have to take photos for you.

Music this month is... has... There's a lot of it. Too much of it. Last night was only the beginning with my piano recital and a fine arts fair. Over the next week I've got six violin practices with various groups and, finely on the 17th, the actual concert. Bugger.
In my 'spare time', whatever that is, I drew this ---

Not the best photo, but I seem to have misplaced the full version on my desktop somewhere... But you like? My photographer friend took the amazing photo of her little sister and I knew I just had to draw it :)
 I need to get back to drawing horses again - it's been at least a month since my last one. Sad. When I was little I drew a picture of one every night before going to sleep. I wonder where all those stacks went...
 Okay, now you're really going to hate me for saying this but -- Istartedanewstory. Don't spear me! I know, another one that puts TLOS on the back burner. again. But I couldn't help it! Honest. It all started  late last Sunday when I was on Polyvore {see my sidebar} and I came across this picture of a girl with the biggest saddest brownest eyes you've ever seen.... Well, she had a story she needed to tell. I'm sad to say it's not a happy one, not at first. But it may become a mystery. That idea really intrigues me - I've only done Fantasy so far. But I love mysteries! So we'll just have to see where this goes, right?

Here she is...

the artist's daughter by The Celtic Cowgirl featuring butterfly tops

Winding things up, you may have noticed but I've added a FAQ page and a few other things including my Polyvore sets to my sidebar for you to browse. I'm not on Polyvore hardly at all because 1) It takes up a lot of time just to make one set and 2) I'm not that interested in clothes. But it is a great place to find inspiration, but I think you've gathered that already. But don't expect updates on Poly all that often ;)

Well, I really hate to leave you but the fence is calling. Really hate to leave. really.

-Gwyn