Spring has Sprung at Hardin Ridge....Take a Look!

The weather has warmed up and the storms, bugs, mud, and 'wet sticky little buds' from the trees that fall and stick on the bottom of your shoes and you track them in every where is here. Phew that was a mouthful!!!  My Mini Cooper looks like someone went muddin' on the outside and then didn't remove their shoes when they got in the inside.  And....there is more rain and storms coming. It just got too hot too fast. But then the 30's are coming to rescue us again this weekend. That creates a very unstable atmosphere too.  Gee, I am sounding like a meteorologist :)  The ticks are horrible. Every night this week Art has found one crawling on him and Effie had one in her bed the other night. YUK! Hate those little blood sucking creatures, give me the willies.

Ok now on to happier, prettier thoughts. The trees are greening up in here everyday. The leaves are being born into little toddler leaves.  See took a picture today.

Just beginning to see the green shades returning in the forest.

                                Then you take a picture up close and you see this....

Little babies in the center then they just unfold and begin their new life.

        Now here are the pretty ones and my favorites only they don't last too long.....

The Redbud

The Dogwood

I wanted to say I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. We have still been working outside on the campground trying to get it all prettied up for the campers.  Some of you know I have a bad back. I don't have a disc between 2 vertebra and then I have several degenerative disc.  I have a lot of pain and have had epidural injections which help alot but they don't last long. About 2 months and you can only have 4 in a years time. Well yesterday I over did it. Dumb me I know better, but I raked way too much and then I stepped in a hole which just kills me. The uneven ground makes those bones grate together, causing pain and then the muscles tighten and become like rocks.  I sat on the heating pad last night and then today did laundry and took it easier.  I did want to blog today to show you something I did. I made my own picture frame out of sticks....

These are our daughters Hannah and Lindsay. I wanted to hang up the photo but didn't want to put any nails in the wall or use a traditional frame. One day I thought hmmmm,  I have all the wood I need at my finger tips how about a rustic looking one.  So this is what I came up with.  I attached them to the wall with the tacky puddy.  Worked great!

Then we didn't have any kind of end table by the side of the bed. Now that wasn't going to work as I need my "nightime" stuff.  So since there are only hundreds of logs laying around that have been freshly cut I had my pick.  Art removed all the bark and we let it dry out in the sunshine and put plastic on the bottom.  Good idea, don't you think??

I was going to make a little round brown covering for it and then I looked at  it and thought nope I like the rustic look to go with my rustic picture frame :)

Remember my little Chipping Sparrow?  Well I put some seed out on a (guess).....
Now how did you guess, a log?  Only I think this one is a little precarious for the little fellow.  Hope the ax doesn't slip!!

I don't want this to be his "last supper" so I may have to tell Art to put his ax in another log :)

Now for those of you concerned that we are still working Effie and Cooper too hard :)  no worries we are not wearing them out now the storms are. They in one word (HATE) thunder, lightening, and rain. In the camper the rain is magnified a lot so they freak out even more. Poor babies.....

Look at him give me that evil eye.  "Don't you dare take my picture."  Snap too late!!!

And Effie is taking up the other recliner in her bed.  She feels safer in there so we let her sit in it "in" the chair. Are we good doggie parents or what???

She is thinking I am taking Cooper's picture.  So she didn't shut her eyes.

Anybody getting cabin fever and ready to get outside? The Forest Service has a great trail here to walk.  And the weather has been great to do so. Have had a few people in here hunting for morel mushrooms but I don't think they are finding too many yet.  Still it is fun to walk.

The squirrels are still at it.  Guess they are still hungry after such a long winter. And there are little tiny grey ones all over the place, running and playing. They keep a person entertained for sure.

"Boy I sure don't remember burying those nuts this deep last fall."

I also took pictures of Easter Lillies...ok I thought Easter was over with but no problem they are still pretty.  So I will just share photos with you to enjoy....

More Dogwood Blossoms

As I was taking pictures of the Easter Lillies at the office I look over and see this. They were both looking at me until I point the camera their way.  Just so funny, I guess they have heard the expression "point and shoot" too often.  :))

We just came back from a walk (between rain showers) and saw a hen turkey, too dark for the camera. Then Art saw a deer going up to the office to get our laundry but he doesn't take the camera, and I saw a coyote run across the road yesterday while racking sticks, and I didn't have the camera, and some other hosts saw 2 turtles yesterday but I wasn't with them, hence no camera.  Are you tired of the excuses and no wildlife pictures?....me too! I am going to have to get out more and just look for opportunities.  But this weekend our daughters and their families are coming for a visit so I won't be doing it then. You can expect granddaughter pictures first :))  Won't be long the deer should be out with their fawns, now you had better believe I will have my camera then.

  So from Hardin Ridge in Hoosier National Forest best wishes and take care everyone.