Welcome May!

If I had to pick a single week in the year that was my favorite,
it would definitely be the first week of May...
hands down.


There is just something about this time.
Maybe it's the explosion of color and growth that is happening in nature.


Maybe it is the return of migrating songbirds.
Maybe it is the warmth on my skin.
Maybe it is all of it together.


Even though we are living through the weirdest time
of my entire life,
this week, I am full of joy.
And maybe the silver lining in staying home
with less distractions ends up being the total immersion in Spring.


It was a beautiful weekend here on the farm.


The air was filled with warm breezes,
sunshine, birdsong, and the heady scent of blossoms.
The lilacs have bloomed, as have the viburnum.
I had to bring some blossoms into the house so that I could enjoy 
the scent all day long.


The male hummingbirds and Baltimore orioles returned this weekend.
I am hoping to get good photos very soon.
I did, however, take a photo of this Rose-breasted Grosbeak...


and a very shy and hard to photograph, Brown Thrasher...


as well as this Red-bellied Woodpecker.


We normally have a lot of grey squirrels that visit our bird feeders.


Lately, there is an adorable, tiny red squirrel who comes each day.


I've seen red squirrels in the trees, but never this close before.
This fellow is about half the size of the grey squirrels.

For the first time this season, we spent two days outside
without jackets or sweaters and it was heavenly!

We began working on the inside of the shed on Saturday,
finishing up painting the ceiling and building faux beams to cover
the two 2X4's that spanned the distance between the two sides of the roof.


The ceiling started out like this (unpainted).


After we had finished and I had added a few finishing touches,
it now looks like this.


I found an old ladder in the barn and thought it might
be a good way to hide the roof.
I think it is starting to be magical, outside and in!


Sunday, we had on our agenda a visit (from the curb)
to my daughter, Tyler's mom, who's birthday it was.
I had baked cupcakes for her birthday and we were going to
deliver them.
Hubbs strapped them onto the front of his bike and suggested we
ride the 26 mile round trip.


Off we rode... great idea...


until....
I heard Hubbs saying "Oops!" behind me and then heard him giggling.
Apparently he went over a bump,
and two of the cupcakes flipped themselves upside down.
The rest of the ride was punctuated with "Oops" and giggles,


and by the time we arrived,
the lovely cupcakes that I had decorated looked like this...


We all laughed hysterically... and although the cupcakes
were not as they were meant to be,
a memory was made.
My daughter is a good sport and said she could always eat them
with a spoon.


We visited from the street for a little while,
sang "Happy Birthday",
and Tyler serenaded us with a song.
It was great to see some family...
even if it was brief and at a distance.

Comments

colleen said…
Loving the shed and what's not to love about upside down cupcakes? :)
Cappy said…
The cupcakes made me laugh! Thanks for that! :-)
jaz@octoberfarm said…
hic-cup cakes! another memory made! i love this story!
Lynne said…
Right you are . . . the shed is looking magical!

Great idea, for the bike ride and delivery . . .
Plenty of Cupcake Giggling . . .
I can hear it now . . . “remember when . . . “

Tyler is changing, growing up . . .
He was a baby when I started following you!
How old is he?

Wishing you happy springtime days and some “shed play!”
Aaah spring may be here although it is going to be a pretty cool week here in Illinois. Has Minerva arrived yet? I do love your She Shed. I wish I had one.
Marcia LaRue said…
Your little faerie cottage aka She Shed is really taking on a mystical nature ... so cute so peaceful looking!
Isn't that a Red-Headed Woodpecker rather then a Red-Bellied one? It's belly does not look red at all, however, the head is definitely red!
Sometimes the most messed up cake can taste the best and I'm sure your cupcakes passed the Taste Test!
Spring truly is just busting out all over!!
I have read your posts for several years but I don't think I have ever commented. Please know how much I enjoy each one. My daughter and daughter-in-law now read your posts as well!! We love every living thing you have on your farm.

2 years ago we had a "cute little red squirrel" at our feeders, too. So cute ~~ until it, and a friend got INTO our house. It was like a horror movie. We have 2 Greyhounds who love to chase small things, along with a cat who is also inclined. It truly was a horrible experience. We have heard of several other people who have had the same experience. We began live trapping them and taking them waaaayyyy out into the country. I am so thankful we haven't seen one since that spring and summer. Keep an eye on them!!!
Katmom said…
Upside down or right side up,,, it doesn't matter as long as they are shared with loved ones.
Love your explosion of color... ours is still a month away... I ended up pulling out my plants from the garden and bringing then back indoors good thing, got down to 30degrees.. uugh...
Oh well, until my garden blooms, I will enjoy yours...hugz
This N That said…
Welcome May indeed even if we are going to be back in the Low 30's by the weekend..It's beautiful during the day..We have to be careful of our Spring plantings for a bit longer..The Male Grosbeaks have been around a lot this past week..I haven't seen a female though..Adorable red squirrel..The shed looks great..I think it's time to stop calling it a shed..Love the cupcake story..You guys are a hoot..Glad you're having some fun but then, I think you do most of the time..I'm sure they were appreciated and tasted good anyway..Hugs xoxo
Lisa said…
Oh man! Cupcake story is so funny! They still looked good. Your she shed is going to look beautiful. 😍 The first time I saw a grey squirrel I couldn't believe the size! They're huge like cats. We only have red squirrels here.

Lisa