Each year when the snow melts away a vernal (vernal: 2. appearing or occurring in spring: vernal migratory movements-ref: Dictionary.com) pond reveals itself out by our willow tree. It is always a little bit different in shape, range, and depth. Sometimes it lasts for a very long time, sometimes it goes away too quickly.
This is my fifth spring here on the farm, and the vernal pond is one of my favorite elements of early spring and summer. This year's pond is the largest we have had, and what you see in this photo is actually not the largest it has been this year; quite a bit of it has already drained into the earth. During the colder part of winter we could have gone ice skating all back around the willow tree because there we had several inches of frozen water in quite a large area.
Today is a beautiful day to share a photo of the willow and the pond, with the gorgeous blue sky and fluffy white clouds as a backdrop. Canadian geese have been flying overhead in large flights each morning and birds of every voice are filling the air in song from early morning to sundown. There are two ducks that appear in the vernal pond each year and they have already returned -- I assume it is the same two ducks because it is always just two ducks, never more.
The snow drops have already pushed up through the ground and blossomed, while the alliums have come through the ground but have quite a long way to go before they are tall and skinny with bubbles of color atop their graceful stems.
I have had a cold much of this week and am needed some extra rest today, so I will not be writing a very long post today. There is knitting progress on my Summer in the Country cotton blanket, and the knit-along has gotten off to a nice, friendly start with some very sweet friends making up the group. If you would like to join in,
have a look here to get started.
Other news is that my son (designer and Etsy seller
FlyingJunction) and I have decided to host a give-away this week. There will be three prizes as follows:
1. Grand prize will be one set of three subway signs from from
his shop, shipped directly from his studio with his very special, awesome packaging
2. First prize will be winner's choice of either a Knitter's Eye Chart or a Crocheter's Eye Chart (new!) from my
Etsy store
3. Second prize will be winner's choice of any three
knitting patterns from my library as online downloads
Here is how this drawing will work:
1. You must be on my email mailing list to enter -- so if you are not on the list yet,
sign up here.
2. I created a Treasury at Etsy titled
"Love Letters". Go to that Treasury list and be sure to click on Flying Junction's item in the Treasury. After viewing his Etsy shop, return to the Treasury and leave a comment at the Treasury -- not at this blog, but at the Treasury -- using at least two words from one of his prints or signs.
You have from now until 12:00 midnight, Sunday March 27, 2011 to do this. I will hold a random drawing Monday the 28th of March to select our three winners. Winners will be announced here on my blog Tuesday March 29, 2011 and will have 48 hours to get back to me with a their valid email address. Winner's email addresses will be cross checked against my email mailing list, and if not found there a new name will be drawn -- so be sure you are on the list.
One other thing, I have a client who is working on coming up with a name for a new radio show he is doing. I have posted a
survey to help him narrow down the names he has come up with so far. If you are willing to help by filling out that survey you could win a $25 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com. Survey entries need to be completed by Sunday evening March 27, 2011 at midnight to be eligible for the drawing.
Now I must go get some more rest ... cough, cough, sneeze. I need to get my energy back.
~firefly
