vastateofmind

Beautiful pic...I'm jealous, I've been jonesing to get out hiking like that again! BTW, is that snow falling on the mountain or just distant haze, in the left-center of your picture?

Got down to 32 here overnight. And yesterday (and apparently today as well) reminds me how much I hate the wind in the springtime...

That is one of the most beautifully shaped/mature weeping cherry trees I've ever seen......it must be breathtaking in full bloom! I shouldn't get this emo over springtime flowering trees....weather is gonna weather, no matter my feelings...it's just that the most gorgeous blooming period for most of these trees typically aligns with that transitional period where our temps are most likely to have psychotic mood swings!

GAH. The house is creaking and moaning like an old hag with this wind, haven't heard it this bad in awhile...didn't expect the wind advisory after the frontal passage. Wanted to go on an extended walk after the front blew through and the sun returned, but with all of the maple spinners, oak catkins and God only knows how much airborne pollen out there forming/dissolving/re-forming into little allergenic tornados, that is out of the question.

Yep...I've seen at least one flash to the south, and have been hearing the thunder from your Spotsy storm for the past 10 minutes.

My mother-in-law used to refuse the light sedative they provided/offered for her colonoscopies, as she wanted to both be aware of what was happening during the procedure, AND be able to drive herself home after the procedure once she was cleared for release. She was a brand of tough I haven't come across in awhile.

The cedar adds a unique flavor....closest I can come to describing is slightly smoky tasting/smelling, but not overwhelmingly so.

Oh geez, I am SO sorry. Have had numerous members of my family who have suffered with these, and watched their discomfort too many times. While I haven't experienced it myself, I empathize with your pain on this....thinking about/praying for you today.

You perfectly hit all of the logical stuff right here, especially the redundancy part. Turbulence is just like hitting a bump in the road in your car! Statistically, it's the safest form of travel! It's frustrating as hell, as I know all of this in my head...and yet the emotion of the heart/gut kick in as soon as I strap into that cramped seat, and my pretend calm goes right out the window. Usually right over and off that flexing wing. And yeah, Mrs. V always stakes her claim to the window seat, and I'm all, "NO THANKS....I'm good right here on the aisle."

Whoa! Didn't think it would drop that much already, even up there! I forgot that you were going to OC and had to go back a few posts to see how your wx was down there! Sounds like it was cool....but I'll take that at the beach (along with the good eats/drinks!) anyday. Currently, sustained winds are picking up quite a bit -- temp at 63. I need to get a decent wx station that records wind speed....

I didn't realize how much more pervasive this fear was until I met two friends in recent years who suffer from this very real phobia. Me, I could watch folks push shots or blood donation needles into my arms all day long....but I don't know if I'll ever overcome my illogical fear of flying. Have flown since I was a kid...flew extensively for work travel in my 20s/30s. Oh, my wife still occasionally drags me onto a plane, but I hate EVERY. MINUTE. OF THE. EXPERIENCE. White knuckler, all the way.

Fresh salmon grilled on the cedar plank last night...rub some light (or dark, depending on your taste) brown sugar on each filet, top off with Wegmans or any brand cracked pepper seasoning. Grill for 13 minutes on a pre-soaked (for up to half hour) cedar plank. So simple, so good!

SIGH. Was really hoping we could avoid any more nighttime cold snap this season. I lost all but about ten blossoms on a full-canopied, 15-foot pink dogwood tree in my front yard two weeks ago during the last foray into the low 30s at night...unfortunately, I know a lot of you here have a lot more at stake than that.

Thank you for posting this! We hear these guys hootin and hollerin in the woods behind our house, at least several evenings each week. I've caught glimpses of their silhouettes swooping about from tree to tree at twilight, but never knew which species of owl we were hearing!

Indeed. Sun's been trying to break through for the past couple of hours with mixed success, but it still feels damp outside...tried opening the window for some fresh air, but still too cool (for me) at 62 with a light breeze.

Literallly LOL'ed at that....if only because I've considered doing just that, but also didn't want to use my nice, new, shiny, only-use-for-grilling-and-not-ground-temps meat thermometer!

I, too, thought this was a little early....even for the earliest emergents. But I'm telling 'ya....even after my post above outlining what I found in my backyard, I found probably a dozen MORE emergent holes in my front yard yesterday. Lots of empty holes....but I've hardly seen any nymphs! Weird.

So, finally got around to the first "big" weed-whacking of the spring season, and found literally dozens of these emergent holes from cicada nymphs, after I cut down the worst patches of weeds around my backyard shed and near the patio/house foundations: So, SOMETHING must be starting to happen. I haven't actually seen any nymphs yet, with the exception of this guy yesterday who briefly thought about popping out, but then decided to roll over and go back to sleep for a few more days or a week: I think it's almost showtime...

So how was Aslin, @mattie g? Mrs. V and I have had it on our list for, like, FOREVER, but still haven't made the just-over-one-mile-trip up Van Dorn Street to actually visit! A hyper-local brewery, and we still haven't hit it. I've read up on their brews numerous times, and it sounds like they typically have a great selection of stuff on hand.

And there you are, @jacindc -- parked in one of those marvelous Adirondack chairs, that I said weeks ago I'd probabaly never move out of, if *I* had this incredible front yard garden AND my Kindle handy at any given time. Such a beautiful yard....keep up the great work!

I don't know if it goes here, or in banter, or where, but....I'd sure love to see some pics of the beach, even if it is grey, 50 degrees out, with a stiff, drizzle-driven wind. Just sayin'.

As long as your priorities are straight.

UGH. "Sprickets" -- I hate those things. Sometimes I see them this time of year around our basement bathroom and/or drains, but haven't yet. And to @wxtrix's point -- nothing drives me battier than a lone regular cricket that's found a way into the house, especially at night. Because then you can't UN-HEAR the damn thing...nor ever find it. :/

LOOOOVE the herb box/stand, @Mrs.J!! What a great design -- love the tilt-out tiers. I've always wanted to try growing my own herbs, but have been afraid to try. Not exaggerating -- I tend to kill ALL plants (with exception, of course, of weeds). It's not intentional, and I honestly try to do the right things in terms of sun/watering, etc. I just don't have green thumbs. I killed marigolds on our patio last year...and you have to try mighty hard to kill those.