Like Diamonds on Eyelashes!

Ever see dew drops on dandelions?  Neither have I, until today.  I spent the morning outside, just me and the dewdrops.  Good thing I had my macro lens in my pocket.  You don't notice the little dewdrops on the dandelions until you get VERY close.  So beautiful.  Looks like tiny diamonds on eyelashes.

I love this time of year, the dew in the morning makes everything sparkle.

Dandelions, Morel Mushroom, and Wild Leeks

Nope, this is not some weird recipe concoction I came up with.  They are all just signs that warmer weather is here to stay.  Those delicious little lovelies up there are wild leeks.  Last year while out in service a sister told me that you can find wild leeks in the woods.  Since that day I have been looking to no avail.  Last week while out in service a brother said he saw some so I asked him to point them out so I knew what I was looking for.  He stopped the car, jumped out, trudged through the woods and pulled one out for me.  The brothers in our hall are so funny.  And the things they do while in service.  Two weeks ago, our service group overseer caught a turkey with his bare hands while out in service.  He has photographic evidence and eyewitness testimony.  This is the hubby of the wife that told me about the wild leeks.  We have all decided that when the great tribulation comes we are all going to hang out with them since they obviously will not be going hungry!

Anyway, a couple days later Cameron and I loaded up the kids and headed out to pick some wild leeks.  Turns out they are not so easy to get out of the ground.  So living in Michigan Lesson No. abagillion, carry a garden spade in the car with you.  We also stopped at a farmside veggie stand and picked up some fresh asparagus, so we put them under the brother together with some olive oil and sea salt.  YUM!



Cameron and Z. picking wild leeks

Morel mushrooms are also popping back up.  This year we are not going to chicken out and we are actually going to fry some of these up to see what the rage is all about.

We have a little patch growing under our blue spruce tree on the west side of the house.  Hopefully they can manage to get a little bigger before the animals come and munch them up.

And the pretty little dandelions are back.  I know, I know, they are pesky little weeds.  But I can't help it, they are so sunshiney and happy.  And there are a TON of them this year.  Dotting the fields everywhere we go.

And this is one of my favorite roads to drive down.  I posted a photo of this road last summer.  This is what she looks like in spring.  It is almost like a second fall.  The trees bud out in color before the green leaves pop out.  Beautiful!

And this cute little thing is a chickadee.  A. and I were out trudging through our woods last week and a little chickadee was sitting up on a branch very close to us and making a lot of noise.  I pulled up the camera to take a picture and he dove towards this branch on the ground and then took off.  What in the world?  Then we noticed a little hole in that branch and his little honey was curled up inside.  So cute.  Now we have to check back in a week or so and see if they have laid any eggs.

And this picture here is for a certain little friend of mine.  We passed this last weekend in service and everyone in the car thought of you.  Miss you!

And just in case you think I have forgotten about my kiddos.  Here they are enjoying the sunshine.  Oh and chasing Roscoe with the rc car while Roscoe chases the ball.

And the hubster cleaning up a fallen branch.  We had a crazy windstorm go through.  This branch happened to fall when my Dad was here and it fell within a couple feet of his beloved truck.  Close call!

That is all the news for now.  We had our circuit assembly this weekend.  Awesome as usual.  We were so spoiled in Tucson, to have the assemblies and conventions minutes from the house.  Now we drive an hour and a half to get there.  So tiring, but we are all stuffed with food from Jehovah and are trudging on.  Well, starting tomorrow because today I have to catch up on laundry and the cleaning of the house.  Sigh, maybe I should practice singing the new songs while I go.

Love you all and see you in a month!

Fungus, Weeds, and Flowers

Yesterday I started planting in our garden.  It was a fairly hot day - like probably in the high 60's low 70's when I started.  Yes Tucson people, be jealous - that is hot up here!  As I took all my equipment outside I stopped to appreciate all the "weeds" that are sprouting in our empty flower beds and around the lawn.  So I thought I would share with you how pretty our weeds are here.



Empty Garden :(

First, here is our garden area.  That is our tractor way over there in the top right to give you an idea of size.  It looks kinda small in this picture, well probably compared to other Michigan gardens it is small but to us it seems gigantic.

Wild Mustard

This is Wild Mustard.  Considered a weed and not one easily gotten rid of but you can actually use the leaves in a salad.  Hmmm, may have to try that - why not as long as it is already growing there.  But it is really pretty with all those tiny yellow flowers.



Dandelion

  

Dandelion

And this of course is the Dandelion.  You can also use this weed for many things.  The greens can be used in salads, and parts of it (I have no idea which parts) can be used to make a wine.  Some out front are starting to into the magical puff balls the kids love to blow around to of course make more of these "pesky" weeds.

And this gorgeous thing, I have no idea what it is.  But I love it!  So pretty, so green!  So if any of you Michiganders know what this is - please, please tell me.  I think it may be a "Leafy Spurge" or some kind of spurge anyway.  But I am not sure.

And these little boogers - well we have been stomping around the state land near our house in hopes of finding them because everyone keeps telling us how delicious they are.  We have looked multiple times with no success.  Cameron was cleaning the yard on Sunday and guess what he finds to the west of the house.  Right under the bedroom windows next to a pine tree.  Yep - Morel Mushrooms!  Now we just have to fry some up and see how they taste.

And lastly, I am patiently waiting for Mom and Dad to come back home so we can do something with all these flower beds.  In the meantime, Cameron and I went to the nursery in Grand Rapids to get some plants for the garden and I couldn't resist picking up this little beauty and bringing her home.



Begonia: "Camilla"

That's it so far folks.  Miss you all like crazy and can't wait to see you again.