Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Spring

Can’t Get Enough Spring Blossoms?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

After the long wet winter we’ve had, the sight of Spring blooms seems more welcome than usual this year. After thirty long days of rain in December and the wettest month on record, I’m going to cut myself a little slack about being so excited.

IMG_1096.JPG
This little crocus is huge with the macro lens.

 

Sunday while taking out the recycling to the garage I noticed the blooms and the perfect morning light. I grabbed the camera and took some shots using the macro lens on my little Canon PowerShot ELPH 340 HS. Luckily I have a fence so the neighbors didn’t see me running around in my pink poodle bathrobe and slippers while I grabbed the best light of the day.

IMG_1092.JPG
One of my favorite first of Spring flowers, the saxifraga.

 

With the clouds whisking around and the sun peeking out, I only had a few minutes to capture some up close and personal posie pics. It was so much fun taking time to follow my bliss and enjoy the treasures of nature.

So here’s to more fun in the sun and taking photos. Get out there and click away people!

 

 

Are You Ready To Take Spring Snapshots?

By 3 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Last Tuesday Velda the hedgehog at the Oregon Zoo predicted an early Spring. Seems Phil the Groundhog said the same thing, but Velda has a better record than Phil, so hedgehogs rock! True to both their predictions, signs of the coming Spring abounded this past weekend.

IMG_4187.JPG
Real live crocus. Yes!

 

On my way to my writer group, I stopped at my carpool buddy’s house. She needed to take her dog Amos, a Corgi, for a quick walk before we left. Amos was not too thrilled about the “quick” part of the walk, he wanted to mosey. I couldn’t blame him. So while they were off finding the perfect tree, I wandered in her front yard taking photos.

IMG_4193.JPG
How is this for a pink beauty? I have no idea what it’s called besides pretty!

 

My carpool buddy is a member of the camellia society and you can see why. I could not resist the pictures. So here are a few of my favorites.

IMG_4196.JPG
Another stunner. How gorgeous is this?

Not to be outdone, these red berry things looked gorgeous too. They felt like the holidays but looked like Spring. How do they do that?

 

IMG_4199.JPG
Pretty to look at but I bet you shouldn’t eat them; whatever they’re named.

 

Then the next day on my way back from the grocery store Super Bowl morning, I took a wrong turn but ended up with a perfect view of Mt. Hood. We say “the mountain is out” around here when we can see it, so this gorgeous sunny Sunday was the perfect time to get a picture of her with all her snow.

IMG_4205.JPG
Gorgeous Mt. Hood, no longer naked, but with a fresh coat of snow. She’s a beauty! 

So have camera will travel! Right around my own neighborhood. Are you ready to take Spring snapshots?

 

 

Signs of Spring?

By 8 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Spent part of Sunday dragging things out of the house into the garage between football games; some folks call it cleaning, I call it pile management. On one such trip I heard a chorus of birds that sounded like an invasion. Looking up I tried to find geese, but no birds.

IMG_2720
A reminder of one of my favorite roses, the Double Delight. These blooms will return right after Spring!  

 

Following the cacophony around to the front of the house, I spied a bird convention taking place across the street in a very large tree. Birds were packed in like sardines; which is an odd visual if you think about it.

Too dark outside to grab the camera, I fished the camcorder out and tried to focus and get the sound. Got a few clips, but still couldn’t tell which kind of birds. Maybe crows? Either way, it’s a sure sign of Spring when the birdies start to return and congregate.

I noticed the heads of daffodils peaking above the ground over at my Mom’s house on Saturday. Since she’s in a warmer area her daffodils always beat my daffodils out of the ground. Her yard maintenance folks had also trimmed the roses, which I wait to do until President’s Day. Yet another sign of Spring.

Since we were drowned in December with 17 inches of rain, any sign of the round yellow orb causes us to rush out of our homes like Meerkats and squint at the sky. Monday was a no rain day and I had to scramble to find my sunglasses. That sun thing is bright!

Of course, according to the retail world, Valentine’s Day shopping started two days after Christmas. I kid you not. I went to the store to find holiday bows and wrapping on sale.

The bows had vanished and the only gift wrapping paper left was the weird designs, you know the ones, grumpy Santa’s, odd elves and goth reindeer. I walked around the end of the holiday treats on markdown and smacked into the Valentine’s Day candy. Rows of it. On December 28th!

While I can’t wait for Spring, my favorite time of year, I think I’ll pay attention to nature’s calendar and ignore the retail buying calendar. On Jan. 4th we had snow and ice. This past weekend the retail ads had bikinis on sale. Stock up on flip flops now!

Got signs of Spring?

Cookies, Sunshine and Duck Butts?

By 3 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

There is a lot to be said for serendipity, sunshine and the simple pleasures. Moseyed over to the opening day of my local Farmer’s Market to check out the wares and goodies. Came upon a booth with ginormous cookies.

Wait a minute. Those cookies looked familiar. I never forget a cookie! They were the size of pancakes with every kind from Cowboy Cookies to spicy chocolate cookies. Looked around and saw jars of jams and preserves, then some fresh fruit.

The Cookie Bar sign from Packer Orchards and Bakery in Hood River, Oregon. Or as I like to call it, Cookie Heaven!
The Cookie Bar sign from Packer Orchards and Bakery in Hood River, Oregon. Or as I like to call it, Cookie Heaven!

Yes! It was the Packer Orchards and Bakery from Hood River where I stopped on my way to the Alpaca yarn shop. Chatted up the booth cash register lady and she confirmed it was their first year having a booth at my market. It’s a miracle! Since the orchards and their store with the COOKIE BAR is a good 75 miles from my house, they moved the cookies closer to me!

Seriously, I’m going to have to take up running in addition to walking with this many treats so close. Procured a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie and a marionberry pie sweetened with pear juice. Those gems were nestled right next to the cinnamon rolls with marionberry topping! I felt my jeans tighten just looking at them.

So I did a circuit of the rest of the market and found fresh asparagus, hanging baskets, jewelry, Hawaiian BBQ, all kinds of fun stuff. Then I parked myself in the line to get a chicken Greek gyro. Sun was out, great Spring day and cookies. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Yesterday at the day job the gorgeous weather continued and our resident pair of ducks were having a great time during lunch playing in the water feature in the man-made waterfall. I enjoyed my lunch in the sun and watched the ducks go hunting for morsels in the water, their cute butts going straight up into the sun.

You know it’s the perfect time of year when the farmer’s markets start to open, the ducks are playing in the water showing their butts and I can get humongo cookies every Saturday. Welcome Spring!

Got a favorite farmer’s market? Or cookie bar? Or cute duck butt sighting?

What Flower is Your Grandmother?

By 5 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Walked into the grocery store on the way home from the day job last night to get three things. Walked out with the three things plus three carnation plants and three tomato plants and one small pink flamingo with flapping wings to go in a potted plant. I’m a sucker for Spring flowers and odd yard art!

Gift plant from my Mom when I was under the weather. LOVE the color of the blooms. Must get more potting soil....
Gift plant from my Mom when I was under the weather. Celosia Intenz. LOVE the color of the blooms. Must get more potting soil….

Now I had specifically told myself not to buy any tomato plants until Mother’s Day, the best time to put them in the soil. Even though I had spied the coveted yellow pear tomato plants at the store last weekend, I did not purchase last time. They’ll be more I told myself. But when I sauntered by the same plant display last night and didn’t see the yellow pear tomato plants, I panicked. THEY bought them all!

Wait one. They’d just rearranged the plant display. They were shuffled to the middle. Retailers are tricky that way. Not taking any chances I scooped two yellow pear tomato plants up and added one sweet cherry 100 for good measure. I prefer to grow the baby tomatoes; easier to cut in half for salads and I think I have a huge crop when I see all the produce on the vines.

While sniffing the carnation plants at the garden center, the clerk asked if I needed help. “Found the carnations,” I said. “Carnations always remind me of my grandmother,” I told her. “Pansies and fuchsias remind me of mine,” she replied. Even flowers have stories and memories. Scent and smell are powerful things. So I bought the carnations of course.

Now I have to buy potting soil to get these gems planted before the big rains come later this week. I usually don’t plant before Mother’s Day, cold soil and all, but with this warm early Spring, perhaps I can get away with it. Gardening is an adventure!

Got tomato plants? Got carnation plants? Got potting soil?

Time For Doggie Sun Days?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                   (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

It’s Friday, the sun is out and the weather will be perfect here in Oregon. So what better way to enjoy the first warm weekend than to watch an elite athlete playing in the park? I give you Frisbee dog Jubey!

This four-footed pro has all the right moves and even takes doggie cam Go Pro shots his own self! Border collies can run the world if we just let them. And do a better job I might add.

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!