Yard Art, Bloomin' Beauty and Universal Availability

What a glorious spring morning here in North Idaho!  Cherry blossoms have arrived on half a tree in our north yard.  I gave up on cherries a few years ago when the birds got to them much faster than I.  Then, half the tree died.

So, the birds can have every last cherry that develops from those blossoms.  They're up so high I couldn't get to them anyway.

Blossoms from the big ornamental plum trees have mostly blown away with the breezes of the past few days, but the other plum blossoms are coming on.

Also, serviceberry bushes around our dog kennel have burst out in big numbers over the weekend.  Birds and I will both share the bounty when these blossoms yield thousands of berries.  I've made serviceberry jelly the last few years, and it is delicious.

Also, a walk around the yard reveals some pointed spears sticking up much earlier than usual.

I have a feeling the first round of asparagus will be heading to the house in the next few days, and I'll bake it like I've done the past couple of years.  Delicious stuff!

Funny how some people won't touch asparagus, leaving all the more for the rest of us who love it.  I think asparagus is like brussel sprouts, liver and spinach----no in between.  People either love 'em or hate 'em.

I'm always happy to share brussel sprouts and liver, but give me my spinach and asparagus.  I'll eat every bite.

Gonna be a tasty week ahead, for sure. 

Fishing season has started around here, and we have a couple of fish out of water, thanks to the POAC Arts and Crafts Festival last August.

Some folks from Southern Idaho brought up a lot of their metal art, and Bill was taken with their fish.  So, he bought two of them to stick in the flower boxes off the deck.

This metal lunker was looking kinda pretty with the morning sun casting rays through the front lawn cedar row.

These fish, along with a bunch other metal art by these Southern Idaho artisans, are available at a shop next to the Panida in downtown Sandpoint.

So, ya can go out on the lake and catch a fish, or you can purchase a tame lunker downtown.

It's Monday.  It's beautiful and a great week lies ahead.  Annie will be home this weekend.  The Kentucky Derby is Saturday.  Annie's having a geocaching event to celebrate the 15th anniversary of doing away with Selective Availability of GPS signals.

On May 1, 2000, President Bill Clinton authorized the discontinuation of Selective Availability, which opened up significantly more access of GPS signals to the public.  

That move eventually led to the wonderful career that Annie has been enjoying as a lackey for Groundspeak, Inc., the company which runs the www.geocaching.com website.

So, geocachers around the world will be celebrating the move that led to a very popular sport, which has attracted more than six million participants.  Geocachers from around the area will be attending Annie's event this Saturday night. 

As we enjoy some phenomenally beautiful weather, I'll continue to putz along with my garden and the general lawn work.  I have a feeling I can literally watch the grass grow over the next couple of days as we have an 80-degree temperature predicted for tomorrow. 

That will make Lily happy because she's been looking longingly at that first pasture for several days now.  I have to keep telling her that it's too soft for her heavy horse hooves, but I'm thinking that will change quickly, and she'll be a contented horse very soon. 

All is good here this morning, so I'll wish the same for all.  Happy Monday.