I shouldn't complain -- and I'm not, really. We've had so little snow this year and it hasn't been impossibly cold, either.
It's just that at this time of year I am longing to see spring. Some of my daffodils are popping up (although as I write this, they are under a layer of snow! Melting snow. But snow.)
Meanwhile, the birds are hunkering down and gobbling up.
And Lizzie is hunkering down, too -- always hating to be disturbed!
Did you see the conjunction of Venus and Juipiter dancing in the sky around March 1? My photo is absolutely terrible. In truth, it was breathtaking.
I have taken a little time to paint. I'm doing an Este MacLeod class called "Imaginary Butterflies" which takes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to actually be creative.
Here's one of the larger pieces I've done -- 5x7.
I've been reading, gathering up things to drop off to charity this week and optimistically starting to change out my closet from winter to spring. This may be jumping the gun a bit, but I'm ready!
Now, back to work.
For some of us, at least!
62 comments:
Butterflies are a good subject for painting. People come specially to 'the valley of butterflies ' on Rhodes island (not far from Rodos city) to capture some great butterfly pictures there. I've been there.
Oh Jeanie, I love your nature posts, and it's been snowing here all week too. But I don't think it's the last snowfall of the season. We get snow until April or May here, although the sun is out today. I love that bird feeding photo, it's delightful. And Lizzie is always fun to see. Your painted butterflies are so pretty, and colorful! And it's so good of you to donate things to charity. It's a lot of work to rearrange our closets out for the seasons, but it feels good when we do. Have a great week ahead, Jeanie.
~Sheri
Hello Jeanie,
We saw the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus on Thursday night, so beautiful and clear, shining from so very far away. We had snow last weekend, but it melted quickly. Today is sunny, but not terribly warm. Some of the early bulbs are beginning to open and they are such a welcome sight.
Love your fun and colourful butterflies! Creativity is energizing.
Bully for you, getting out in the snow and evening chill to take photos- to appreciate where you live! There is likely to be a climate change migration to your area especially when the summer bakes most of the land.
Love the butterfly. There is less snow this year? They look so thick and heavy. I cannot imagine what your impossible snowing is like
Your enthusiasm for spring is good to read about.
Your butterflies are cheery and beautiful! They're fun for a fabric print.
Love your butterflies, very creative and ready to fly off your page in to a warm spring day. :)
Spring will come again. But in Colorado, this is our snowiest month of the year! Even tho the snow is heavy and wet most of the time. A couple of degrees warmer and it would be rain. And it feels like a bucket of water when you are shovelling it, too! My daffodils usually get covered with white four or five times.
We've had virtually no snow at all this year. Distribution has been very uneven across the continent! I hope you enjoy painting butterflies, such opportunities for color.
Cute butterflies!
Spring is a long way off up here. But being above freezing for a couple of days is making the snow drip and get slushy on top. ;)
Lizzie is so pretty. :)
It doesn't feel like is coming but it did look that way today..sunny and bright and with more openness than snow on the ground. I'm sure your butterfly painting is helping to bring it on. Very bright and cheerful work!
We haven't had any snow at all, very unusual for us. I didn't get to see the conjunction because it was overcast and raining for several days. Great butterflies!
Hello Jeanie :=)
I did see Jupiter and Venus very close together and shining brightly in the night sky. I was amazed at how clear they were. I haven't changed my summer thing over to my wardrobe, and won't until April.It's still chilly here, so I'll wait for the warmth of April to change into my summer clothes. Your butterfly pictures are fabulous, each and every one of them. Well done you for these enchanting creations.
Al the best.
Lizzie is such a cutie pie.
We average around 225 centimeters of snow a year. This winter at last check we've surpassed 300 centimeters.
Lizzie is just being herself! Love your butterflies! Lets hope no more snow, but with Friday's we did have thundersnow. Janice
Lovely to see the last snow fall...something we don't get to experience here.. Nice butterfly!
Those butterflies are fun. It's a good time of year to take a class and stretch the comfort zone a bit. It's tough to hunker down after a March snowstorm, but luckily the snow doesn't last long. As long as there are no more! And I missed the conjugation. We had so many clouds. Hang in there. (Of course I say this to myself and it doesn't always work.) Spring is coming, I hope. hugs-Erika
The butterflies are pretty, I love all the color. March here is a little spring and a little chilly, not often cold and certainly only a rare occasion we see snow, maybe a flake or two in lucky:) The daffodils are bloomed out for the most but azaleas and dogwood are blooming around town. I sure hope your snow melts so you can see those sweet heads bobbing in the breeze Have a nice week Jeanie........
As yet we haven't had the snow that has been forecast, but no doubt it'll arrive soon. I can understand why you long for the Spring when flowers of the season appear. Hunkering down indoors on cold days is what we do too until better days when we can take a local walk. Your butterfly paintings are colourful and imaginative. It's a joy to see them.
The butterflies are delightful.
Yes, I did see Jupiter and Venus aligned, and was dazzed by the sight. Somehow, the two of them just "hanging there" and nothing else (that I could see) around them seemed magical, mystical. I was so glad I got to see them.
Even if we do get a little more snow, Jeanie, it is a sure bet that by March the end is in sight. We were all thrilled to see the close encounter of Venus and Jupiter, although close is a relative term. I read how far apart they still are and the numbers are so staggering it's impossible to comprehend. Wouldn't you think that when we look up and realize that there is no place to go to from here we could stop trashing the planet and killing each other? Nope, never going to happen.
I am also pining for the end of snow and winter, but this won’t be it. You speak of daffodils growing under the snow. One April, I shovelled snow from over our garden, and tulips had grown under there.
Love Your butterflies 🦋! Despise the snow! We are in full spring mode here. I didn't see the planets dancing, but a lot of chatter online was around the subject of UFOs, lol. Here's hoping that was winter's last dance in your region and spring is there to stay for you.
You changing over your closet is like me trimming up the garden. If we do it, spring will come faster, right?!
Cute butterflies, sounds like fun! I hope this is your last snow, we are supposed to be 80 degrees the next 2 days!
Jenna
Did you ever watch the movie The Blue Butterfly? You might like it:) Cute butterflies Jeanie..AU contraire this is the most snow since we moved into our present home over 21yrs ago!
We got 4" of heavy, wet snow last night and it's snowing as I type this so spring is NOT around the corner for us. We have had a super super snowy winter, but then we've had rain in between snow storms so we have the awful combo of ice + snow to contend with. I would much rather have snow than freezing rain but with global warming, I imagine we'll be contending with freezing rain going forward. :( But it is pretty outside so that is one positive aspect of the snow?
I love your butterflies. They are very cheery and make me think of spring!!
Lizzie is such a sweetheart and she deserves to nap anywhere and anytime she wants!! I love seeing your bird feeders and wildlife. Have a great week, Jeanie. Warm here today, cooler and rain the rest of the week.
With butterflies you can let your creativity fly - have fun. HOPE YOU SOON HAVE FLOWERS BLOOMING! Hugs, Valerie
Snow! It seems like everyone has snow but us. I'm not complaining because my daffodils are also just showing a tiny bit of green and I don't want them to freeze!
Well, it may not be cold to you over there, but I would be freezing. Awful. I hate cold weather. Here, in Hawaii, the wind has died down, but it is raining heavily. But, it is warm. Those butterflies are very pretty.
I love butterflies - both real and imaginary. Yours are really cute. I'm sending all kinds of positive thoughts for a warming spell to make all the snow leave quick and daffodils to bloom.
We have had no snow.. a light dusting in the night sometimes otherwise nothing. The cold has been milder as well.. the youngest routinely leaves the house with just a light hoody that too on my insistence.
Daffodils popping out here as well..
Lovely butterflies.
Yeah, some of us have to go back to work
Those daffies are going to be blooming before you know it.
Love those butterflies.
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Lizzie looks scary!! :)) We might see a bit of snow these days, but I hope we don't as we are going to London and we'll be out and about.
I'm supposed to get either snow or rain today through Thursday. I'd prefer the rain, but I'll take any moisture about now. I love your snow shots and the bird at the feeder chowing down.
Lizzie may be as far out of her comfort zone as you are with your butterflies. They are certainly unique, but you do them well, dear. Welcome to March and hopefully spring.
It's very nice to have a light snowfall. Enjoy the white world with thick clothes.
Hi Jeanie
Catching up with some of my favourite blogs after being awol for far too long. Spring is tentatively arriving here in Yorkshire but with a severe weather warning from the Met office today things might go pear shaped very quickly. Stay warm!
Jeanie,
We too had some snow this morning...almost 4 inches with more predicted for Saturday...Sadly, everyone here in NEPA thinks March is the first month of Spring but here in NEPA, March is still very much a Winter month even with snow falling into the month of April....We got spoiled here in NEPA with a very mild, almost snowless Winter but it looks like Mother Nature is going to correct herself in March as she usually does!!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Hugs,
Deb
I have never seen a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. Unusually, the Northern Lights were supposed to be seen over Britain last week. I somehow never remember to look, and then when I do it's cloudy or rainy- clearly I'd never be an astronomer! LOL
I do like your colourful butterflies.
Here in the UK snow has been forecast for many areas.
I think more soup and warming casseroles will be needed!
All the best Jan
Glad you got to see Jupiter and Venus, even if your photo didn't turn out as well as you hoped.
Hope Spring is springing for you, but that I get more snow before it arrives.
Sorry to say, but Lizzie looks cute even when "angry" ;-)
Yes, we had snow here, too. For 5 minutes, twice. But it looked so beautiful.
Yet, I am sick of those grey, cold days, too.
The more so I enjoyed your butterflies!
To some for real soon (last summer I saw but one, which is a bit scary....).
I didn't see Jupiter and Venus and, in truth, forgot to look, Jeanie. Our snowfalls in Nashua, NH, have not been plentiful this year and not amounting to more than 5 inches at the most. Your butterfly art makes me feel that spring will be arriving, but not soon enough for most.
The weather is just crazy. It looks like Lizzie doesn't like the snow either. LOL
My favorite butterfly is the one in the bottom left corner of your piece showing several. It's tail is so fish-like, I laughed when I saw it. I sure do wish I could transport you down here to experience our full-on spring for a while. I was out and about for three days, and now (once I get caught up a bit) there will be photos! Color? Oh, my gosh. Not only that, I got to photograph my first-ever bullfrog. It doesn't take much to make me happy!
Our temps keep bouncing from here to there but this would be a no snow (1/2 inch), winter for us. Our trees and bushes, and daffodils have all bloomed out. We are now looking at the red buds that have popped out. The blooms are turning so fast. Never enough time to enjoy them. Spring is here but we all know that Mother Nature and Old Man Winter will still fight over whose turn it is to come out and play. Thank goodness maybe the worst of the cold is over. My kids (furs) are not liking the cool temps but so far they are loved the warmer days on the deck.
Let's hear it for the last snowfall.
You're prompting me to get my brushes out and dabble in some watercolor. I'm not feeling very motivated these days ... but what could promise springtime more than an hour spent painting?!
Jeanie, I love your butterflies! Jupiter and Venus put on a marvelous display. I hope you enjoy some warmer days and blooms.
Weren't Venus and Jupiter just fantastic? I didn't even know about it and saw it by chance, my husband then looked it up. I thought it was quite the show! I'm ready for spring as well, it has been much colder here than usual, but there's another atmospheric river heading our way. Well, I take any rain we can get if it doesn't end up in flooding.
There is something magical feeling about a beautiful white snow fall. That being said, I now winter in Florida so I miss all the snow. I'm to sure that we actyakkt had snow in Philadelphia this year yet and we are into March. Snow may miss us all together!!
Tell cute Lizze hello!
Your butterflies are so festive and fun. I think as we begin thinking of springtime butterflies, daffodils and birds pop in our heads.
I went out today on a cold day and just couldn't wear my warm winter coat another day; so put on a jacket I hadn't worn in awhile and then wrap a pink warm scarf around my neck. The pink was needed.
Your snow is pretty, the rabbit seemed to be enjoying it in your garden. Ha!
Keep warm!
Excellent butterflies!
I love your butterflies! I can't wait to see real ones flitting about again.
And did you get this crazy snowstorm today too?
Love your butterfly artwork and your cat :) We're just having a storm here. it has been so hot and humid lately - can't wait for winter to arrive.
It's fascinating to see your snow photos. I love your butterfly art.
So sorry Jeanie..For some reason I am no longer getting your blog posts and yours isn't the only one..Don't know what to do about it...I'll have to look in to it..
We'll have to call you Madame Butterfly! Spring is coming - at least the days are longer now!
That beautiful snow!
The paintings are lovely, too. I hope to do some painting this year.
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