The sights, smells, and sounds of spring!

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.  ~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat

Lovely splash of lavender pops out of nowhere in this lawn! 

I love to take Sadie and Lula for walks in the spring when the first of that season's flowers are blooming. Such wonderful smells! Enchanting. There are so many beautiful flowers to behold. And sometimes in such unexpected places...

Lillies of the Valley by my bedside. Sweet dreams.

This wonderful lady guards the entrance to another home on my walk.
It was where D. T. Suzuki once lived. He was a translator of Asian religious and philosophical classics and he first translated the Gospel of Buddha into Japanese for the Carus Publishing Company.

The scents are better then any perfume. Sorry Chanel. If I could bottle it I would be a millionaire. Right now the sweet smell of lily of the valley is in the air. I have some growing in my garden and just passing by the area stirs up the fragrance. Picked a beautiful bouquet yesterday morning and put them in an old pink glass bud vase that my grandmother had. They filled my bedroom with their aroma almost instantly and for the past two evenings I've fallen asleep with the their fragrance in the air. Ahhhhhhh. Sweet dreams.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the scent of this beautiful flower. But, what is it?

There is another flower that drives me wild with its sweet, sweet smell. Not sure what it is. Grows on a bush and passing it every spring on our walks sends me into sheer bliss. The smell reminds me of a combination of Black Jack and Beemans gum. My aunt and uncle had both packs of gum all around their house and when I would go to visit as a little girl I was free to take as many pieces as I wanted. Maybe that is one of the reasons I love the smell of this flower. The other is the beautiful, spicy smell that teases your nose as you walk by. Absolutely amazing.

I can't forget the lilacs. Shades of purple and white dot the neighborhood. It is not unusual to find me taking the dogs through the alley ways and side streets to pick a handful of these old fashioned flowers. They don't last long but are truly enjoyed for the short time that they are here. 

I have been invited to a few grand Christmas parties in this house. 

There are so many wonderful homes in my neighborhood. One special house is an old Italianate Victorian style place. Instead of grass in the front yard they have opted to create a garden in that space. An old Four Square house sits a few doors down and next to that is a charming Victorian that was the home to D.T. Suzuki for some years when he worked for the Hegeler Carus family. The grand daddy of all mansions is the home where the Hegeler Carus family lived and that is only a few blocks away. It's massive lawn blooms with blue bells and tiger lilies and is open for tours year round and is on the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historical Landmark! You can visit the website and Facebook page for it, here and here.

Photo courtesy of the Hegeler Carus Facebook page. An amazing place!

One of my very favorite things about spring and summer is what I call the "golden hour". Do you know what that is? It is the time, right before the sun sets. A splash of gold color is washed over everything. A thin veil of darkness is slowly covering the earth. Not quite dark outside yet but soon... The birds seem to chatter and sing to each other like they do in the early morning hours.  So peaceful and calm. One day over and another getting ready to begin. 

Love the old brick streets and the sounds that the cars make as the tires make their way across the road. A canopy of trees cover and protect me as I walk by.

This time is especially beautiful when I go to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with friends every year. We always sit by the lake and have an early evening picnic. Food, pink depression glass plates, candles, wine and friendship. We talk. We laugh and sometimes cry. The sun is lovely as it sets over the water and the calming sound of water replaces the soothing song of the birds on land. 

One of my favorite homes on the lake. The backyard is perfect for a summer party, don't you think?

Sting once stayed here while he was performing in concert at Alpine Valley!

Beautiful lilies along the lake.

More Day Lilies that dot the lake path.

Stately Victorian mansions and million dollar homes with lush gardens dot the area along the 25 mile lake walk. We have our own million dollar spot near the waters edge. A small picnic table from Crate and Barrel and three fold up canvas chairs. Priceless!


Don't you think Nature has a way of creating the most exquisite things...