Tulip Time!

I thought spring had finally arrived, but after last week, I wasn't quite convinced.  Following that short burst of warmth and sunshine, there was driving rain, wind and hail.  More hail than I've ever seen before.  Ever. Everything was covered in white.  It was an incredible scene.

Signs of spring abound though.  I see daffodils, crocus, grape hyacynth and tulips and am reassured.  Canadian geese are making their journey north as they pass over our house in formation with loud honking and flapping--music to my ears, along with the delicate song of the western bluebirds flitting from tree to tree.  I try and stay focused on the the beauty of nature, but sometimes it's hard. 

Because, we've been battling carpenter ants for weeks now.  Another harbinger of spring here.  They've found a place they like under the foundation of the house, directly under the kitchen sink area.  We've put out bait and called the exterminator, but they still find their way inside and wander all over the place.  On Sunday, as I stood at the stove stirring gravy, calmly chatting with Grace at the sink, one of these enormous black creatures crawled right up my pant leg and took a bite out of me!  I was a bit shocked to say the least.  And if that wasn't bad enough, earlier last week I encountered a snake in my sewing room.   It was stretched out across the threshold of the doorway.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing!  I think this crazy weather is confusing not only me, but all living things as they crawl and slither into my home to find shelter. No telling what I will come across next.  (My husband, my hero, wrangled the snake and took him back outside; way beyond the house...he assured me.  But I'm keeping my eyes peeled just in case he comes back.)  Here's the picture he managed to get (from his cell phone) as it slid away. 

Can you believe this?  I'm still reeling. 

But I don't want to leave you ladies all squirmy and squeemish, heavens no!  (giggle)  So here's a quick little sewing project to get our minds off this big, bad, cruel world for a while...

 Last week, as I was digging through my stash of vintage transfers hoping to find a particular flower pattern for a stitching friend, I found this cute motif for an apron pocket.  Thought it would make a sweet dishtowel, so enlarged it and got busy. 

Here's the result--and the pattern.   (Click pattern to open in Flickr.)  Enjoy! 

Time to go back on "watch duty".  Take care, until next time!

Comments

[Misty]

Oh my gosh, you poor woman! I am having the ant problem, too, and they drive me crazy. They don't seem to be taking the poison back to their friends yet. So sorry about the snake! :(

[Vee]

Oh no. What a long skinny fellow he is! What kind? We have trouble with ants when it gets a bit warmer. I'm hoping that the work on the house got rid of any problem areas and they won't be so bad this year. I would not like to get bitten by one! Nasty little bugger. I really like your sweet little dish towel. (I'm still waiting for my light box. Not sure when I'll get it.)

[Lena]

Oh gosh, I'd be gone. I'm not kidding. First, I'd burst into tears, then, I'd never sleep again! LOL! I have a horror of snakes, and other things that slither. I know it was instilled in me by my mom and all the other southern ladies in my family who grew up with seriously dangerous snakes. I can't deal with long naked tails on little creatures either, cause they slither. I can tolerate a worm, as long as I don't have to touch it! I know, I'm a wimp, but really, I'm pretty brave when it comes to lots of other things.

My dad just had to call an exterminator for ants too. His are a different kind, but so interesting. He's never had to do that before. My heart goes out to you. These sorts of things are so frustrating.

It has been so pretty here the last few days, but it's supposed to rain again. I've had a crew of fellows here all day helping with the garden, as my back has been giving me fits. I've been loving the signs of spring here though we're running behind, and I've lots of planting to do. Your indoor bouquets are so pretty Vicki. I've been bring the flowers indoors too, and I've lots of the grape hyacinths blooming under the dogwood tree. We had ice in the rain, on the way back from the farm the other day, but there was a glorious rainbow too. The widest one I've ever seen, with very bright colors.

The dishtowel idea is a sweet one Vicki. Thank you for sharing.

xo

[Carrie]

Oh my! I can honestly say that I would have a hard time relaxing in my home after finding a snake in it! I am desparately creeped out by them! It is a fear I still want to conquer.

Loving the tulip embroidery! I need a little stress reliever and that might be just the ticket!

Thank you!

[Jenna]

The tulip is sweet!!
This is the first spring in our apartment & we
Apparently have carpenter ants....yesterday I found two
In my Green Tea....they are all over my kitchen!

I feel for you!

[Sara]

Adorable pattern...aren't the grape Hyacinths sweet!

[Jeanne]

While reading your account of the snake in your sewing room, I invisioned a small garden variety snake. Then I scrolled down to see the photo of him and YIKES! He was huge!!Here in Texas, my pioneer grandmother, killed a rattlesnake on her porch with a HAMMER. It was so remarkable that we shared the story at her funeral. I cannot imagine the ant problem you must be having. I am dealing with scorpions in the house. The old wives tale is that their presence means it will rain soon and we sure could use some.

[vicki haninger]

Carpenter ants are picky eaters; I discovered a drop of honey mixed in with the poison will attract them. They can smell it. Also, switching bait frequently helps as they seem to tire easily of the same one. Good luck!

[vicki haninger]

It's only a harmless garter snake, a young one at that--but I like them a LOT better when they are outside! LOL They're beneficial in that they control mice and other critters, so we let them be.

Too bad about the lightbox. I found a pretty neat one at the toy store for about $20.

[vicki haninger]

Ha ha...I hear ya...that's how I feel about spiders...if I see one I will worry about it forever.

I think the mild winters are increasing the insect population. These things often happen in cycles, so I'm not freaking out about it YET. The pest control man is coming Friday with the big gun arsenal so that should hold them at bay for awhile.

Yes, the weather has been a mixed bag of good and bad, hot and cold. One day I'm in sweaters and socks, the next day it's flip flops! Weather can't make up it's mind.

[vicki haninger]

I know, I know...just SO grateful it didn't crawl into my fabric baskets or a drawer or something, because that would have really sent me over the edge for sure! LOL

[vicki haninger]

OH no, not you too...and in your tea? How horrible. Good thing you looked before you took a sip. I wonder what attracts them to the tea--might be a good ingredient to mix with the poison bait.

[vicki haninger]

Yes, love them!

[vicki haninger]

Your grandmother was a brave woman. I wouldn't be able to do that in a million years. I'd be so nervous, I'd probably hit my big toe with that hammer instead! That reminded me of story though. We had a pesky gopher tearing up our front lawn one summer, and my mom got so fed up with him that she grabbed a metal bucket off the porch and threw it across the yard about 25 feet and knocked that gopher out of the ground(he was popping up at that exact moment) and killed him instantly. My little brother and I just stood there in awe of her power. So funny!

Scorpions sound serious. I guess I shouldn't complain about a lowly little snake! There's probably something to that wive's tale, because weather changes do seem to drive things into the house. We have (more) rain today, I'd send it your way if I could!

[Teresa Kasner]

I had snow on my daffodils, too. Crazy! I like your daffy bouquet in the basket.. charming. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[leslie]

That was a really big snake! We also have ants but they are small sugar ants that can get into anything and everything. I guess that's springtime. I love the tulip pattern. Your dishtowel came out so cute.

[Sue]

Adorable! Thank you for the pattern, too!

[toko baju muslim]

Thank you for posting this. It’s exactly what I was looking for!

[Chase l Oh The Cuteness!]

That pattern is so sweet, thanks for sharing it!