The drought has ended in Oklahoma. Praise God. We had five to six inches of rain at our house, and it rained off and on all day. I worked in the rose bed which I'll write about later, but I wanted to show you the Easter eggs which have shown up early throughout the garden. Ignore the weeds please. I still have so many and probably will have some until winter. I do my best, but I'm not perfect, and neither is my garden. It is, however, beautiful. Where are the Easter eggs you ask? Look! They're here, there and everywhere. My tulips and daffodils, planted for Easter have arisen already. Not what I'd planned, but you know what happens when you make plans, don't you? God laughs. I hope everyone is having a beautiful spring, and that cold weather, which is always a threat until mid-April, stays far, far...

Weird and wonderful weather continues. We are getting rain this weekend, and although it may spoil spring break for many kids, I see a trip to the bookstore in our future. Temperatures in the 80s with humidity. What month is this anyway? It feels like June without roses and daylilies. Species and smaller tulips like 'Lady Jane' are melting as my friend Gail from Clay and Limestone says, but I'm still glad we haven't had a freeze. So far. With Oklahoma, you just never know. Don't plant your tomatoes outside yet. Please? It will just make you feel unsuccessful if they freeze, and you'll think you have a brown thumb which you do not. All of us can have green thumbs and even hands. All the bulbs I planted are coming up, and it's fun to greet old favorites and meet new favorites-to-be. Spring always makes me believe there is...

More people don't plant hellebores? I can't imagine a spring without hellebores. They cheer me by blooming early and laughing at rain and snow. Gray skies don't make them gloomy, and sunshine back lights them with an inner glow. Why aren't people racing to buy a plant which blooms from February through the beginning of April and sometimes beyond? Is it because you must stand on your head to take a photo or two? That's still not a good excuse. Now, there are even hellebores for you more finicky photographers and gardeners too. They stand up tall with blooms held high as if to say, "Bring it." So, why don't you? The last two photos are from the Brandywine seed strain which can be bought locally at TLC Nursery. By the way, I never get a single, blessed, free thing from TLC, but they are about the only hellebore show...

Your stats go into the clinker. Well, sometimes "real life" needs to ride shotgun in the pickup truck. Last weekend, I met some wonderful women bloggers from Oklahoma. I drove all the way out to the Lazy W Ranch way over on the other side of central, rural Oklahoma. If you visit the other bloggers listed below, you'll see that the star of the meeting was M.I.A., a Toulouse goose who had a thing for Rose. However, I was all about the chickens and the baby buffalo. Only in Oklahoma would a blogger meeting also feature a buffalo. Seriously. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was energizing. We had all ages and ranges from the blogosphere, and I loved talking to Oklahoma women because, honestly, I miss my Red Dirt Sisters. Working full time writing, I don't get out as much as I once did. If I'm...