An Incredibly Soggy Bloom Day

The front stalled just like they said it would. It has been raining steadily since Sunday night. At least I am still on the warm side. The cold side when it gets here may bring snow, like it is actually winter or something.

I knew I would have to go next door to find any blooms for Bloom Day. Out into the rain and drizzle and fog I went. There are snowdrops out there.

I had another reason to head next door on a day of endless rain. One of my winter projects is over there.

The fireplace mantel had been trying to fall off the wall. The thing is so heavy, about 50 pounds or more, the weight was pulling its supports away from the wall. Exploring kittens climbing higher by the week and more than one earthquake forced an end to procrastination. It was hanging on by a thread. A couple months ago I completely redid the supporting structure using thicker wood and screwing that directly into the studs. Before, it was only held on with finish nails. Much better.

Painting was the next step. The furnace had to be turned back on to bring the house back up to the operating temperature of paint and painter.

The mantel is also getting a fresh coat of paint to hide the kitty cat claw marks it had developed over the years. Once everything is painted, the mantel will then be attached to the corbels. Before that, the incredibly heavy mantel was just sitting up there loose on its meager supports.

But this is Bloom day, not winter painting project day. We have snowdrops to see.

And soon, if they don't get zapped by the coming cold, we will have Hellebores to see.

There are snowdrops all over. Even in my brief stroll in the rain I saw snowdrops in all kinds of places. Bulbarella has been spreading them about the last couple of years and they do set seed rather well.

The freakish warm spell we had for the last week has set the daffodils in motion. I saw many more of them rising through the leaf litter. They will slow down when it turns cold again.

I was actually looking for crocus and did not see any where they should be. I did find one patch where they weren't before. I'll take them to be a newly planted acquisition of Bulbarella's.

That's my very soggy Bloom Day. For more blooms from around the planet visit our lovely hostess, Miss Carol of May Dreams.