“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21 ESV
Blessings On Palm Sunday
Wishing everyone a pleasant and peaceful Palm Sunday. April is definitely a month for new beginnings and a sunrise like this one is positively a bright start for a new day! We are still dealing with up and down spring temps with a couple of mornings last week yielding a light frost, but I’m believing it’s over and done after today, so planting time arrives this week!
I managed to get a few photos of wisteria before it faded. The blooms are gone already but Pam and I were thinking this season it was as colorful and widespread as we’ve ever seen. Why does such beauty have to be so terribly invasive?
I was wandering through the open hardwoods near the river and spied one lone spot of color in a sunny spot on the ground in the distance. This woodland phlox (wild blue phlox) was the only plant of its kind anywhere around. Makes me kinda wonder how it found its way here!
Our cherry laurel shrubs bloom early and the bees and butterflies that are around find them quickly. They have a nice smell so I don’t blame them for enjoying these white clusters. These blossoms are also short lived and have already matured and faded.
This flower is our most adorable and she blooms year round. The bouquet EM is holding is one she made from her Pawpaw’s flowers. I think she was no doubt having a moment of sweet reflection!
On the ridge tops I found wild azaleas in bloom once again. There are special places where I can count on locating certain plants every year. This array of pink can be seen through the woods from quite a distance.
I wasn’t surprised to see the azaleas because I usually know approximately when they bloom, but I was surprised to see an eastern tiger swallowtail. I was even caught further off guard by a male ruby-throated hummingbird which appeared suddenly 3 feet from my face…and of course, disappeared just as quickly so no chance at a photo. This was the season’s first hummingbird. It was April 1st, pretty much on track for the males to be passing through these parts!
I had in mind to focus some of my pics today on “new beginnings”. I believe the wild oak leaf hydrangeas are off to a good start!
I took several photos of the hydrangeas, but when I browsed through them at home a couple days later, I noticed an imposter or possibly an intruder. At the very least, a competitor for soil nutrients, a tulip poplar (not truly a poplar but actually of the magnolia family) had joined the hydrangea family reunion.
Upon coming out of the woods and through the pasture headed toward home, I could see something very strange and bright in the garden. When I arrived, it was clear that a group of young ladies had visited the garden, and that Mary Poppins imaginations were at work. And maybe too it was to trick me somewhat since I have been known to put a pair of shorts on the statue. WL was also hiding out, but claimed he had nothing to do with a pink umbrella!
Early spring is a nice time to walk the woods. I decided to take a route along the creek and head over to the river to the grove of beech trees where I found that active critter den/hole that I showed in a post a few weeks back. And you never know what you might find…
…and I did happen across a stand of mayapples. These often grow with one palmate leaf on a single stem, but I noticed these fraternal twins within the group. And oddly, this was the only plant of 20 or 30 that already had a little “apple” hanging under the leaf canopy!
The hole under the beech trees by the river still appeared to be active. It also seemed that I was not the only one with an interest in what might live there. I named him Wile E Coyote. Do you remember Wile and the roadrunner he could never catch? I don’t like this guy, but the feeling was mutual, as coyotes, at least for now, dislike encountering people!
Our dogwoods are in bloom, meaning it is the best time to go fishing. This according to the almanac, old fishing stories, and the tales you can hear while sitting on the bench out front of our local country store. This particular white dogwood has the neatest symmetric shape.
Pink dogwoods are fewer in number and found as ornamentals, but what a magnificent way of expressing a “new beginning”. We planted one years ago but it grew very little and died after about 3 years. We didn’t try another one but thankfully there are a few around we can enjoy. This particular tree is large for a dogwood and I suspect an old tree!
A utility maintenance crew did a lot of clearing and other work last fall and winter and I was thinking the fringe tree along one of my trails was damaged or even gone. PJ reminded me of how pretty it was and that I had established a tradition of taking a few photos of it every year. I told her it was likely gone. I went over to check it out on Thursday and found it untouched, and bursting forth with its own display of newness!
I believe the fringe will be much whiter in a few days, but in case I might not find the opportunity to return to that trail at the right time, I made sure I kept the fringe tree tradition alive. The work crew had worked right up to the tree, but no sign of damage. I’m glad Pam urged me to check it out.
This old sentry looks quite worn but still standing tall in the midst of a younger generation. One of these days it will join the river and make its journey downstream, leaving room for something new. This rugged tree is actually well up on the river bank, but the photo gives the illusion that it is standing in the water!
Looking east from the Temple Mount offers quite a view of the Mount of Olives, with the garden of Gethsemane near the base at the center of this photo. We are so grateful for the opportunity we had to visit the Holy Land a few years ago.
It was near sunset as we looked toward the old city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The path below would’ve been along the approximate route Jesus took as He entered the city on what we now call Palm Sunday.
“Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!””
Matthew 21:8-9 ESV
Have a wonderful week!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Praise Him. He went to the cross faithfully to obeying His Father and died for us. .
Thank you for the beautiful beginning of Spring. We are having a very early Spring. The flowering plums are in full bloom and the wood iris are too. My tulips are open. There is finally color everywhere, I love the umbrella on the statue. And EM is so pretty. The flowers she holds don’t shine one bit more than her,
Thank you Alice. So good to hear you are getting a nice taste of spring. Some spots around us had frost this morning but we escaped that by a couple of degrees. Hopefully we can now plant some annuals and seeds. Have a blessed Holy Week!
Butch and Pam
This is an especially beautiful post today, Butch, with so many wonderful and colorful blooms. It is clearly spring — and the most lovely part of spring — in your world. I’m sure this has been a challenging week for all of you. That photo of EM says it all. Sending hugs to everyone.
Thank you Jeanie. We appreciate your thoughts, a challenging week yes, but good nonetheless. We hope you are in store for some great spring weather. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Palm Sunday. Love the dogwood how pretty. EM is gorgeous with her sweet flowers.
Prayers continue for you and your family. Hugs. Kris
Thank you Kris. We wish we could grow a pink dogwood but many have trouble keeping them alive. The white one in our yard was transplanted from the woods and somehow survived. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
How wonderful you were able to visit the Holy Land. We planned a trip that was cancelled – 3 times, due to Covid. Now, it seems so dangerous, I don’t know if we’ll ever get to visit. Our local college just adopted the Coyotes as their new mascot. Very terrifying, indeed. Be careful! On my way out the door to church now – I love this season, don’t you?
Thank you Leslie Anne. We visited the Holy Land in 2011 and would love to go again but you are correct, it’s just not a safe time to travel. Spring is a glorious time but can also be violent as you know, that’s just part of it. It is a beautiful weekend here but cool. Have a wonderful Palm Sunday and a great week!
Butch and Pam
Thank you for the beautiful post and for the reminder to put out the hummingbird feeder on tax day, the fifteenth, in this area. Enjoy planting. A wise mentor thought Mother’s Day is a safe time to plant in Central Missouri, but most people are buying plants . It is tempting.
Thank you JoAnn. I will look at the 10 day forecast before planting but normally we can get by with planting after mid April. We bought a few plants but keeping them sheltered for now. Have a pleasant week!
Butch and Pam
The dogwood trees are beautiful on this Palm Sunday and are a reminder of the great sacrifice and suffering Jesus did to give us eternal life. Everything is especially bright and pretty this spring it seems. EM is indeed reflective and the flowers are gorgeous. Clara❤️
Thank you Clara. The dogwoods have always been a good reminder of the cross so I thought it good to display them on Palm Sunday. It is definitely bright and pretty here this weekend, mornings are cool. EM seems to love flowers. Have a blessed Palm Sunday and a great week!
Butch and Pam
…..And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
How quickly they changed their chants to taunts, but He had a purpose and He came to die for us…Praise His Holy Name.
Thanks Butch for the pics of renewals of beautiful blossoms…Spring is an awakening and a joyous time to be an observer. Blessings to you and Pam on this glorious Palm Sunday.
Thank you Kari. Indeed the crowd did change quickly that week. It is against human logic that the King of Kings would be a humble servant but that was exactly the plan from the beginning. Spring is really popping this weekend with beautiful weather. I am trying to observe and take in as much as possible. Have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
Butch, you are so worthy of your “discoveries”, as though the Lord knew what a keen
and sensitive awareness you would bring to what He showed you in the moment. What
a spectacular sunrise…what a poignant connection of EM with her Pawpaw’s flowers…
and the quirky humor of the pink umbrella. The Spring tree blossom whose petals have a
blood-like spot on their tips, is a reminder of the blood shed for our redemption and usually
blooming during passion week. God’s timing through nature. The creek scene is so serene and
the Holy Land photos are a special gift this week. A blessed Palm Sabbath.
Thank you Mary. Dogwoods and so much springing to life coinciding with passion week is no accident (as there really are no accidents). Such a marvelous plan of redemption is offered to those who will believe and we are surrounded with new life examples all around in the springtime…such is the timing you mention. Have a blessed Holy Week!
Butch and Pam
Those wisteria are stunning. I noticed some blooming on my way into town this week, gorgeous. Our azaleas are coming out now too, and I was looking at the white one just an hour ago to see if the freezing temps had affected it. Some of the blooms are tinged brown, but most are still pristine white. The pink ones are coming on as well. All the shrubs are alive with big bumblebees.
Thank you Carole. You are a little cooler there and things are a few days later for you than us but hopefully the late cold snaps won’t be a problem. Most everything rebounds fairly well. The bees are really at work here too. Azaleas, wild and ornamental, are in full bloom most places around here. Have a wonder Palm Sunday and a great week!
Butch and Pam
Thanks for taking us along on your walk. I miss spring and the great awakeni. EM looks so angelic with her flowers.
You can see the Western Wall in the Holy Land online. Search Western Wall live cam. Aish.com pays for it. You can have a note/prayer placed in the Wall. You can also have a tree planted in the Holy Land in memory of a loved one.
Wishing you a good Palm Sunday.
Thank you Myrna. We weren’t aware of the live cam at the western wall so thanks for that info. We were able to place prayers there when visiting in 2011. Not everyone enjoys having 4 distinct seasons but we do get that here and enjoy it, especially the spring awakening. Wishing you a great day and a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
A lovely post as always Butch & Pam. New beginnings is a wonderful way to celebrate the season that has ended & embrace the season ahead… Very much like seasons of life.
Blessings to you both, Jennifer ❤️
Thank you Jennifer. Embracing the season ahead while celebrating that which is over is a wonderful thought about the seasons of our lives. Thanks for that thought. We hope you have a wonderful and blessed week!
Butch and Pam
New beginnings! Butch, these photos, as always, are stunning. EM and PawPaw’s flowers is my favorite. Today I was able to take a slow walk in the woods. Like you, I focused on things that were blooming. It’s interesting to see similar species–all blooming at different paces. And, like the dogwoods, to see things that bloom just on time! I’m so happy the fringe tree was spared. I can’t believe how close you were to that Coyote, Butch! Wow!
To be in the Holy Land, see the sights where Jesus walked, prayed, and died–to rise again–oh, what a trip that must’ve been, my friends. Hosanna to our King!
I’ll be keeping you all in my prayers this Holy Week and Easter weekend. God bless you all. Please give Pam my love and blessings, too!
Thank you Karla. A slow walk in the woods is a good thing. I get in too much of a hurry and probably miss a lot. The Holy Land trip was really amazing. We would love to do that once again but travel these days doesn’t seem to be the safest thing to do. Long camera lenses or remote cameras are good for coyotes and a number of other critters, but occasionally we do have a close encounter by surprise. Have a wonderful Holy Week!
Butch and Pam
Spring time is definitely a time for new beginnings. And Butch sure did share those new beginnings! Lovely images of spring flowers.
EM is a delicate flower in your garden. She is getting so big!
Your pictures of the Holy Land are so beautiful to see on this Palm Sunday. Thank you!
Have a wonderful Holy Week!
Thank you Nancy. We are expecting a warm week and everything will be bursting forth, including the weeds! We do wish we could slow down those grands from growing so fast. We wish you a wonderful Holy Week and a great Easter.
Butch and Pam
This is such a beautiful post for this Palm Sunday. You have shared so many pretty blooms and spring sightings. Miss Ella Mae is absolutely beautiful. Spring temps have arrived here too and planting has started. I always love this time of year. Wishing you both a blessed and peaceful Holy Week.
Thank you Shannon. We are preparing beds and pots and will likely start planting a few things tomorrow. Can’t stay ahead of the weeds right now. We hope you have a blessed Holy Week and a wonderful Easter!
Butch and Pam
Hello Butch and Pam, this spring has been one of the most spectacular I can remember. Apparently, the unusually cold weather we had in the South was needed. Hummingbirds are back here and all the birds seem busy nesting. New beginnings indeed! Such a poignant shot of EM, praying all of you are finding some peace. Our Palm Sunday service was very beautiful, and the church was full.
Thank you Roxanne. We think a lot of things have been especially brilliant this spring and also wondered if a cold winter was a helpful thing. We’ve only seen one male hummingbird so far but a couple of nights the fireflies were out. Not many but they were around, pretty early for fireflies. Hope y’all have a blessed Holy Week!
Butch and Pam
I so love Spring. Everywhere you look shows the awesome beauty if what our Creator has done.
Your pictures are always so interesting and I enjoy walking through them with you. What He’s done is so humbling and I’m so grateful. Happy Easter.
Thank you Cherry. The beauty all around us gives us a glimpse of the Creator and we love being able to experience everything even in this fallen troubled world. We sure hope you have a blessed Holy Week and a wonderful Easter!
Butch and Pam
I teared up as I looked at your photo of the path Jesus walked. To think of His sacrifice and all He bore on account of my sins never ceases to touch my soul. I so enjoyed this post. I am very far behind, once again, but it is always so nice to stop by and catch up with your blog. God bless you!
Thank you Cheryl. Behind is ok and we always appreciate you catching up when you can. God bless and have a great week!
Butch and Pam
This is a very beautiful post with Spring in full display. God’s creation is something to behold. EM is beautiful and she does have a reflective look. Actually the pink umbrella looks good on the statue. Happy Palm Sunday. I continue to hold all of you close in my heart.
Thank you Diane. Maybe we should’ve left the pink umbrella on the statue for something very different. The girls weren’t going to part with the umbrella for long though. We are getting some showers so spring is definitely wide open now. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam