Eggs and Rocks

One of the best things about Easter on the mountain is the rocks. I know you are scratching your head thinking, "Um, Ok." But when it comes time for the annual egg hunt having three rock walls in which to tuck the hidden treasures makes the game for exciting.

Now that the youngest guests are older, the egg hunt can be a little harder.

But even with three rock walls, there were still eggs cowering in flower beds, floating in the bird bath, trying to squeeze into the bird house, hoping to blend in with the daffodil leaves and one hiding in plain sight under the table.

I love the kids running around the yard; peering into the shrubbery, poking into the emergent foliage, delving into the crevices.

Happily all but one egg was found. Luckily I noticed a glint of yellow as the last car pulled away. . I hope your Easter was as lovely.

The Scent of a Lilac

Lean close. Can you smell it? Oops. Careful. There's a bee.

Try this one.


Is there anything sweeter than the smell of a lilac?

New Jersey State Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, NJ has a collection of 200 lilacs planted in the 1920s. They have spent years carefully pruning them so that they are at the right height to allow not only for viewing but more importantly (at least for me) smelling pleasure. The plants start to bloom in late April and peak around Mother’s Day.


We wandered among the heavily scented beds. The sun-warmed blossoms wafted their perfume into the air while we gently lift the heavy panicles to breathe deeply. I overheard conversations about the beauty of these flowers, the exquisite color of those and above all the comparisons of the various scents. Some were sweet, some spicy, others delicate, or woodsy. Families moved from bush to bush to sniff and examine the different shades of color. The flowers were white, violet, blue, lilac, pink, purple and a startling magenta.



I encourage you to go sometime this week to the gardens while the lilacs are at their peak. (They are down by Parking lot B.) It is lovely anytime of the year, but this week is my favorite.

Daffodil Days

Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers. I planted thousands of them when I first moved to the mountain and now that are multiplying into fantastic stands. Bonus: the deer won't eat them!