For The Birds

We have an amazing variety of wild life living in our very close to urban suburb. My gardens remain largely unmolested by squirrels, rabbits and such due to the hawks and owls that reside in our treetops.

You might remember a few years ago when we had an owlet sighting at a neighbor's house? This year the owls nested and hatched nearly in our back yard. Many evenings as we've sat outside having dinner we could hear them hoo-hooting away.

A few nights back Precious Youngest was headed out the door and I could hear frantic ...I don't know...sounds of some sort. I went to investigate and found her standing stock still in the doorway and gesturing wildly at me while hissing "Camera! Camera!"

Two young owls were perched on our fence mere feet from where she was standing. I handed her my shitty Fuji point and shoot camera, at which point one of the owls startled and flew away. But the other was way too interested in us to fly off.

I realize these look like pictures of bad Halloween decorations, but Precious Youngest turned off the flash so as not to scare the remaining owl away. He/she was a good two and a half feet tall. We know it was one of the babies because:

1. The adults don't EVER come that close
2. The parents (we presume) were sitting up in an Oak tree calling apoplectically to him/her get the hell away from us already.
   

If Precious Youngest had used her super nice because this is what we want to do with our life camera you can be sure the quality of photos would have been better.

In any event, the owlet sighting stopped all activity until he/she finally flew off. Pretty cool, no?

Girls can be so catty

The whispers start the moment she enters. "Just who does she think she is anyway?"



She’s the one in the gaudy dress. So… inappropriate for the setting. And her almost overpowering perume? Tasteless, wouldn’t you agree?



After all, this is a simple garden party. We all look so pretty and fresh. Dressed simply, but charmingly if we do say so ourselves.



You see her there? She looks so out of place, doesn’t she see that?

Doesn’t she care?



No girls, I don’t think she does.

How was your weekend?

You start the day with coffee and the paper.

Then there's the planting and weeding

the watering and staking

followed by the pruning and feeding

at which point you need a nap.

And actual blogging? Who has the time?

Grace in Small Things, part 15

I feel a certain amount of shame that my last grace post was months ago. Nevertheless I give you this:

1. Nests of baby finches in the cedar trees
2. Putting the boat in the water for the summer
3. Bumper asparagus crop
4. Flower gardens looking great
5. Cherries are back in season

Things that make me go HUH?

This past Saturday we had a winter storm. No matter that is technically spring. The temperature dropped and we awoke Saturday morning to freezing rain which turned to sleet at mid-day. Everything was coated in ice. Beautiful, but when limbs on trees appear ready to give way pretty doesn't cut it.

About the time I started thinking we were going to loose some tree limbs the sleet turned to snow. Enormous snowflakes that looked like thousands of Kleenex had just accidentally gone through the wash cycle.

Sunday reached fortyish degrees. The ice melted and most if the snow disappeared. By yesterday afternoon there was no evidence of the winter storm whatsoever.

Here's the weird thing. The forsythia, daffodils, hyacinth are still blooming! So are the Pear and Magnolia trees! The daffodils may be drooping slightly but you would never know these flowers had spent twenty four hours completely encased in ice.

Perhaps when I emerge from my ice cocoon my teen-aged thighs will reappear cellulite-free?

In which I am the freaking Audubon Society

The Robin's eggs hatched last week.

Mama bird is still watchful

They were not much to look at

Constantly screaming for food

But look how big they got in about five days!

Last night we had the most awesome owl sightings. We'd been hearing them for the past few weeks, but had gotten only brief glimpses. The last night we were at the neighbors for dinner and saw an adult Barred Owl land in a nearby tree. We got up to get a better look and down to the fence flew a baby! Then another! Gah, no camera so I swiped this picture from the Internet.

They babies looked JUST LIKE THAT! All fuzzy heads and huge black eyes. Have you ever seen anything so damn cute? The neighbors are under strict orders to CALL with another sighting so I can get pictures.

( p.s. We did find time for a vacation in JUNE! More later.)