The month of May has flown by, leaving me wondering how I could have squeezed any more out of it, and yet feeling like there were so many Springtime mysteries that I missed. Life here at Ships Landing has been full of simply living, each day flowing into the next as seamlessly as a creek flows into a pond. I've been outside as much as possible, planting flowers, fighting crabgrass, planting a small garden with some tomatoes and cucumber plants. I finally gave up and put up a chicken wire fence around it since the rabbits were having their breakfast every morning on those tasty leaves. :) My birds are a continual delight to me, although I will admit that I pulled out the trusty .22 today to scare off the cowbirds. I've fed them all Spring, now I've had enough, and it's time for them to go pester someone else for a while. The Swallows have a clutch of babies ready for fledging. Wonder if I'll be outside with my camera at just the right moment (like I was last year :D). Oh I do hope I see those precious little ones emerge for the first time. They are already poking their little heads out of the hole when Mom and Dad are out scrounging up meals for them. :) One set of Bluebirds launched :) babies a couple of weeks ago, and I have another pair that are working on hatching their babies. :) The Goldfinches seem even more vivid to me this year. Must be aging that's coloring my view, do you suppose? :) I took Dewey to a new vet last Saturday. It was time. This past Wednesday he had 14 teeth removed. I just cried. How could a vet that I have seen for a year and a half not have known that he had a massive infection due SOLELY to some really bad teeth. I've gone through the rage (at first at my previous vet who told me numerous times that all of his teeth, with the exception of one back tooth, were healthy; and then at myself for continuing to give her the benefit of the doubt for so long), and have finally reached the point of just being so happy and relieved that Dewey is finally feeling IMMENSELY better. I'm giving serious thought to filing a complaint against her. We finally put the pontoon in the water this past week; now we are trying to clear a day here and there to go out and enjoy the water a bit. Hope everyone is totally immersed in Spring right now, and soaking up every minute of it. Summertime is nipping at Ms. Springtime's heels. :) It will be the 'heat of Summer' quicker than you can blink.

Columbine Lady, do you have any worms for me? I'm just a baby Bluebird and need some help here. I finally got a not-very-good picture of the Mockingbird eating raisins. He has a raisin in his beak. :) I've been trying to catch him forever. :) Mock Orange is starting to bloom--love the shadows Thanks to Tabor, who pointed me in the direction of Orioles, I've concluded that I had a pair of Baltimore Orioles. This is the male. Female Baltimore Oriole--This is a first for me. I've never seen them in my yard before. :) I had it wrong about the Orioles. I MEANT to say I had concluded that they are ORCHARD ORIOLES.

This Momma Bluebird was so cute---she had so much nest material in her mouth she couldn't get in the 'door' :) Can anyone identify this bird for me? The photo is not very good although I had full zoom on my camera. It was just a tad too far away from me. This is for Nita--this is the cooking sage blooming out, and the blooms last quite a while This litte Sparrow just siiinnngs all day. The CUTEST little thing! Click on photos to enlarge I saw my first Summer Tanager today. Oh my goodness, he was so BEAUTIFUL he took my breath away! And as luck would have it, it had started to rain, and I had just brought my camera inside. I wasn't quick enough bringing it back out, and he left before I got a picture of him. Do you think he'll come back? :)

Birds and Blooms

Raindrops

My Columbine are starting to bloom and they are just gorgeous I just planted this Maple day before yesterday. :) It was a volunteer in my flowerbed that I potted, oh, maybe two years ? ago--the roots had grown through the pot to China. :) Goodies from the little independent local nursery. Mr. Tolbert must be in his late 70's and he is just delightful. He's going to sell his greenhouse business because none of his kids or grandkids are interested in carrying it on. It's his passion but he can't handle much of it alone any more. Isn't that sad? Columbine Raindrops on Shamrocks I think the monsoon season has descended upon us. It has rained, lots, for days, and more is forecast for the next four days. The flowers and greenery are just lush from the rain. I putter around with raindrops pattering on my head. The Goldfinches, Bluebirds, Swallows and Sparrows don't mind the rain; why should I? :) I just can't seem to make myself stay inside right now--even with a flu bug. :( The hinges on my storm door have gone into screech mode because I've been running back and forth so much. :)

Happy May Day

Does anyone know what this little beautiful bird is? Purple Finch? House Finch? Something else?