I guess that's why they call it the blue(jay)s...

There's just nothing like spring in the south.  At night, the frog calls from the pond and the trees are almost deafening.  I keep all the windows open as long as I can so we can listen.  During the day, the songbirds are singing.  The sweet strains of the Carolina Wren compete somewhat unsuccessfully with the bombastic TA-WEET!  TA-WEET! of the Eastern Towhee.  Woodpeckers of all sorts chatter from the tree trunks, and a flock of Blue Jays just moved in shakes the earth with their discordant whistles and whines.  Blue  Jays are the playground bullies of the feeder space, I've heard, and they have a reputation for stealing the eggs and young of other birds.  To me they're the most beautiful birds, though, because their feathers remind me of stained glass.  I like their noisy talk, too.

The male Goldfinches are suddenly filling in bright yellow...

...although the females remain a soft, muted yellow.

Woodpeckers are gathering food from sunup to sundown, like this female Downy Woodpecker...

...and this female Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

This Carolina Wren gathers material for a nest.

Meanwhile, this Bluebird keeps an eye on all the activity...

In honor of the season, I do my best to bring the outside in.  Every table has a spring bouquet, picked from the yard.

I brought in this cherry branch.  It was barely blooming at first...

But after a few days...

The camellias are so beautiful right now.

A few years ago I ordered some hand-painted ceramic eggs.  I make little nests out of leaves for them in the spring and scatter them around the house.

The cats are loving the warmer weather, too.  When not sleeping...

...they're outside on our (lamentably filthy!) back deck, lounging in the sun or trying to figure out how to escape into the surrounding woods.

It's a good time to be in South Carolina. 

Have a great week!