red wing sing

As Brad Pitt says in Interview with a Vampire, "That morning I was not yet a vampire, but I saw my last sunrise."  I haven't been bitten by one of the undead, but I am an unfortunate victim of Daylight Savings Time.  Saturday's gorgeous sunrise was the last one I'll see...for a while.

Now it's pitch dark when I go to the gym at 5:30 a.m. and pitch dark when I leave an hour or so later.  It's too bad, but in about a month we'll gain enough sunlight for me to start seeing these beauties again.  Meanwhile, I'll have to content myself with later-morning shots.

Spring is definitely coming.  Buds are popping out on trees all over...

...and patches of green grass for Borga to nibble on.

Ah, a nice shake in the sun!

Bulbs are shooting up everywhere.  I can't wait to see what happens after this week's warm spell!

I'm just too distracted to take notice of most of what's happening around me.  We're under contract to buy a farm just north of town, and everything seems so precarious as we fumble through inspection negotiations.  I don't want to post too much about it because it's not (yet!) our farm, but I did get a couple of pretty shots of the 2 ponds on the property.  A small one in front, but still big enough for paddle boating:

And a multi-acre pond at the back of the property: quiet, isolated, and perfect for a small reading bench or a quick jaunt with our kayaks.

I try not to get to emotionally attached to the property, but I'm already tossing around names.  One thing that struck me immediately at our first viewing was the noisy chatter of birds.  The farm is out in the country and surrounded by other farms, and it's gloriously private and still.  Except for the birds!  Sparrow, woodpeckers, chickadees, and the loudest of all:  red-wing blackbirds.  I'm especially fond of them because there are so many at Eagle Creek, my favorite place to hike.  Seeing them perch on the reeds around the front pond, preening in the sun and singing, seemed like a good omen.  Now I'm thinking, Blackbird Acres?  Little Blackbird Farm?  No, those aren't quite right.  I'm sure that the right one will come.  The house has a long front porch that overlooks the pond.  After nine months in a temporary apartment, I can't imagine being able to sit outside without hearing loud music, pounding basketballs, screaming kids, blaring T.Vs., and revving engines.  It will just be us and the blackbirds.  Heavenly.

Hopefully next week will bring some positive news!

A Bark in the Park

Yesterday we took Borga on her first real hike...an 8-mile jaunt through a local state park. There was a lot for a curious little dog to see. Canadian geese were out in flocks, picking through the grass for insects...

...or performing an early-morning cleaning.

We were all enchanted by the plants that were popping up amid the fallen leaves on the forest floor. This twisty plant...

...unfurls into a Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum). It's also known as wild lemon and fruits later in the summer. The fruit is edible, although it can be poisonous if eaten in large amounts.
The plant's rhizomes have been used for medicinal purposes.

Toad Trillium (Trillium sessile) is a pretty little plant. I like its mottled leaves and the tiny maroon flower that grows right out on top of the leaves instead of from the plant stem.

There were fields - fields! - of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). This less-than-stellar photo shows their almost electric colors and delicate blossoms. Due to their unusual shape, Virginia Bluebells are pollinated almost exclusively by butterflies.

These little flowers are known as Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica). They re-seed rapidly and spread quickly.

There were other flowers I didn't know, like this groundcover that reminded me a little of Myrtle.

I think these are a type of anemone. I remember these from my childhood...so dainty!

More pretty leaves than I could count!


I love the names of these woodland plants, like Cutleaf Toothwort and Dutchman's Breeches. Yes...we saw these too, but I didn't get a picture of them.

Huge patches of daffodils were blooming and made quite a scene. My only complaint about daffodils is that they don't bloom for very long and then you're left with the tall green leaves, which you cannot cut down because they're gathering nutrients in order to have a successful flowering the following year. But, I've discovered that if you plant columbines within the daffodils, their sprawling leaves and shooting spikes make a nice cover.

Trees were budding out, too, like this redbud...

...and this beautiful forsythia bush.

The forsythia sprawled all the way down the hills to the water. So pretty!

This crabapple tree, too, was in full bloom.

Standing underneath a crabapple tree in full bloom is quite an experience. The branches are low so you're at eye-level with the little white blossoms and shiny maroon leaves.

The flowers have several jutting filaments, each topped with a little pollen packet.

The branches are not just supporting the flowers. I brushed against several spiderweb strands and knew that somewhere close, a small web-weaving spider was waiting for a meal. I stood very still and surveyed the area. Found him!

I just love to see the trees budding out in the spring.

Even though this winter was really mild, we had a lot of dull, grey days.

The water level at this reservoir had dropped significantly over the winter.

Still lots of pretty views, though!

Nice signs of life, like this bird's nest...

...and even a wasp nest in the same bush.

We saw more Canadian geese...

...and this red-wing blackbird even held still long enough for a quick picture.

They're beautiful when they're flying, because all you can see is a streak of black and red.

Lots of little ducks and other waterfowl dipping for fish and algae.

A beaver has been busy here!

All in all, it was a very educational trip for Borga!

These spring days just fill me with happiness. Every day I'm checking my seedlings, pruning bushes, bringing in more and more bouquets, and enjoying the 'greening up' of the yard. I believe that every good thing, even the little ones, are gifts from God, and I love seeing the beauty of His creation, especially in the spring!

I hope you're having a nice spring, too!