Tweet, Tweet!

It's Spring!

Farewell to chills and colds!

The blushing, girlish World unfolds,

Each flower, leaf and blade of sod-

Small letters sent 

to her from God.

John Updike

The Grosbeaks have returned! We are so delighted to have them visiting each day for a snack, a drink or a bath. The female isn't as bright as her partner, but she is a lovely shade of orange and has striking white bands on her wings.

The male Black Headed Grosbeak has a distinctive dark hood, tail and wings. I took this photo of the Grosbeaks at the seed cylinder, below, from inside the house through our kitchen window!

They happily take turns nibbling almonds and sunflower seeds with other visiting birds. 

Remember a few weeks ago a friend sent me a bird swing? Here is a House Wren using it!

Have you seen Black Headed Grosbeaks in your neck of the woods? They live in a large area of North America during the warmer months, then migrate to Mexico in Winter.

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Mosaic Monday

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Ever do things that amuse yourself? Every time I think about how I got this photo I have to chuckle! This idea came to me last week - why not place colored plastic eggs on our lawn where the wild cottontails come to nibble our grass?  We often place carrots or apple peelings out there for the visiting rabbits, and I thought that they wouldn't mind a few plastic eggs on the grass and I could snap a fun photo. 

It worked! Every time I look through the kitchen windows into the backyard I have to smile. The eggs are still out there and the bunnies don't seem to mind at all. As we prepare for Easter we have been 

~coloring eggs~

~decorating~

~gathering supplies for a glow in the

 dark egg hunt~

~assembling baskets~

~thinking of the reason behind the holiday~

photo from photobucket

College Girl and I are going to try a new cake recipe this weekend. It's for Hummingbird Cake and has bananas and crushed pineapple in it with cream cheese icing.

 I will definitely be drinking lots of tea, so the bunny pot will be washed and made ready for duty!

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppity Easter's on it's way!

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Share Your Cup

Favorite Things

Time Travel Thursday
Freedom Fridays
What To Do Weekends
Mosaic Monday 

There are Footprints On the Moon

Penumbra - from the Latin paene "almost" or "nearly"

 and umbra "shadow"-  is the region in which only a portion 

of the light source is obscured by

 the occluding body, which in this case is the Earth.

The penumbra is covering more than half of the moon's surface

 I stayed outside and watched until the entire

 moon was cloaked in shadow. Mars was 

visible too!

Did you get a chance to see the lunar eclipse

 last night? It was warm and windy here,

 around 60 degrees at midnight- perfect for 

moon watching!

Paul Brandt 

Hummer Helpers

I love getting old fashioned 'snail mail'! 

And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart.
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
~W.H. Auden

 I have the sweetest friend who not only sends me hand crafted cards, but also sends me little surprises in the mail.

 What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters.  

 ~Liz Carpenter

  

The other day a package arrived with this charming Hummingbird Swing enclosed. We were excited to hang it near the feeders and see the Hummies use it!

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.  

~Phyllis Theroux

I love watching the birds in our backyard and have started keeping note of which birds return each year in my gardening journal. Handyman has caught the bird 'bug' too.  In a recent visit to our local Wild Birds Unlimited store he purchased bird seed and was given a Hummer Helper Nesting Material  as a free promotion. 

It has all natural untreated fiber in it that is perfect for Hummingbirds as well as Goldfinches, Titmice and other birds to use for nest building. Between the feeders - which we keep cleaned and filled - the fancy copper swing and the nesting material, I think we've really rolled out the welcome mat for all the Hummingbirds, don't you? 

Here is a simple recipe from  

Wild Bird Shop 

for making hummingbird nectar:

1. Mix 4 parts water to 1 part table sugar in a pan (1 cup sugar to 4 cups water).  Do not use honey, Jell-O or brown sugar.  Do NOT use artificial sweeteners - use real sugar!  Do not use red food coloring. It is unnecessary and can harm the little hummers.  Do not add anything else that you might think of.  Just sugar and water, that's all.
2. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat.  Stir it while it is heating until all of the sugar is dissolved.  Don't boil it for long because that will change the ratio as water is boiled off.  The reason for boiling is not to make syrup, but to drive out the chlorine in the water and to kill mold and yeast spores that might be in the sugar. This will help make the nectar last longer both in the feeder and in your refrigerator. 
3. Cover and allow to cool before using or pouring into the storage container.

 

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Time Travel Thursday

Share Your Cup

A Favorite Thing

You're Going To Love It
What To Do Weekends 
Freedom Fridays 

Hoppy Endings

We didn't get as much rain as I hoped the other day, and now the thermometer has climbed with the arrival of the dreaded Santa Ana Winds! I made this scrapbook page a couple of years ago after a particularly gusty night of 50 m.p.h. winds. Notice the large broken branch in the divided photo?

  

 I'm looking forward to the end of April which signifies the end to those pesky winds until Fall.  Meanwhile, I thought I would print some silly Easter jokes to tuck into lunch boxes or stash in College Girl's car.

 What's the difference between a counterfeit bank note and a

 crazy rabbit?
One is bad money, the other is a mad bunny!

Why did the Easter egg hide?
He was a little chicken!

How many Easter eggs can you put in an empty basket?
Only one – after that it’s not empty any more!

Why shouldn’t you tell an Easter egg a joke?
It might crack up!

How can you tell where the Easter Bunny has been?
Eggs (X) marks the spot!

What’s the best way to send a letter to the Easter Bunny?
Hare mail!

Why does the Easter Bunny have a shiny nose?
Because the powder puff is on the other end!

How does the Easter Bunny travel?
By hare plane!

How does the Easter Bunny keep his fur neat?
With a hare brush!

How do you know carrots are good for your eyes?
Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses?

How did the soggy Easter Bunny dry himself?
With a hare-dryer!

How does a rabbit keep his fur looking good?
With hare spray!

What kinds of books do bunnies like?
Ones with hoppy endings!

I'm putting little touches of Spring and Easter here, there and everywhere. 

 

 
I spotted this wee bunny nibbling grass in our backyard- it was so tiny and adorable!

What are the signs of Spring in your neck 
of the woods?

California Dew

Who Likes The Rain?

“I,” said the duck. “I call it fun,
For I have my red rubbers on;
They make a little three-toed track,
In the soft, cool mud, - quack! quack!”
  
“I!” cried the dandelion. “I!
My roots are thirsty, my buds are dry.”
And she lifted a tousled yellow head
Out of her green and grassy bed.
  
“I hope ‘twill pour! I hope ‘twill pour!”
Purred the tree-toad at the gray bark door,
“For, with a broad leaf for a roof,
I am perfectly waterproof.”

Clara Doty Bates

 We are expecting some 'California Dew' today and I'm looking forward to it. Every time it rains my favorite Gene Kelly movie scene comes to mind. I wish I could tap dance and twirl an umbrella up and down the sidewalk like he did! I love rainy days. I love the sound and smell of rain, the quiet that sets in through the neighborhood when a good downpour begins, the charcoal clouds wafting across the sky, and the comforting hot cup of soup or tea I have after being out of doors. 

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.

  Robert L. Stevenson