The Rites of Spring!

On Saturday afternoon the skies turned black and thunder rolled. The house went dark. The heavens opened and Nature raged around us. Punishment came to mind. For what, I've no idea, other than perhaps to remind us we are small and weak in many things, and that there is something much bigger and stronger out there always at the ready to knock us down. Strength is a power I find harder to have and hold onto as I age, both physical and emotional. As the water rose around the back garden I wanted to cry as I watched the small river split in two and torrents of rainwater race down each side of our property, washing away everything in its path, pooling into a pond by the gazebo and then flowing down the driveway to the street.

Of course it's calm now and oh so green and lush with leaves and blooms. Gentle New Dawn pale pink roses clamber up the back fence, along with nameless red and deep pink ones, so thorny it's best to leave them than try to pick them. The heady perfume of blooming yellow Jasmin bowls me over as dusk approaches and I stand poking my head into the now huge expanse of vine covering the side fence, intoxicated in a good way. Then I visit the other also huge mass of white Jasmine on the back fence where the raging water came through, and sniff again that lovely fragrance.  

We've given up trying to stop the water ourselves, it's a job beyond our capabilities. It flows under the fence from the neighbor's sloping land behind us. It's really just a major problem in severe rainstorms, however today a 'land solutions' professional will hopefully show up as promised to look at the problem and give us some ideas as to how to rectify it!

This morning. . . . . . . . . green and glorious, however there's news on nesting birds. Despite all I said earlier about keeping the finches away from the Boston ferns on the front porch, guess what happened yesterday. While we were both away from the house for several hours, a pair of finches started constructing their nest in one of the hanging baskets! We considered removing it as there are no eggs yet, but felt it was really a wicked thing to do after all those flights back and forth with building supplies! Nests are pieces of art, woven and constructed with love and hard work.

   The finches have chosen us and we should feel grateful.

We do feel grateful as we are big time garden birders.  

So, they can move in and start a new family. 

Obviously they didn't read that NOT FOR RENT sign!!!

Earth Day 2023 - Arbor Update!

Last evening I made a discovery while back under the arbor.

A tiny pale broken egg was on the ground under the arch. As I was

 looking at it, a noisy squawking House finch flew out above my head!

Within a few minutes I was balancing on a step stool trying to get a

 clear photo of the contents of a rather lovely nest of woven twigs

and grasses. How amazing little birds are when it comes to home

building with just a beak.

Inside there were three eggs, two pale blue-green finch eggs

 and what I'm certain is a Brown-headed cowbird's spotted egg!

Arrow marks the finch nest location

Female Brown-headed cowbird . . . . . . .

. . . . the only parasitic bird found in the Carolinas, she lays all eggs

in host birds' nests, leaving others to raise her young. Some birds 

reject cowbird eggs, but most raise them, even to the exclusion

of their own young at times!

This is a Female House finch, one of many, including males,

I've chased off of my hanging ferns on the porch. As mentioned in

the previous post we do not put out the FOR RENT sign as they

are messy and we like to sit on the porch. The arbor location is

fine, the birds picked a good place, and hopefully I can get more

 photos later - I really would like to see if the egg count increases.

Enjoy the lovely moments of this special day when we are

surrounded by our planet Earth's beauty and Nature's bounty.

Time for linen and gardens -

Officially it's not Summertime quite yet, but it certainly feels

 like it here with temps in the high 80's all week.  

It's an excuse for a brief 'fashion post' which I haven't done in some time.

My wardrobe changeover is underway!  

My heavy sweaters, coats, jackets are gradually being cleaned/washed

and stored away. . . . . . . and the linens are hanging in the closet.

I've purchased a new, slightly loose cut - the style this year - cream

 linen blend blazer/jacket. Very comfortable, doesn't wrinkle too much, 

and I wore it out to lunch on Wednesday over a tan/cream striped tee

and khaki loose cut cropped trousers. 

I love neutrals and stripes in case you don't know!

I also pulled out a pair of sandals and so enjoyed airing my

 toes after months of socks and boots!

Haven't worn a straw hat yet but have a couple at the ready for

bright sunny days, especially when gardening . . . . . . which

I'm busy doing a lot of lately.

This week the ancient John Cabot Canadian rose has gone a little

 berserk and is clambering up the arbor to twirl with the trumpet vine. 

Pink with orange was not planned but actually looks very colorful.  

Let's face it, anything blooming in a garden is a gift, all colors are

 lovely with a green background!

I've planted several large pots of herb seeds, also little peat pots

of hollyhock seeds which I hope will germinate and grow 

where planted later.  

This week I also shopped for the annual hanging Boston ferns

for the front porch. I don't buy the largest as they grow fast and

 soon fill out with a little TLC. 

Already I'm gently shooing away the finches - as soon as they see 

a fern swaying in the breeze they think of building a nest. We

 allowed that to happen some years but they are such messy

 little birds and we'd prefer they move in elsewhere, away from

 where we often sit outside!

Feeding and watering the birds keep us busy enough! We don't

want to be grandparents to their offspring - especially since 

the scary visit a few years back when the five foot long

 fat black snake came to the porch looking for finch eggs in the

 baskets. . . . . . and scared me half to death as it slithered silently

 across the wicker chairs where I was sitting!!! Despite not being a

 venomous snake I still never want to see one that close again.

I'm shaking just writing about it!

The weekend weather here will be mixed - full sun and a high of

 84F today, with rain tomorrow and then back to sunshine and a little

 cooler on Sunday.

Enjoy your weekend.