Spring Has Sprung

Three weeks of being out of commission has left me with a ton of chores to catch up on: trimming goat udders, trimming goat hooves, cleaning goat pens. Not to mention getting the garden readied. But I am working through them... except on Sunday. Sunday is my day of rest.

Today is Sunday. Johnny, friend Mary and I flung feathers for the tree and violet-green swallows. We do this every year and the swallows love it. They swoop down and try to grab a feather before it hits the ground or gets snatched by another swallow. Then they try to elude their pursuers who are trying to steal the prize and stuff the feather into their gourd. All the swallows have chosen their nest gourds by now. I am running out of white feathers so will have to ask friends and neighbors for replacements... and to come join the fun.

Afterwards, Mary and I hiked around the Qi Gong meadow, where I have planted wild flowers. Happily, many native checkermallows are up near where I planted new ones. And Mary found the pea vine that is native but scarce... just coming up. She also spotted a tiny tree frog resting in the sun on our orange quince bush in the yard... so tiny and cute. Can you find it?

 On another day, I took photos of birds and wild flowers during a rest break. 

This first one is a bird I had to look up... to my surprise it's a female Red-winged Blackbird.

 

Canada Goose on our section of Agency Creek

Oregon Bluebell almost open

Bleeding Hearts

Oregon Grape

American Robin

Golden-crowned Sparrows in an apple tree

Mourning Dove

A singing Bewick's Wren

 

Photos of  "our" swallows are in the previous post.

It is raining again this Sunday afternoon, but I don't mind. The mud has dried and the spring flowers can use the shower. 

Happy Spring!