Big Smiling Head

Late last week we noted that the joyful robins of springtime had arrived on the hill. Along with the recently spotted woodpecker (saw 3 of them scoping our bird feeder the other morning), it’s clear that spring is in the air. Throw in honest-to-goodness sunny days, and it’s hard to believe we’re supposedly getting 6 more weeks of winter. I’d like to side with the rival woodchuck in hoping for an early spring. The worms (and general bug population) must really be suffering – the robins like to move in groups, sort of mowing through grass and leaves, turning everything over, and gobbling everything up. Yay for the return of the robins!

Today we spotted a new bird at our bird feeding window. We have been feeding and watching the chickadees and another little bird (a highly selective eater known as the Alex bird) species throughout the winter. Today, our feeder and heavy bird action (first sunny morning in awhile) attracted a new bird to the viewing area. Much larger than the chickadees, and rather exotically colored (copper colored feathers underneath, white on the back, tons of speckles), the new arrival looks like a woodpecker. Sadly for him, he’s too big to perch on our feeder. Some no salt crackers have been crumbled and left for an offering…

Well, I started my seeds fairly late in the season, plus it’s my first try at a potted plant porch garden, but there is a freakin’ tomato in development! Whoopee! There shall be at least one tomato enjoyed by me due to my mad porch gardening skills. Heck, there might even be a small handful, depending on how September 2011 pans out. This week is warm and sunny, so I will be looking out for more flowers turned to fruit. Also, my pepper plants are still hanging in there – no flowers, no shrub, but the leaves seem to be delicious based on the bites that are missing.

After nearly 4 years, the 5th book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series has been released! Let the reading of this great tome (over 3000 pages) commence! I know, I am using the hell out of exclamation points, but I am absolutely thrilled. I pre-ordered A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Five in the electronic format for my iPad, and am pleased to say that the book was released yesterday (thanks for the email, itunes store) and when I booted up the Pad, there is was awaiting me. : ) There is no book review today, but I will definitely write something up once I have eaten this delicious treat. Thanks, Mr. Martin!

Summer has finally arrived with a rather sweltering heat-wave, and it seems like most plants and many cheerful local birds are loving it. The day starts early with the liquid (and endless) trill of young robins. At least that is my primary suspect. There are bald eagles nesting way above us in the hills, and some sort of mountain jay with a black crest and bright blue body, but robins are the most numerous bird in the area. In the last week or two I have started to notice Monarch butterflies making an appearance – there are many attractive flowers in our area and they have taken note. These butterflies seem more pale than the ones I remember from Northern California. Maybe I am misremembering? Or they get more golden with age? Or based on where they grew up? Pale here in Oregon, more burnished in California, perhaps. No matter the color, I enjoy seeing them flit about. We recently hung a few small hummingbird feeders up and filled them with red sugar water – they do not get as much play as I’d imagined, but most days we do see a little action. It’s especially great since the feeders are in some of the main house windows. When they come, even briefly, the whole house is usually involved. Well, maybe not the chicken. But certainly Kingston. I like summer days full of Monarch butterflies and angry, thirsty hummingbirds!