A small flock of bluebirds were in our yard today! First spotted in the large old oak tree out front, then later in the backyard, they likely were just passing through on their way south. I saw a male checking out the bluebird house on the shagbark hickory tree, where a family lived earlier in the summer. By late afternoon, they were gone.
There were other birds - blue jays, robins, nuthatches, finches, and the ever-present sparrows. If I closed my eyes and listened to their singing and soaked up the unseasonably warm sun on my skin, it felt like spring.
Then I opened my eyes and walked around the yard, and I saw signs of spring everywhere!
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The Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) has its 2011 buds
ready to go! |
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The Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) tree's swollen buds make it
apparent that it's ready for spring, too. |
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| Magnolia x. loebneri 'Leonard Messel' is all fuzzed up for spring! |
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Yellow scabiosa (Scabiosa ochroleuca) is blooming
like it's summer. |
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The tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) is dressed up
in magenta buds. |
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The lilacs (Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation') sit in wait for their
signal to grow. |
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The grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) are making a trial
run, but I think they're just reminding me of where they are so I
don't try to plant more bulbs there! |
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The elderberry (Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold') is nearly
bursting at the seams, ready for spring! |
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| The spinach I planted in August is providing yummy salad fixings. |
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| The yarrow (Achillea) is still blooming... |
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| ...as is the Gaillardia... |
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...and even the Offspring-of-the-Wave petunias are still going at it,
in spite of several hard frosts. |
It's the time of year when the weather can change in a heartbeat though, so these spring-like days that almost feel like summer - yet not - are not lost on me. I'm taking advantage of them by getting the gardens ready for winter and the last of the bulbs planted.
I'm also taking time to just drink it in. I close my eyes again and try to commit to memory the warm feel of the sun on my skin so that I can recall it when winter threatens to beat me down with its dreariness. Or maybe, just maybe, this really
is spring and we're going to skip winter this year. The year has already been one for the books, so why not?
You have to believe in happiness,
Or happiness never comes ...
Ah, that's the reason a bird can sing -
On his darkest day he believes in Spring.
~Douglas Malloch
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| Bluebird from earlier this year |
"Bejeweled"
6 comments:
Love your optimism. I also saw the bluebirds last week and have seen many signs of spring. So I too will look at the blessings of my garden in bud or bloom and dream of spring. I decided this year to clean up more now so in spring it won't be so much work. It has also been a blessing since the garden looks like spring when I clean up now........thanks for the smile you post has given me!! :)
This is a delightful post Kylee. Aren't those fuzzy buds on the magnolia sweet. Really, skip winter, not a chance. It is just Mother Nature lulling you into a splendid stupor just before the cloud of winter descends. Love the quote too. Your bluebird photo is precious.
With your optimistic outlook, Kylee, you would be a good candidate for joining the Royal Order of 21sters!
Those folks truly believe that spring is coming as soon as the days begin to lengthen on Dec. 21.
Bluebirds have been migrating through here also. They like to hang out in an area near open water much the same way Robins do.
Your beautiful photography of buds truly does hold a promise of spring to come.
Here in Wisconsin we had a dry fall; but over this weekend Mother Nature has been correcting that condition with wet snow. 8 1/2" of a wet winter wake-up call.
Hopefully you will be getting some of this moisture in Ohio also.
Isn't it ever so cool how the weather can sometimes make us believe it's an entirely different season than the one that's in? You have many more things of color there than I have here, so maybe, just maybe, winter will pass you by! (Wouldn't that be nice? Or not?)
Spring may be on the way Kylee, but it's the long way! Thank you for linking my Holland post to yours, I'll do the same for you.
Your weather is the same as we have had. Only thing here is the dry. We need rain desperatly. The leaves continue to fall from the trees, but the flowers left are still thriving. This weekend temps to be close to 70*, can't beleive Thanksgiving is only 5 days away. I am looking forward to some snow to enjoy. Ground needs some sleep for next years growing season.
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