It's bathtime...

Mr. Robin takes a bath...

and he does lots of splashing...




















Do you think I got under my wings clean enough?

It's not...

It's not Capistrano Mission but the faithful tree swallows are back. I have been privileged to host a pair in my garden for the last several years and they have arrived for 2007. This morning I sat on the patio and watched this pair check out all the various housing options. For the last 2 seasons they have chosen a house high in the pine tree but it seems they have taken a "liking" to one of the bluebird houses I painted this winter.

Briefly, they checked out the house holding my chickadee family but were quickly discouraged from going back there. Mr. Wren has also arrived and I am a little more worried about my chickadees with him around as wrens can be quite deadly to eggs/baby birds in houses they desire. I have not seen the baby chickadees yet but the parents are faithly bringing small insects and little green worms into the house so they must be hatched. I look forward to sharing photos when I finally spot them.

Another sign of spring...

Cropdusters...now, I know spring is here. The dogs and I were out relaxing in the garden trying to photograph one of the resident kestrels when we were driven inside because the farm field across the road was being sprayed. Not only did I not want to breathe anything they might be spraying but it is incredibly loud...luckily it only happens this close to me a few times a season.

Nothing says spring to me like a droplet covered blossom and these yellow tulips were two of the many I photographed yesterday.


"The soul needs laughter like flowers need rain."

Look Ryan....even this robin prefers to rest surrounded by pink. Your mommy's post brought laughter to my soul today...

Sight, sound and smell...

"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty, never grows old." Kafka

The crabapple tree is blooming and with it I see beauty in the pink blooms, hear the wonderful song of the goldfinch and the smell...if only I could post that.

McDreamy...

Wow, two posts in one day but I just had to show you Mr. Grosbeak isn't he just "McDreamy"?




The girls just can't keep their eyes off of him :-)

Hope

"Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
and sings the tune without words,
and never stops at all..."
Emily Dickinson

It's raining but these bright spots of yellow & blue make me smile today along with yesterday's first sightings of the rose breasted grosbeaks.

For 2 days I have been trying to photograph the beautiful male but he has got to be the most camera shy bird in my garden. This female was much more cooperative in having her photo taken and I hope to show you her beautiful mate soon.

These bring me joy...

"The way to know life is to love many things."
Vincent Van Gogh





There are so many photos I take that I would love to show you but most of the time I can't find a poem :-) So I have decided to take Marsha's Garden in a new direction and post photos of things I love and that bring me joy. I'll still use the occasional poem and lots of quotes but in my busy "garden of life" I will not feel the "need" to find a quote/poem just so I can post a photo.
Last night I found joy in watching a white throated sparrow busy splashing away and this mornings walk through the garden found beautiful daffodils blooming along side the pond. Spring is wonderful!

To red tulips...

I saw you first this morning
While all was calm and still
Bright red tulips blooming
Beneath my window sill.

Gay cups of captured sunbeams,
Bright golden rays of cheer,
That winter long is ended!
Springtime, at last is here!
(Georgia Adams)

With wonderful warm temps reaching 80 this weekend lots of tulips opened up - while the greenery looks pretty rabbit ravaged and frost bitten the blooms managed to straggle through. What a wonderful spring sight they are to behold. Last fall, I was full of anticipation of what spring would bring from all those bulbs I planted and the six month wait is over. Yet, thanks to no snow cover, squirrels and rabbits there is far from 233 blooms out there but that is one of the joys of gardening - you never know what to expect :-) The first tulip blooms were on April 28 and I'll let you know when I see the last ones. Enjoy my little taste of spring!

I'm fortunate...

I'm fortunate to have a daughter
who is also my friend.

She was the prettiest thing in the garden back then and still is.

Today is my baby girl's birthday only she's not a baby anymore. She's all grown up and in just 10 short weeks will be getting married and become Mrs. B.

I'm thankful that she is not only my daughter but my best friend. The following poem says my sentiments exactly...Happy Birthday...I love you!

Beauty of Spring...

The whole wide world is so beautiful
In the fresh, warm days of spring...
Calling like a cheerful lark
To join in nature's happy fling.
(Nellie Stokes)

My early spring garden may only have a few 2-3" tall flowers in it but don't feel sorry for me...there is still lots of "COLOR" to enjoy :-) Yesterday brought the first goldfinches in summer plumage and I have a pair of purple finches come to feed regularly. Wonder why they are called purple finches when they are red?

Spring is really here...

I love the spring.
For every day
There's something new
That's come to stay.
Another bud
Another bird
Another blade
The sun has stirred.
(author unknown)
The sure signs of spring are really here now...the white throated sparrows have arrived in a large flock and the juncos are all gone.
Tuesday evening, I noticed there were a lot fewer juncos around and there was lots of "competition" or let's just say "fighting" at the dinner table between the white throats and remaining juncos. By Wednesday morning, I couldn't see a junco around and even after I put out their favorite corn shellings not a one came to feed. I kept a lookout all day and again this morning but I would say they are gone - the one true sign of spring for me - my little "snow" birds are gone :-)

Goldfish...

White bodies and a bright red cap,
How incredible is that?
How could you not love a fish,
So egg-shaped and so fat!
I adore the goldfish
Of them I'm very fond,
And I don't see my friends,
Putting Oscars in a pond!
(from "Carassius auratus - Not Just Feeder Fish!"
by Lisa Englander)

After five months in a stock tank in the garage my goldies tasted freedom in the pond once again this morning. It simply amazes me that in our cold weather all they need for that whole time is aeration in the water and no food! Yup, I said no food - yet, they are not any thinner that I can tell. I do not have my fish named but I "know" most of them. The white one with the red cap and the black speckled one are two of the original four that I started with - now entering their 5th summer. I put 43 back into the pond this morning and it will be interesting to see how many I take out next November.

Discovered the second bloom of the season today!

Earth Day...

Everyday is Earth Day,
If it's cold or wet or hot
Pitch in to save the planet
It's the only one we've got.
(author unknown)

Happy Earth Day! It started out sunny this morning but by noon it started raining and hasn't stopped. The yard and gardens should be greening up nicely after this soaking. Saturday was our annual pond cleaning day and with Jeff & Nathan's help we got it done. This morning I "turned on" the rock fountain for the first time this year and sat and waited with the camera to see which bird would arrive for the first bath. The first photo is the curious robin who took that honor :-) It was so much fun to sit and listen to the water and watch the activity in the garden while I waited for the first rock visitor. This weekend brought out the first butterflies of the season so I took that photo while waiting and also captured one of my little chickadees gathering up mulch for the birdhouse they cleaned out earlier. I love spring in the garden!

Spring Cleaning...

It seems each year about this time
Folks break out with a rash,
And in a frenzy sweep out all
accumulated trash.
(author unknown)



A pair of chickadees has been busy "cleaning house" for the past 2 days. They have decided this decorative birdhouse is now theirs so they have been busy cleaning out all the small twigs left by last year's wrens. They are probably my favorite little birds so it is such a joy to watch them set up house. Hopefully they are not scared off by my movements in the garden and I will have a whole season of photos to share with you :-)

Garden Time Again...

It's time to take your rake and hoe,
Your shovel and your spade,
To find your way outdoors again
And get your garden made.

The April sun is bright and warm
Against your windowpane,
And beckons you to come along,
It's garden time again.
(Garnett Schultz)

FINALLY...the first bloom of 2007! I was so excited to discover it yesterday while raking off the garden. It's looking a little ragged from our tough spring but still very beautiful to me. I think it will also be the only bloom for quite a while as I have a ton of rabbit damage out there - most of the spring bulbs are eaten down to ground level and the rest are only 2-3" tall.

Today is quite blustery out but yesterday was wonderful and I took advantage of it to do some garden cleanup. Oh, how I wished I could have been tilling and seeding but as the weatherman reminded me last night we have hard freezes until late April and frosts on average until mid May. I wish it were May :-)

The duck song...

I see a duck.
The duck sees me.
I like the ducks.
The ducks like me.
Big green ducks.
One, two, three.
I like the ducks
and the ducks like me.
(author unknown)


Whether you like my duck song or "duck, duck, duck, gray duck" or not, I hope you still appreciate these beautiful birds in the wild. Every year we have at least one nesting pair in our wood duck boxes but the last few mornings I have been seeing 6 ducks in our grove.



This morning I opened the window and tried to get some shots with my telephoto lens and as I was snapping away I was totally shocked to see this last bird attack a duck! Thank goodness, he got away. A quick look at my trusty bird book and I have identified him as an American Kestrel - a first for Marsha's garden. The book says he feeds on insects, reptiles and small mammals which is wonderful as I take that as "bugs, snakes and mice" but I sure hope he leaves my precious ducks and songbirds alone...

Spring, almost...

The sunshine gleams so bright and warm,
The sky is blue and clear.
I run outdoors without a coat,
And spring is almost here.

Then before I know it,
Small clouds have blown together,
Till the sun just can't get through them,
And again, it's mitten weather.

(author unknown)

Yes, this really is my garden on April 11th! It is looking pretty white out there and the little songbirds who have migrated back up north were puffed and shivering this morning.
Hopefully these April "snow" showers will still produce some May flowers though the tulips are looking pretty tough right now.

Happy Easter

Bunnies are brown
Bunnies are white
Bunnies are always
An Easter delight.

Bunnies are cuddly
The large and the small.
But I like chocolate ones
The best of them all.
(author unkown)

Look who I found hiding from Gabi & Ruger on the cabin porch! The dogs are always scaring up rabbits from the grove and I saw them chase one down the treeline. I heard a noise and lo and behold a second one hopped up on the porch and crouched down trying to avoid the dogs. Can't say I saw that before :-)

Still very cold and wintery in the garden so I am thinking spring with another blossom shot from Arkansas. I wish everyone a Happy Easter!

Minnesota spring...

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke

I am so happy I got to enjoy spring down south last week as it is COLD here in Marsha's garden. With high temperatures in the 20's the last 2 days, it seems more like the week before Thanksgiving and not Easter. We have had snow showers the last two days but nothing like Jayme has been having in Duluth. The robins don't know what to do in this cold - yesterday, I happened to look out the window and there was a flock of about 20-30 in our crabapple tree trying to find leftover fruit from last year.

A week ago things were warming up and the birds were choosing to drink from the pond rather than the heated water dish so I took it inside for the season. After several days of below freezing temps the pond iced over so they are walking all over it looking for a place to drink.

This poor mourning dove looked to be waving me down so I guess I better go out and plug the water dish back in again.