It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like.....MARCH?!

i love my job! I'm wrong most of the time, and i'm still well paid. i can make errors weekly, even daily, and nobody cares! Oh, wait, that's not me - that's our weather forecasters! (Although it COULD describe my General Manager at work....but i digress..).

 i've been looking forward to the seed swap tomorrow, so three days ago they were telling us we would get about an inch of snow today and it would be partly sunny tomorrow. Well, it ain't working out QUITE the way they predicted - it has snowed 4-5 inches today alone, and it's showing no signs of stopping! Then the weather folks are getting sneaky lately - they won't say, "This storm may generate 6-8 inches of snow". No, NOW they tell us, "It should snow 1-2 inches.....today. THEN 2-3 inches.....overnight. THEN 1-2 inches.....tomorrow morning"! If you're not listening very closely you'll end up VERY surprised!

At least the days are longer - the landscape lights are starting to come on before it gets dark!

i was shoveling this evening with a Robin complaining to me from the crabapple tree - didn't i just mention Robins coming in just before a big storm? Don't worry - a little snowstorm won't stop ME from a seed swap! Maybe it will deter all but us diehard gardeners...

First Robin Of 2010!

Was warm-ish today (for February - 35F - no wind), so i went out in the yard for awhile, even did a little gardening (well, pruning, at least). The day wasn't as gray as this picture looks, we even had some sun coming out. This was a little thicker cloud cover for the moment, so this is a very wintery looking picture, a bare tree with one lone bird sitting at the top.

But, wait a minute - that birdsong doesn't sound like a Crow or Starling.......could it be...?

Yes, it's the first Robin i've seen this year! Yay! We always take this as a sign that Spring is coming soon. Isn't always reliable, however - there have been many instances when the first of these birds show up a day before a huge snow or ice storm, poor things!

Still, it's great to see our Robins back again! :o)

Summer Babies

...The Robin's chicks are getting big fast! The nest is almost eye level, very close to my workspace. We are pretty used to each other by now, i have even softly touched their feathers a little bit, and Mom didn't even yell at me, just watched nearby. She does fuss a lot when my cats are close, though! Don't worry, i keep an eye on them, but for the most part, they don't realize the nest is up there. When the chicks fledge and leave the nest, the cats will be "grounded" to the house!

Am i this excited about ALL baby birds? i have to admit that i am - i know this happens millions of times, but i love it. (Well, baby HUMANS are born almost as often, and everyone's always excited about THAT - hey, babies is babies!)


The bunnies are a little different story - I have been alarmed by the screaming of a bunlet ( not sure what baby rabbits are called!) when Skeeter finds the den! Yes, the rabbits cause some plant damage, i should let the cats do what instinct tells them to do, but i cannot hurt any babies!
Anyway, Skeeter, being an indoor cat, doesn't quite know what to do with them - at least long enough to give me time to rescue them! So the babes are safe for now!

Impending Motherhood

i was just about to drastically cut down my variegated lilac bush, when i noticed an American Robin on her nest in the middle of said bush! This is very close to my workspace, and she would fly out, complaining loudly, every time i'd walk by. i finally started to remember she was there, and began to talk softly before i got close to her. We finally came to an understanding, and she does not worry about me so much anymore.

i can even take pics of her now, and she stays put! her mate is starting to hang around more the past few days - could that mean babies are arriving soon?