Fledglings

~ Baby Sparrows ~

 

~ Newly Hatched Robins ~

( This nest was built on top of our 3 foot high phone box!) 

 

~ Baby Robins ~

 

Nature always seems to balance itself out somehow. If Spring comes early one year,

it seems to come later the next.

Last year Spring came very early to northern Minnesota, one of the earliest on record.

In contrast, this Spring is taking its time, peaking its head out ever so slowly.

 

One day it snows giant sticky snow clumps that cling heavily to branches, weighing them nearly to the ground. The next day the sun shyly peaks out from great gray clouds,

just enough to slowly melt the heavy white covering deposited on roof tops,

vehicles, trees, and anything else that stood out under the early Spring sky.

 

Nothing can be done to speed the coming of Spring,

but oh how I long for its warmth, the smells of the earth coming alive,

the beautiful singing of birds that have returned to raise their young,

and the sight of lakes shimmering, reflecting the beautiful blues of warming skies.

 

Nothing can hurry Spring,

but to remind me of what awaits when it arrives, I look back on images captured last year.

Gardens' Keep flourishes with life, and the cedars I planted years ago

are favorite nesting spots for both Sparrows and Robins.

 

Above are images of baby birds in three of the eleven nests I discovered last year! 

I wonder, how many will I discover this year? 

 

 

 



Early Spring in Minnesota

~ Early Spring Snowstorm ~

 

This is what I see outside today...5 inches of new snow from an early Spring snowstorm

(and still it's snowing).

The snowflakes are so large,

and on closer view I see what looks to be more than 50 snowflakes clinging to each other.

 

Spring 2013 seems to be coming very slowly to northern Minnesota.

Many are anxious for warmer weather,

as am I.

 

Upon looking back into my diary

 it is surprising to see that Spring 2012 had made its appearance to us

by the middle of March.

On St. Patrick's Day we were spoiled with temperatures in the middle 70's

no snow on the ground, frog croaking, butterflies fluttering past,

 and Spring birds singing. 

The ice on local lakes had all but melted away 10 days later. 

 

Spring 2013 appears to be weeks away from the sightings written above!

 

Thankfully, even though this winter still persists

the Gardens' Keep greenroom has burst into welcoming shades of green.

Potted geraniums, daylilies, and heirloom iris

have joined the resident sage and primrose plants with blooms

in blues, purples, pinks, red, wine, and yellow,

their sweet scents wafting throughout Dragonfly Cottage.

 

~ Gardens' Keep Greenroom ~

 

The plants in the greenroom are such a welcome sight to eyes weary

of barren trees and winter snow,

and provide reassurance that as the days lengthen and the sun strengthens,

Spring truly is on its way!

 

~ Wishing you sunny, warm, whimsical days ahead! ~

:0)



Waiting for Spring ~

~ Spring Nest ~

 

Oh how I long for warmer days,

the return of summer birds singing sweet songs,

and sounds of frogs peeping in nearby ponds.

The smell of fresh earth,

scents of flower blossoms opening in the apple trees,

and newly fallen rain.

 

I love all of the seasons

but Spring is my favorite,

watching for signs of renewal and rebirth

after short winter days of cold and darkness.

 

Last year Spring arrived to northern Minnesota very early

giving warmth with the sounds and scents I love

to us in middle March.

We wonder, when will it appear this year.

 

When does your Spring arrive?

~*~

 

 



First Day of Spring!

~ The Fledgling ~

~~*~~

Happy first day of Spring to you!

Of all the four seasons, Spring is my favorite! It contains the holiday I love best...Easter...a holiday of flowers, baby birds and animals, and life renewed! After a winter of sleeping trees, ground covered in white, and frozen lakes, Spring is most welcome!

As the earth awakens I love watching for fuzzy pussy willows that emerge, the honk and trumpet of Canadian Geese and white Trumpeter Swans, the air rushing through wings, as their great flocks fly northward.

I love the patter of raindrops on the roof and the smell of the earth as it thaws, the first croaks of awakening frogs, and delight once again at the sight of a flitting butterfly, crawling fuzzy caterpillar, and the tiniest buds as they swell in the trees.

How wonderful to see green coat the ground once again as little blades of grass and flowers stretch toward the warming sunshine, to hear the most beautiful music as songbirds return and sing songs of Spring and love, and to watch as lakes and rivers turn from white, to grey, and finally blue again, reflecting colors of the sky on its waters.

Spring...a time of rebirth and rejuvenation!

~ Happy Spring to you! ~

Spring and Whimsy's Wild Critter Tales

Spring is definitely in the air!

The weather over the weekend was warm and sunny, prompting sounds and sights signaling the change of seasons. Snow was melting quickly becoming very slushy underfoot, and miniature rivulats of water streamed off of roofs, then meandered this way and that, traveling towards unknown destinations.

Songbirds were chirping joys of the warm sunshine, larger birds like the eagle and crow were abundant in the air, and the first of the pussywillows have appeared!

All this brought thoughts of warm days of spring and summer past, and wild things that visit the Whimsy gardens.

~ Spring Robin ~

I had longed to photograph closeup images of robins, but being they are very shy birds this had not been possible, as I lacked a zoom lens for my camera. Wishes do come true however...and...as I am learning through the years...they come true sometimes in the most unexpected ways!

One morning last Spring as I was having my breakfast I heard the strangest tap...tap...tap. I stopped to listen closely. The sound came again...tap...tap...tap. Slowly and cautiously I rose to find the source. It appeared someone was tapping on a window. Who, I wondered, could it be? Tap...tap...tap...it came again. Downstairs I went, following the noise...tap...tap...tap.

Tap...tap...tap.

Tap...tap...tap.

Tap...tap...tap.

Downstairs is a dark mahogany cabinet which is situated against an outside wall that contains a small window. This cabinet seemed to be where the strange tapping noise came from. But what...how...who?

Again came the tap...tap...tap. 

Ever so slowly I opened the creeking cabinet door...and there to my utter amazement stood a bright red breasted Mr. Robin! He was bobbing up and down in an overgrown cedar bush which happened to be in front of the small window. As I watched not more than four feet away, Mr. Robin hopped up to the window and with his beak tap...tap...tapped.

And again tap...tap...tapped.

I slowly backed from his view, then dashed for the camera hoping I hadn't scared him away, and that he would remain long enough for me to snap a few quick images. When would I have this opportunity to be so close again, I wondered!

No fear you see... for the back of the mahogony cabinet had a large rectangular hole cut into it when it was made. This hole I assume is to allow for access to the back of electrical equipment when placed inside. Mr. Robin, looking through the window, thought this to be an ideal nesting spot...a perfect bush in front to hop into and cover the view of said nesting area...a lovely roof overhead...and a beautiful large opening to place said nest into...as long as the cabinet door remainded closed that is! His only issue was...how to get through the window into that perfect nesting area!

Tap...tap...tap.

He was a very insistant Mr. Robin! After a full hour of clicking images, I believed I had all of the angles I could want...for now...closed the cabinet door, and went to continue about my day.

Poor Mr. Robin!

He wanted that spot very, very much! And for two solid weeks continued to tap on the window. I feared that he would waste too many days trying to nest somewhere he could not.

And below was why he desired this nesting spot!

~ Little Red Squirrel ~

Little Red Squirrel is very, very cute...but quite naughty. Scampering here and there, from tree to tree, chattering away if he happens to catch anyone looking his way. Little Red Squirrel and friend litter the ground with pinecones, chewed off pine branches, and in the spring, little eggshells (sometimes Mr. Robin's little blue eggs) and tipped over nests.

But what a cute face on Little Red Squirrel! 

~ Miss Chippy Chipmunk ~

Miss Chippy Chipmunk is another wild Whimsy critter...and she too is quite smart. She has an amazing way of training humans! You see, in the Whimsy gardens there grow blueberry bushes. These blueberry bushes grow fat, delicious blueberries! Each summer I watch and wait as the little green blueberries grow larger and larger...then turn pink, light purple, darker purple, and one more day until...HEY, where did those ripe blueberries go!

Not until last year did Miss Chippy Chipmunk confess she and Mr. Chippy had been enjoying ripe blueberries for breakfast! I had always wondered who was leaving little tooth and tongue marks in the not quite ripe blueberries growing next to the missing ripe berries! Yes, Miss Chippy Chipmunk told me it was her as she scampered excitedly in front of me to reach the bushes, dashed nimbly into them and sat looking at me as if to say..."My blueberries?"

I guess this human took a little longer to train than some. After that day, peanuts appeared morning and evening for Mr. and Miss Chippy...and blueberries were found on the bushes, ripe and unsampled!

Many other wild critters visit the Whimsy gardens, some only once, others more often. What stories will they tell this year?

Mr. Robin did eventually decide that it was past time to move on and find another nesting area. Where? I am not quite sure, but I hope it was quite safe from Little Red Squirrel.

I look forward to more adventures of the wild critters of Whimsy gardens! 



Spring Blossoms

 

The Apple Blossoms

Springtime White

Dandelion Sunshine

Pin Cherry Blossoms

The Humble Bumble Bee

THE GLADNESS OF NATURE

by

John Greenleaf Whittier

(1807-1892)

Is this a time to be cloudy and sad,

When our Mother Nature laughs around,

When even the deep blue heavens look glad,

And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground?

There are notes of joy from the hangbird and wren,

And the gossip of swallows through all the sky,

The ground squirrel gayly chirps by his den,

And the wilding bee hums merrily by.

The clouds are at play in the azure space,

And their shadows at play on the bright green vale,

And here they stretch to the frolic chase,

And there they role on the easy gale.

There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower,

There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree,

There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower,

And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea.

And look at the broad-faced sun, how he smiles,

On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray,

On the leaping waters and gay young isles,

Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away.

~ Wishing you a very delightful day! ~

Spring River and Forest

The St. Louis River

Setting Sun in the Forest

Minnesota is blessed with thousands of fresh water lakes, streams, and rivers. This past Sunday we took a 20 minute drive to view the beautiful St. Louis River as the Spring run-off swirled and churned through its solid rock banks where gorgeous trees of pine and cedar thrive, creating a scene of fantasy in the glow of the setting sun.  

Spring, Beautiful Spring

Campanula in the Greenroom

Beautiful Sweet Smelling Primula

~ A Busy Day ~

author unknown

The bluff March wind set out from home

Before the peep of day,

But nobody seemed to be glad he had come,

And nobody asked him to stay.

Yet he dried up the snow-banks far and near,

And made the snow-clouds roll,

Huddled up in a heap, like driven sheep,

Way off to the cold North Pole.

He broke the ice on the river's back

And floated it down the tide,

And the wild ducks came with a loud "Quack, quack,"

To play in the waters wide.

He snatched the hat off Johnny's head

And rolled it on and on,

And oh, what a merry chase it led

Little laughing and scampering John!

He swung the tree where the squirrel lay

Too late in its winter bed,

And he seemed to say in his jolly way,

"Wake up, little sleepy head!"

He dried the yard so that Rob and Ted

Could play at marbles there,

And he painted their cheeks a carmine red

With the greatest skill and care.

He shook all the clothes-lines, one by one,

What a busy time he had!

But nobody thanked him for all he had done;

Now wasn't that just too bad?

Nature's Paintings in the Sky

Sleeping Dragon

Spring Sunset

Clouds in their many forms and color create beautiful ever changing paintings in the sky.

~ Sleeping Dragon ~ Laying on his back, feet in the air, this magnificent glowing golden dragon slumbers as he slowly drifts on Spring air currents, spewing a waft of cloud steam from his nostrils with a gentle smile on his lips.

~ Spring Sunset ~ Infused with rich pinks and peach from the setting Spring sun, these puffy clouds set against the gorgeous blues of sky create a stunning image at the close of day. 

To the Zoo

River of Swans

Seahorse Pair

Tree Sunning

Even though the days are slowly getting longer, it will be many, many weeks before the sites and smells of warming earth, fresh Spring rains, and lush green growth will appear here at the tip of Lake Superior. With a large ice storm threatening on the horizon, and tempting updates from cousins sun basking in Hawaii, I am longing for the golden sun, deep blue skies, clear flowing waters, and lush green growth.

My only hope for now is to immerse myself in images taken on a trip with children and grandchildren to the Minnesota Zoo a few summers ago. To think back now on the movement of delicate Seahorses and Seadragons, the rushing sound and salt smell of the indoor tidal pool where star fish live, white swans bathing in a river of green speckled by warm rain drops, and dolphins swimming in a pool of blue. Ahhhhh. I believe this is where I will linger a little. ~ You are wlecome to join me ~