Blackbirds

Song - Blackbird by Paul McCartney

Blackbirds social distancing 

in 

 Bodega, California (where else?)

where they filmed "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock



"Mrs. Bundy: I hardly think a few birds 
are going to bring about the end of the world. 

Melanie Daniels: These weren't a few birds."

-- The Birds 

Pitter Patter

Song- Relaxing Forest Rain Sounds

During the night and early Thursday morning a storm blew in.  The clouds were flying across the sky.

And YES California finally has some rain.....

...and more importantly we are getting some snow as well!

Woke up on Thursday morning to eight little California Goldfinch birds on one feeder.

They were singing so beautifully from the trees.

I'm thinking that they are happy with the rain too!

This sweet Dark-eyed Junco feeds on the ground like the Mourning Doves.  They pick up the seed that other birds (or squirrels) have dropped.

And the rain just keeps up it's delightful pitter-patter all around me....loving the sound.

Rain is grace; 

rain is the sky condescending to the earth; 

without rain,

 there would be no life.

--John Updike

Sanctuary

Song - Wish You Were Here by Sierra Eagleson (Pink Floyd Cover)


 So I went out in the garden this morning to feed the birds......

and to check on what needs tending in the yard.......lots! 

And then I spotted a red headed woodpecker on the suet feeder so I ran inside to grab my camera.  But by the time I got back the woodpecker was gone but this little Black Capped Chickadee was there.  So I sat down and watched the animals come and go.

Two ducks appeared in the creek and the female started a wild bathing routine while the male duck looked on. Finally she settled down and swam over to a little island where the male was waiting.

I picked some lemons.....some Grape Hyacinth......and some Camellia's.......

I picked a big bouquet of Daffodils.....both yellow and white.

 

The Quince bushes are blooming.

 And the white Primrose's are popping up from last year......

The Star Magnolia is sweet and frilly.

Here in California we have not had much rain and even worse - NO SNOW!

I worry that my beloved garden may not have any water this summer and then where will the songbirds play?

"A garden is a grand teacher.  

It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; 

it teaches industry and thrift; 

above all it teaches entire trust."  

--Gertrude Jeckyll

Listen

Song - Rain by The Beatles

Six days into the new year and I hope you have had time to curl up by a fire 

and read a good book after all of the busyness of the holidays! Sigh....

It's finally raining in California!  It was so wonderful to hear mother nature's "pitter-patter" on the rooftop. There was a certain amount of calmness about it but then we had an earthquake later that night that jolted most people awake, so that was the end of "calm" for awhile!

My Sweet Peas have begun to bloom - they were just a little 

confused by the warm, dry winter weather.

The Daffodils have begun to emerge from the ground.

And the Snowdrops have begun to show their little white bells.

The birds began coming to the feeders a little more often as if in anticipation of the rain.  Above is a female Nuttall's Woodpecker who seems to have made herself quite at home in the bowl of seed!

 And the hawks have been calling to each other in the early morning sky.

 My roses are about done for the year but it's fun to catch one blooming in January! 

I think I will wait a few more weeks before pruning them back for the winter.

What do you hear in your garden?
Have you been listening?

PLUVIOPHILE 

(n) a lover of rain; someone who finds joy 

and peace of mind during rainy days

California Rain!

Song - Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain by The Cascades

"Winter is the time comfort, for good food and warmth, 

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: 

it is a time for home."  -- Edith Sitwell

Making it to Murphys

Song - Casadh an Tsugain/Frankie's Song from the movie Brooklyn by Iarla O Lionaird

Saturday Mr. B and I drove to Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, CA to drop off some paintings that were accepted into an upcoming show. It was a beautiful day for a road trip!

The California central valley was as green as Ireland.

We drove by hundreds of old barns, many collapsing and returning to the earth.

Wildflowers were abundantly sprinkled on the hillsides in purple, blue, orange, yellow and red.

And snow could be seen on the distant Sierra's.

We arrived after a few of Mr. B's "short cuts" (ie - dirt roads, roadrunners, wrong turns, need gas now warnings, cliffs, etc.)

Ironstone is hosting the 2016 Spring Daffodil Show for Northern California and they had barrels of beautiful bulbs blooming everywhere!

We will be heading back up there next weekend for the reception and opening of the Spring Obsession Art Show! Beautiful country this time of year.........

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." --Mark Twain

If I Had A Boat

Song - If I Had A Boat by Lyle Lovett

Busy as a bee.....

The roses are in full bloom.

The iris are just beginning to bloom.

Tomato plants (18) have been put in the vegetable garden.

 The shade garden is happily showing her beauty.

Dogwood

 

Hosta

Azalea

Fern

Fern

And the geese are doing a little hanky-panky up on our rooftop every morning.

Our neighbors roof

Then it got cold.

Very cold in comparison to the weather California has been used to. Which has been Summertime in the Winter!



Easter was held inside this year due to the rain and cold.

Yesterday it rained and then hailed.  Weird weather.

But we need the rain so much that no one is complaining.

It rained enough to bring this rowboat down the creek and lodge in some brambles by our property.



The Governor is placing California on a 25% water reduction plan starting soon.

Luckily Mr. B and I were already changing our overhead sprinklers to a drip system and Sherman (our drip guy) said his phone is ringing off the hook with jobs.

We are also collecting grey water, you know the clean water we get from waiting for the hot water to come on, water from rinsing veggies & fruit, etc.  I have buckets in both showers and pitchers near each sink to gather the water.  Then I go outside and water my potted plants. 

Today I just ordered a 50 gal. rain barrel but it's not for rainwater (because we have none) but for all of these buckets and pitchers of water.  It is truly amazing how much water can be reused.  I am now looking into organic shampoo's, soaps, etc., so that we can collect even more.

"The farmer will never be happy again; 

He carries his heart in his boots;

For either the rain is destroying his grain

Or the drought is destroying his roots." 

--Alan Patrick Herbert