Illegal Entry

Song - Take It Easy by The Eagles

This morning a little Chickadee flew into our bedroom through our open door.

He just stayed for a moment to say "Good Morning" and then flew back out.

Ten minutes later I went outside to look at my garden and spotted a squirrel....

I called to Mr. B to see if I was seeing this properly....

Yep......Speedy was trapped inside the "squirrel-proof" bird feeder

Speedy was panicking trying each square to see if he could get out.

TRAPPED

I ran and got my camera and Mr. B was going for the wire cutters

As I approached him, he panicked and squeezed through one of the openings and ran up the tree

RELIEF

***no birds or squirrels were harmed during this adventure - the bird in the above photo was happily resting in our Japanese Maple last spring and the squirrel in the above photo was done by me in Photoshop as I wasn't quick enough to capture a photo of the actual crime.

"The creatures that inhabit this earth-be they

human beings or animals-are here to contribute,

each in its own particular way,

to the beauty and prosperity of the world."

--Dalai Lama

Sixty and Counting

Video - The Squirrel, the Physicist and the Bird Feeder by Claude Lyneis

Zipper the squirrel just chillin'

So Friday is day number 60 of shelter in place!

And I am wondering how you and your families are doing?

If you are anything like me, there are good days and not so good days.

Some days I get a lot done around the house and in the garden.

Other days I want to sit and read.

Some days I find an interesting recipe, order the ingredients and cook to my hearts delight while listening to fun music.

Other days nothing sounds appealing....

But I do think I am adjusting and each day gets better and better.  I also feel like the warmer weather has helped. And seeing my garden bloom!

Hang in there and chill.....like Zipper!



**I hope you watch the video at the top of my post. A woman I have painted with for many years - Joanne Taeuffer has a neighbor in Berkeley and he is the one who filmed this hilarious video! Just see who has the last laugh Shirley the squirrel or Claude the physicist?

"Take life one SIP at a time"

-- Jeanette

Time for Exercise

Song - Smile by Madeleine Peyroux

Zipper doing his morning stretches!

Anything for a nibble

**Note: if you were looking for the surprise in yesterdays post, for some reason the video did not land in your inbox.  It was at the very bottom of the post.  If you want to see it - Click on the title to open it!

Unfurling

Song - Primavera by Santana

Did you celebrate the Vernal Equinox on Monday? It is officially Spring!

Between the few rain showers, I have been enjoying watching my garden awaken as well as the animal life around our home.

The apple trees are full of blossoms

And the big tree ferns are all unfurling

My Freesia's have never had so many buds

 While walking around my garden the other morning, I noticed these dead bits hanging out of a Privet tree on the side yard and when I peeked inside there was a nest.

 Must have been from last year as it is on a bush that I prune back each spring and fall.

Not sure what kind of bird may have created it but I am hoping they will reuse it this Spring!

Meanwhile the Mourning Doves did not visit their nest for a week or so.  I figured that they must have found a better place but......in the last 3-4 days they have returned and mama is sitting on it daily now!

I caught Zipper with his hand in the "cookie jar" (draining the bird feeder) this morning looking very regretful.  I guess I will have to call him by a different name as he is a she.....and she is nursing her babies.  I guess I will have to stop throwing ice and lemons at her too.......sorry little mama......

 Peony's

 Bearded Iris

More ferns unfurling

"Springtime is the land awakening.  

March winds are the morning yawn." 

- Lewis Grizzard

What's Up Buttercup?

Song - "Bird Songs"

My joy of late has been feeding the songbirds. 

I love waking to their song.....

Even though I lose a lot of seed to the tenacious squirrels, it is still worth the joy of watching the birds through the windows or from out on our sunny back deck. 






They fill the oak trees while they wait their turn to swoop down to the feeders.  Some are very timid and others will let me approach them with my camera.

This morning I watched as two Robin's took a joyful bath in some shallow water....brrrr....and then some Finches came along to join in the fun.  Finally a whole flock of Cedar Waxwing's took over the birdbath. They had been happily eating some Privet berries across the lane. I never realized that they had yellow tipped tails! Did you?

I also saw a Flicker land in an old pine tree and yesterday there were two woodpeckers on a tree in the shade garden.

We have a hawk (sometimes two) that cry early in the morning.  

Joy.

"A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked." 

-- Anais Nin

Natures Comfort

Every morning I wake to birdsong, although lately there has been a little lamb bleating from somewhere across the creek, along with a very young rooster who starts to crow at 2:30am....yipes!

Year round we have a flock of Canadian Geese overhead or down the creek and an occasional turkey or more often a night time skunk. Last night we heard two Coyote's for the first time in awhile.  There are a lot of squirrels and deer that like to nibble my rose buds.

We don't live in the country but in a semi-rural suburban neighborhood. I like these sounds as it feels comforting to live with nature. As I get older, I find I have trouble killing a spider or an ant. Even snails that destroy my garden give me pause as I just fling them away from my garden instead of mushing them like I used to. Is this because I am older and have more respect for life?

This morning I found myself cheering for a bee that came through our bedroom screen door....while my husband was trying to find the electric bug-zapper, I was cheering for the bee to escape before he came back...................the bee escaped! .......yes....!  Although, I'm still not sure how I feel about living with a mosquito all night long.....itch, itch....! I grew up in this neighborhood that we still live in and when I was small, there where so many toads every summer that you could not walk across our lawn in the evening with out stepping on one...where did they all go?   I know some of them went down the back of my blouse to be squished by my two brothers who .....were boys....and my loving brothers....who liked to torture me!  But there used to be thousand's of these toads and tadpoles....also, there used to be Walnut tree's in Walnut Creek as well as Oak trees in Oakland.  Mr. b always says, "Places are named for things that they destroy"....like Walnut Creek and Oakland. 

“Birdsong brings relief

to my longing

I’m just as ecstatic

as they are,

but with nothing to say!

Please universal soul,

practice some song or

something through me!”

--Rumi

Winter Flowers

Trying to get the last of my Winter flowers in for the season.  Last week I planted Iceland Poppies, Primrose, a few Cyclamen and lots of bulbs.  I still have some 6-packs on the front porch waiting to be settled into the ground.  The birds have been enjoying the seed I have set out since the weather has turned crisp.  It has also attracted the attention of the squirrels, who devour the seed but repay me with their amazing acrobatics! The plants will need to wait one more day as I am heading to the studio to finish a very large painting that I have been working on for months.  I may post the finished painting tomorrow.