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

My Funny Valentine's Birthday

Song - Happy Birthday Swing by the Lucky Seven

It's Mr. B's birthday today and I couldn't have picked a sweeter Valentine!

He's funny....

He loves his family.....

Loves to travel.....

 

 

Lake Como

 

Cinque Terre

 

Bourdeilles

London

And he makes friends where ever he goes.....

Mr. B is the one on the right...

He's a hard worker and goes into the office regularly!

He is also very humble and rarely knows more than anyone else!

He likes to sing....

....dance.....

.....play guitar......

...talk.....

 ....flyfish.....

...take me to concerts....

...and throw parties!

So glad he wandered into my life...

 

Happy Birthday Funny Valentine!!

 

"Your birthday reminds me of the old Chinese Scholar:

Yung No Mo"

 --unknown

Mr. Moon

Song - Moon Shadow by Cat Stevens


 Just in case you were not up early on Wednesday morning.....

5:02 am

.....I took these for you!

 

5:24 am

6:12 am

Unfortunately I forgot to set up my tripod the night before so the photos are a little wonkey but you get the idea of this spectacular moon event!

"The world is full of magic things 

patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."

--attributed to W.B. Yeats

Bee Yourself

Song - No Rain by Blind Melon

As to the above song - "Shine on little bee girl......."

I have this Camellia shrub outside my office window and right now it is in full bloom.  The bees just discovered it today!

Pollen on Camellia's was something I never have thought of (probably because they don't have a scent) but the bees know.

Stopping my work for awhile, I put my camera on a tripod and went outside to watch their activity.  I saw them remove the pollen and place it on their back legs.  When they had a sufficient amount, they would fly away and come back clean & ready to keep working.  How do they know when they have gathered enough pollen or too much to fly? What do they use the pollen for?

Actually they store the pollen to use when it's too cold or there are no flowers pollinating.  Stored pollen is mixed with mouth secretions to make brood food/bee bread which is essential for new little bees!

Pollen is not readily available when the bees start to rear their brood early in the year.  They rely on stored pollen.  Nurse bees consume bee bread as a stimulus to produce royal jelly for very young bees.

The bee in the above photo was taking a little break to "re-distribute" his heavy load. Now I know why they call busy people "worker bees"!

"What a kid I got, 

I told him about the birds and the bee 

and he told me about the butcher and my wife." 

 --Rodney Dangerfield