Face Down in the Dirt

Licking the dirt?  Looking for worms?

I was certain they were dead.  Or maybe they were spent, finished, withered.  In the early, frosty morning, most of the Daffodils appeared to be looking for worms. I soothed my soul by remembering that they'd been in bloom a long time; that they could choose when enough was enough; that it's was okay for they to be done blooming.

Warm enough to stand up straight again

Nobody in this new land told me that Daffies play 'possom when they are really cold, but when the time (temperature) is right, they are dandy all over again.

Dazzled

Parking lot decoration:  Sage

This town is artsy.  All the roundabouts have monumental sculptures and figures.  Even the the grocery store parking lot has been decorated--at least that's my opinion.

Silver green sage bushes, robustly five feet tall, line either side of the walk way from my car to the door of the store.

I'm dazzled by the heady, clean fragrance.  Makes me buy more than I need every single time.  Best excuse I can imagine.

Use Your Imagination

The leaking sprinkler head by the West Side fire station is
a local avian watering hole.  Certainly surprised me!

They waited in line.  I didn't know that birds did that, especially not Cedar Wax Wings.  But while the Robin drank his fill, they were hanging back watching.  I interpreted this as waiting.  Half an hour later, at the same birdie drinking fountain, five or six Cedar Wax Wings queued up to sip, then burst away in a tiny cloud as I approached, scaring them right out of this picture.  But just use your imagination--Robin below and the slickly dressed wax wings above.

TOAST

Toasted Tomatoes

April is no fool.  She slinked her icy self in before midnight last night, before the time the clock said she was to arrive.  She turned the fragile, sickly tomato vines to toast.  Plain and simple.  Done.  The end.

Visible damage from insects and snow
before the final blow.

I'll take these tomatoes in today to see if they might ripen.

March Harvest

Three for you

Not the time of year for it, I know, I know.  But I couldn't help sharing (bragging) about having ripe tomatoes in March.  Okay, admittedly these shown could have had a bit more flavor and sweetness if we had waited for them to ripen (in the house).  I was hoping they wouldn't freeze on the vine.  But here in vibrant, brilliant color is the total of our March harvest.

Three for me

Not really much to brag about, but it is a fitting end to six months of watchful care and keeping of the brave seeds brought here in the chicken compost.  No fooling.

Pussy Willow Pompoms

Actual size is about 3/4" per blossom.  Any idea what kind of Willow?

Central Oregon is not a swamp.  It is commonly referred to as "high desert," though high is a relative term.  At 3800 feet, there are many other places in the state that are higher.  The surprise of my morning walk was finding a willow tucked in amongst the pines flashing its little pussy poms.   Most willows like water.  Sandy, volcanic soil holds little of it for the brave vegetation that grows here.  I'm clueless as to the type of willow tough enough to hold its own in this dry setting. Any knowings out there?

A Birder's Thrill

Thanks to the Nat. Geo. Soc. Field Guide to the Birds
of North America

The feeders are all a-squabbling-scramble with birds.  They are common birds, but birds nevertheless:  House Finches, Pine Siskins, Sparrows, Scrub Jays, Mountain Chickadees (east of the Cascades version of the Black-Capped Chickadee we've seen commonly on the other side).

The freshly leafing tree off the kitchen window holds momentarily a flash of brilliant ruby. Years of absorbing images from the Field Guide to the Birds of North America (National Geo. Society), longing to see something other than all the LGB (little grey birds--or brown birds) of the Northwest had somehow tuned me to respond, "Redpoll, Hoary Redpoll."  I am quite certain I've never actually seen a Redpoll.  Later, with bird book in hand, several of us agree that it is definitely not a House Finch.  Toward afternoon the ruby darling reappears.  I confirm with thumping heart that this brand new bird on my list is a delightful, glamorous Common Redpoll.  New land. New birds!