Here are some things I saw this week
during a Second Look.
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| The dogwood have been coming out recently. They among the last to bloom of the spring trees and my favorite. |
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| We have both white and pink dogwood trees. |
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| I first noticed this redbud tree a few years ago. I usually think of it dotting the hillsides where I grew up. |
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| Remember the wooly bear caterpillars from last fall? Here is a recently hatched white tiger moth from one of them. |
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| Weathered sweet gum ball |
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| I turned around one day and the bleeding hears were blooming. The last time I looked, the leaves were just coming up. Surprises like that are one of the things that makes spring so fun. |
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| It's calving season and it's been fun to watch the babies. This brave one has strayed a little way from its mother. |
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| Speaking of little ones, the birds are preparing for some of their own. We have three different kinds of nests being built in the nest boxes. This is the third one for the sparrows. I keep removing their nest, so the bluebirds have a chance. I may leave this one since the bluebirds are working on a nest in another spot. |
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| Blue jay and daffodils |
Love your spring pictures.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the A to Z challenge was time-consuming, but it was fun to see what you came up with!
What does your spring look like these days?
DeleteThe challenge was definitely time consuming, but interesting overall. I wrote about some things that I would have never thought to write about (Miss Annie Laurie's hellebore) that I'm glad I did. it.
The daffodils are at their peak. The flowering trees (usually fruit trees around here) are starting to bloom, more so in Grand Rapids where I work (it's inland from Lake Michigan and warmer at this time of the year) than where I live. Smaller trees and bushes are starting to green up. Next week looks like it will be in the 60s and 70s, so I'm looking forward to more spring-like blooms.
DeleteWe took the kids to Holland, MI, last evening. As the name implies, it is a largely Dutch-influenced town. Every year they have Tulip Time in the spring, which is a large event and brings in tourists. The actual festival begins tomorrow. They have Klompen dancing by dancers dressed in Dutch costumes. Their first performance was last night (I think it's more of a dress rehearsal, as the actual festival hadn't yet begun--we like going before the festival to see them better--fewer crowds to fight). It's kind of amazing to watch hundreds of Dutch dancers and hear the rhythms as their wooden shoes hit the asphalt. The area parks are filled with blooming tulips. Very pretty and a fun cultural experience.
Tulip Time sounds great and you did it just the way I would like--with fewer people. We used to have several tulips in our yard, but gradually they're all gone. Some have been eaten and some just didn't come back. I thought they should last forever, but I have read that some consider them annuals.
DeleteI very much enjoyed your posts during the challenge. If I decide to do it again I will forget having a theme and use your method as my example.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite season is summer simply because it's warm and I no longer hurt from cold days, but spring is the most exciting and hopeful because it prepares you for summer's beauty. I have been exploring my town looking for all the signs of spring and have found a few but nothing like what you have here. Yesterday i took my 8 month old grandson for a walk. He was mesmerized by the birdsong and then spotted a butterfly. His reaction was to laugh. He didn't miss a thing and even noticed things I might not have if I hadn't had him with me.
And as I was struggling to come up with posts for the challenge, I thought maybe it would be easier if I had a theme like you did. Let's just say that it was hard for all of us. Maybe that was because it was our first time. I'm not sure whether I will do it again or not next year, but I'm happy it's over now.
DeleteIt's hard to believe that your grandson is 8 months old now. A wonderful age to enjoy the outdoors with. But as you have found with all of your grandchildren, each age appreciates things in a different way, but they all love nature.
That little calf is so cute! I will have to back and read through your A-z challenge. I have a hard time posting daily and I really suck at challenges ;-)
ReplyDeletePosting daily was a real struggle for me, however, a challenge usually motivates me. That is if anyone else is involved. Challenges/ goals that I set for myself that I don't share with others are hard for me to stick with. Outside accountability helps to keep me motivated.
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