Thursday, March 26, 2009

Thursday's Nature Notes

Sitting here at my computer on Wednesday morning looking out my window I see the first gentle rain of spring falling silently refreshing the earth.
Each time the rain ceases the birds fly to the feeders for nourishment. The cardinals are there as always. Their brilliant red color made more vibrant by the grey overcast day. They’re sharing their seeds this morning with a couple of Red-Winged Blackbirds and some Grackles that have all shown up this week in the quest for food. The ever present Mourning Doves are content to munch on the seed falling to the ground and have begun pairing up in the treetops. Pine Siskins and Finch rally for position on the thistle feeders.
Flying toward the house I see a wide wingspan and grab my camera. For a couple of days now a vulture has circled. I haven’t yet been able to snap his photo. I see that he lands in a nearby tree and I watch and wait. He’s too far away to get a photo. Suddenly I see him leave his perch for the ground. I try quietly to open my sliding glass doors and slip out on the deck in hopes of catching a glimpse of him. Suddenly I realize the wet deck is cold to my bare feet. The warm weather of the previous days is gone. There isn’t time to rethink and go back for shoes. I slip quietly to the end of the deck and see Mr. Vulture just off in the woods. Just as I clicked my camera he flew in a blur of feathers. Next time. Maybe.
I can tell that the day is going to be mostly wet. I’m thankful I took a walk around the property yesterday to see all that’s happening. The first buds of the plum tree are starting to spring forth; their tiny blossoms miniature works of art. More of the daffodils are ready to emerge from bulbs that look as if they could burst at the touch. The smallest of the forsythia bushes are in complete bloom. Even the bugs have already found the little trumpet shapes and are feasting away.
Even though it is a wet cool day in March warm Spring days are ahead. The rain is falling gently, the earth is again coming to life and I find myself longing for green leaves on the trees, fireflys, fresh tomatoes from the garden and being outside looking up at the stars. It's all just beginning. For today I'll sit back and enjoy what is mine for the moment. When the rain stops I'll go out again and marvel at the surprises that no doubt await me.

For more Nature Notes please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods.

37 comments:

Unknown said...

nice blog!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos! The plum blossom is gorgeous.

We just ate the first bell pepper from our plant in the backyard. It was crisp and sweet! I am looking at all the flowers on the tomato plant in great anticipation!

Gattina said...

What a nice spring post ! Unfortunately we drop from one extreme into the other, sunshine or rain like cats and dogs, never gentle, lol ! Birds of course avoid our garden and for a good reason, lol !

nosle todd said...

Your love for nature, wild is seen through this. nosle.com todd

nomore said...

Beautiful! this posts are almost an art....enough to be the Blog of Note.....Nice Blog again !

Neal said...

Beautiful Carletta! Very, very nice....I love the things that remind me of spring.

JunieRose2005 said...

Carletta,

I loved your morning spring tour!

We are ahead of you, of course. Spring is getting on and getting gone, much too quickly-as always !

Junie

Twisted Fencepost said...

Love your spring pictures, Carletta! I like seeing all the pictures from around the world. Some ahead, some behind, it's like a continuation of spring from my world to yours.

Melli said...

Oh, I LOVE this post! Your yard is sounding just like mine! And thanks for the tip on the pine siskins -- I didn't know what they were - just more little finches to me! LOTS of tiny little birds have shown up this week! The Red-Winged Blackbirds have been around for a few weeks now. It is really getting busy out there!

Anonymous said...

So nice and peaceful. The pictures are gorgeous. Each and every one of them.

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos! I just learned about Pine Siskins. It seems that they used to be rare in New Jersey, but recently, quite a few have been spotted.

I am waiting for my forsythia to open up; yours are a pleasure.

Thank you for visiting my Nature's Notes of buds.

Raven said...

What a beautifully written post... and such wonderful bits of Spring. You are quite a ways ahead of us, but I know one day soon I'll look out my back door and be surprised by the forsythia. We do have robins again. A good sign.

Carver said...

Wonderful post. I love your photographs and also the description which brings it all alive. Sounds like your weather is similar to ours at the moment. I'm watching the rain and the birds from the window by my computer as I type.

Anonymous said...

Great macro shots, especially the first one. Lovely.

Jientje said...

Ooohhh, I so enjoyed this post. Spring is such a celebration!!!

Dr.John said...

It is raining here today and our flowers haven't started yet. I loved your pictures.

Anonymous said...

This is really beautiful Carletta. Your writing paints such a vivid picture and one that I can't paint without a camera.

I left the links up from the first round because there were only a few people so I will add your name again. I am just getting used to this Mr. Linky and trying to find a day good for everyone which I can't, so I will just put Nature Notes up on Saturday and leave it for the week...Michelle

Anonymous said...

Beautiful nature notes !

Teacher Lady said...

Hello from a new teacher to a retired teacher! I didn't wait until I retired to start blogging and now I am addicted. I love your photos.

Janie B said...

Terrific pictures! I'm a teacher, too - hope to retire someday soon. I will enjoy returning here.

Champ Townboy said...

Awesome post! Of course, lol. I'm so good at stating the obvious.

philly5113 said...

Carletta, congratulations! This is great. I find your blog very inspiring. I am yearning to do the things you are doing now. I am not yet retired but I hope that I can squeeze the time in to write and post, more often, until such time. I get such joy from looking at your site, the things that are near and dear to me. Poems and nature pictures makes me happy.
Thanks for putting this together.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos and very poetic writing combine to make a lovely post.

Now in the autumn of my life, my theme is also "forever in blue jeans."

Connie T. said...

Beautiful pictures and nice post. The first picture is so pretty. I love flowers.

Leedra said...

Beautiful post. Love the yellow as they begin to bloom it makes us know spring is here.

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Skoots1moM said...

beautiful photos...get me in the spring mood...it's raining here and i can't get my pics taken!

MyMaracas said...

Lovely photos, and a peaceful, hopeful narrative as well. Your posts are always such a pleasure.

Vicki

Rose said...

Carletta just now catching up--seen this this morn but no time to read. Anyway, it is a really nice post...I enjoyed it a lot.

kden said...

I agree the plum blossom is beautiful. Ours is a long way off from blooming. Beautiful shots, all the way around.

healingmagichands said...

Very beautiful images. Spring is definitely springing, isn't it? I surely hope the weatherman is wrong and it doesn't freeze hard tonight.

Janice Thomson said...

What a lovely post Carletta. Love, love the sakura photo.

George said...

What a great post with great pictures. It definitely has me thinking spring.

SoFine09 said...

Wow this is a really beautiful blog. I love how you describe the nature around you and walking on a wet deck. It makes it easy to imagine what it was like. Spring was showed its colors today! Too bad I didn't have my camera like you did. Nice pictures.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Carletta: Really nice shots of nature.

storyteller's other blog said...

Lovely 'nature notes' here ...
I didn't participate this week, but thoroughly enjoyed your Spring post.
Hugs and blessings,

The Hopeful Blogger said...

I love your blog space! It is absolutely beautiful! You must be a wonderful person to know! Thank you for your lovely site. It is truly like a beautiful "vacation" for the mind!

The Hopeful Blogger :)

Richard Ollen Broadwell IV said...

beautiful pictures!!