Friends called and asked us to join them at a local icecream place that has a small animal petting area for the kids. This little outfit Caroline has on is one of my latest favorites.
As soon as this baby heard the animals, her icecream was handed off to Dad and off she went to find them.
Future Plumbers of America candidate?
This is the way I found the last little bird yesterday, tucked in amongst the foliage of the holy. It's nest mates had already flown the coop, the nest was sideways on the branch, so I think with all four of them smushed in there the nest listed to one side and the others fell out and flew off. I did see one on the ground and when I went to try to capture it to return it to the newly righted nest, it did fly off into the middle branches of a nearby rhodie. I'm imagining that this last hold out was the egg that didn't hatch until two days after the others.
This is how I found it this am, so it obviously hopped it's way back to the nest for over night safety.
Caroline is fasinated by the little moths that have recently hatched out and wants to hold them.
Happy dog attached to Dad.
Baby birds are progressing. Only found one out of the nest one day last week; I guess they've figured out how to all fit in the tiny nest. When I checked on them this am, mama stayed on the nest as I peeked. She actually was nestled on a branch right next to the nest; I guess I should take some cues from Mother Nature and truly realize that after you have a child the world revolves around them. :-)
My poor rose. I purchased this one and planted it this spring. Have pulled two little greenish yellow inchworm type things off the bud, but the leaves are like lace and I haven't found any other culprits. Any ideas?
The birds are starting to get feathers. When we stopped at the house to drop off the rocks on the way to Meadow View, I decided to check on them and found one baby on the ground. I replaced it in the nest, which is getting quite small for all four of them, and mama and daddy are still feeding them.
The garden on the right's rock boarder. Nothing fancy, but it looks a bit more finished to me.
View of my outside oasis from my inside oasis on the sun porch. I don't know why I love this little garden so much, but for some reason, I just love it.
And finally, I found some GORGEOUS day lilies of different colors and planted them in the newly cleaned out and pruned area closest to the road.
Caroline got a tricycle on Monday. As you can see it has a "tail" as she calls it, that I can guide her with when she rides. And yes, that is a snake hitching a ride (plastic - her latest favorite thing)
It's been raining so much lately that I haven't been outside too much to enjoy these beauties, so I sacrificed them to the vase gods. A bit more short lived than leaving them outside, but I needed some color in the house. By the way, Cheryl, please look at the other picture to get a view of the miniature stone wall I built around the left garden.
Sweet pea looking at the sweet peas.
Sweet peas, the only plants I was able to grow from seed and transplant this year.
Liatris getting ready to bloom
Goblin sundial daisy sending out a teaser of what is to follow.
One of the delphinium in the new left garden, a different color than the big one in the right garden, and I noticed it is double bloomed.
All four eggs hatched and are being little eating machines. I have been watching poor mama and papa birds constantly traveling back and forth to the nest with bugs and seeds hanging out of their mouths. It's been fun watching the little family.
Three babies hatched yesterday, one left to go. The picture looks blurred, but it is the little one's down.
Old fashion rose, super thorny stem, blooms only last one day, but the bush is loaded and smells wonderful.
Blue delphinium, mid spike. The top 6 inches haven't bloomed yet.
Peone, one of my favorite flowers, mainly because of their complex blooms, although so short lived.
Not a chickadee but a house sparrow, swamp sparrow or possibly a fox sparrow. Pretty eggs though.
I found a cheeky monkey in one of my maples today.
Butterfly milkweed blooming!
Delphinium beginning to bloom, growing sunflowers at the back, and the spikes of the gladiolas beginning to sprout.
Ground level side view of garden to the right of front steps.
This is the sad first year of the left garden, as you can see it needs a lot of TLC.
In the oasis, playing with the gator.
Getting windblown in front of the old fashioned roses that smell like heaven.
