the tempting warmth of proto-spring

The birds at the tea cup continue to entertain me, the cardinals and chickadees and titmice and now the orange crowned yellow warbler. And the little painted bunting who continues to be around, lately more often at the other bird feeder in the front that is farther from the window than the tea cup is back here under the eave. His colors have really come out since the first time I spied it. The cardinals are looking fine and healthy. Right now as I type there is a female on the cup and a male is waiting in the bush. They look directly in at me and I look back as they eat. A chickadee just flew in, tossed out a bunch of stuff (hopefully the empty shells) and then flew off. Outside, the red shouldered hawks are riding the thermals kee keeing for mates.

Despite the cold front that came and sat on us for a few days, spring is here, at least judging by the emerging green shoots and flowers and the chirping and flirting birds. Oh, and the warm temps and blue skies. It will still yo-yo back and forth for a while. I haul cold tenders out when it's nice and haul them back in when it's not. The small easily managed ones at least. The plumerias will have to wait until I'm thoroughly convinced that we won't get another dip into the freezing zone.

A week after Frank died, one of his peach trees was in full bloom, another was just starting to bloom, and a third was already covered with tiny future peaches.

I saw through the window of one of his greenhouses the huge cacti he has in pots all around and went in to get a better look. I heard some loud banging around and followed the sound to a small woodpecker, a flicker or yellow bellied sapsucker perhaps, that was trapped and frantically crashing into windows. I finally trapped it in a corner and reached out and grabbed and it started screeching it's little head off. I didn't think about that long stabby beak until I had it in a clumsy grasp. I carried it out and opened my hand and off it flew.

Early spring is pink and white, daffodils and dandelions notwithstanding. Pear trees, always the earliest, bloom white and peach trees bloom pink, pink chinese fringe flower and white narcissus, and pink and white japanese magnolia and apple trees, pink red bud tree and even in the wild the white 10 petal anemone and little wild onion flowers and the bright pink henbit. Later will come the blues, purples, and reds of later spring followed by the yellows which is the color of summer.

It's overcast today with high fast moving clouds heavy with rain. I don't think we'll get any of it besides the light mist we already got earlier. I've been in the shop cleaning up after filling a mold yesterday. The metal building of the shop is so noisy in this high gusty wind. It pops and creaks and shudders and squeaks and grinds and thrums, nothing like the quiet groans or creaks of wood framing even with metal siding. Still getting used to the new work environment.