I'm Here

I am popping in to thank all of you for your many notes, emails, texts, phone calls, etc., to check on me.   I guess my lack of posting caused some concern.  I am okay, just concentrating on some things that need my attention here at home.  I have spent a lot of time outside, enjoying our lovely weather.   Caught a silhouette of a Hummer landing on the feeder for a sip.

I really am an outdoor loving kind of girl.  I got my zoom lens out the other day to see what might catch my eye.   This Male House Finch nibbling some thistle.

Most of you probably already know this about me, but for those who don't, I am a bird nerd!  I love birds.  I have dozens of feeder stations set up around our house, and bird houses to attract them to raise their young.  I had a pair of Bushtits nest in the bottle brush tree last Spring.  They make the most spectacular nest.  They are back.

I have Oriole stations in both the front and back.  They are probably my favorite of all.  Their brilliant color, and the "chittering" of their chirp.  They love to ream the juice of orange halves.  And grape jelly is a favorite treat.  The wooden feeder on the right has a skewer for the orange half.  Also a cup rests in the bottom to fill with grape jelly.  The feeder on the left is kind of unique.  It was a gift from my neighbors who know how much I love the birds.  You pull off those cylinder bottom pieces to skewer the fruit.  In this case, oranges for the Orioles.  I also take orange halves and just skewer them onto any tree limb or spot it will fit, such as I have done above the wooden feeder.

I sat for the longest time to try to snap a photo of an Oriole, but to no avail.  Then when out front, I heard the chittering call that they make, and spotted one in the Sycamore tree.  It is not a good photo, but you can see the brilliant orange of the male.  The females have not returned just yet.  The males always come first.

Another Hummer taking a brief rest on the tippy top of a Bird Of Paradise plant.  Look at her tiny feet!

While I was in the front yard, I was noticing how the roses are all about to burst with brilliant blooms.  They have been blooming for a few weeks, but when they are all in their glory, it is a beautiful sight!  I have 46 rose bushes that line the perimeter or our house.

I love this time of year.  Watching everything come to life again.  Gerbera Daisies are a favorite of mine.

This beautiful flowering plant I discovered hidden on the side of our house one year shortly after moving in.  It blooms in early Spring and is so pretty.  I wanted to move it to the front planter to enjoy it.  It blooms every Spring without fail, and I love it.  But I can't recall the name.

In the grove, the orange trees are all in full bloom.  The fragrance is intoxicating.  I especially love it in the still of the night, and the very early morning.

There are still a lot of oranges on the trees, but they are falling fast.

I wandered around with the girls for a while to see what they were up to.

I followed them to the back of the property, where they found a good spot to dig themselves into the dirt.  This is called Dust Bathing.  All chickens do it.  It is how they keep themselves free of parasites, and keep clean.  They burrow down into loose dirt, flapping their wings to get the dirt up underneath their feathers.

The first time I saw this done, I thought that something was wrong!  But not to worry, this is very normal chicken behavior indeed.

They don't mind being wathced while they bathe.  They just don't want to be disturbed.

You lookin' at me?

After they bathe, they get  up and ruffle their feathers to dispell all of the dirt.  For a minute, they look like "Pig Pen" from the Charlie Brown show.  The dirt aura follows them until it is shook free.

Sitting down, right on the dirt myself, gives you a different vantage point.  I was noticing things that I had never noticed before.  

This place, this yard, this grove.  It is where I find peace and solace.  Sometimes I think we are getting too old to take care of it all ourselves.  I find myself thinking about finding a small house with a small yard somewhere, that will be much easier to keep up. 

But I fear that if we do, I would "look back" and miss this place so much.  So we stay.  For now.  And enjoy the simple things.  Like the bright red of a Geranium in bloom against a chippy aqua chair.

Enjoying the companionship of my faithful friend.

Oh how I love my "Dusty Boy!"
I am trying to keep the avocados picked so that they can be enjoyed by all.  Many remain on the trees still.

I got most of the garden planted a couple of weeks ago, and since these photos have been taken, almost all of my seedlings have poked their eager heads through the rich soil, seeking sunlight to grow.

I still need to get my melons and pumpkins in.  By next week I should have those all planted too.
We think we discovered how the coyotes were getting in so easily.  The property behind us is an open piece of land, that gets plowed a couple of times a year.  We discovered that the back fence has been hit by the plow, causing a gap big enough for them to gain access. 

Greg has closed the gap, and anchored it with a steel post, and so far we have not had any more problems.  But when I let the chickens out to free range, I keep a radio station cranked up enough to be
softly heard in the grove.  I hear that coyotes will think that people are near and won't come if they hear this. 
In closing, I want to share with you a book I found at Lowe's a couple of weeks ago.  It is so informative, on so many subjects.  I am loving it!

We are thinking of beekeeping to raise our own honey.  And I have been preparing to make my own soap.  This book is full of terrific information for anyone interested in homesteading, or just simply utilizing their own patch to the best of their ability. 
Thank you again, to each of you who has asked how I am.  I appreciate each one of you.  I am a very gregarious person by nature.  But every once in a while, I have a hard time finding my voice. 
So as the gardens grow, and the breezes blow, I am looking for my true North.

See you soon.
XO  Kris