Spring is afoot

In the desert things can change overnight.  No joke.  I went to get the mail yesterday and have to walk by this bush.  You could barely see tiny green shoots on it.  One day later, here it is:

Lady Banks Rose

I think this is absolutely amazing!  The leaves have grown almost an inch overnight.  I noticed the Bradford Pear tree on the corner is in full bloom also.  I hadn’t noticed any buds on it yet.  It usually pops into flower on the spring equinox.  You can set your calendar by it.  We are in for an early spring, which is fine by me.

Bradford Pear Tree

I took this photo of the honeysuckle vine in the backyard today.  It gets totally brown and looks like dead sticks in the winter.  Then in two weeks time it’ll have blooms on it.  You can see the green taking it over already.

Honeysuckle

I really think you could sit and watch things grow this time of year.  I love it.  I know the cats do too.  We opened the windows today for the first time this season while we cleaned up the patio.

 My patio - all I need now is flowers

 

I was at my neighbors to look at her new granite counter tops today and I spied a lizard on the wall so those guys are coming out of hibernation too, a sure sign spring is here.

More pictures to come as more things start happening around here.  Happy early spring to those of you who have it happening at your place and I hope it isn’t too far away for everyone else.

The Orioles are back

Sunday was warm and windy here in the desert.  The humidity was sitting on seven percent, so you didn’t dare drag your feet across the carpet.  I’m glad we don’t have a lot of it.  No wonder my feet and hands are in such shape and I have snakeskin all over.

 Male oriole

Female Oriole

The orioles have returned to the yard.  I spent part of the day trying to get good pictures of them.  The other part I spent working in the yard.  As I ache all over now, the thought of getting a condo is sounding better to me than it once did.  Yard work beats you up.  I just don’t know if they make a condo big enough.  I have to have a place somewhere that I can escape to that’s quiet.

 Female oriole on feeder

 Look at this handsome fellow - Beautiful color

Anyway, back to the orioles.  We had three in the yard flying in the trees and taking turns at the hummingbird feeder.  For those of you who have orioles and don’t know it, these birds love the hummingbird feeder.  We tried Oriole nectar and orange slices and they wouldn’t touch it.  So fill up your hummingbird feeder and watch for them.  But be warned they can drain it in a couple of days.  I have a giant sized one now.

 A couple of sparrows enjoying the feeder

The Orioles will hang around all summer and then migrate in the late fall.  They don’t mind sharing the feeder with the hummers.  And, as you can see, even the finches and sparrows take a turn.  They’ve learned if they rock it back and forth, they can get the nectar out.