Crayolas?

Do you know what this is?

 

Or this…

How about this….

Now you get the idea.

This is what the Netherlands looks like in Spring!

Isn’t it awesome!

I think I need to update my bucket list to include a visit to the Netherlands in spring-time.

Oh Babies!

I was out doing errands one rainy day last week with my trusty camera in tow.   As I was driving, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this…

Three little glowing balls.

 

A whole family of Canada Geese!

How cute are they!

“Reproduction

Courting
During the second year of their lives, Canada Geese find a mate. They are monogamous, and most couples stay together all of their lives.^[5] If one is killed, the other may find a new mate. The female lays 3–8 eggs and both parents protect the nest while the eggs incubate, but the female spends more time at the nest than the male. Known egg predators include Arctic Foxes, Northern Raccoons, Red Foxes, large gulls, Common Raven, American Crows and bears. During this incubation period, the adults lose their flight feathers, so they cannot fly until their eggs hatch after 25–28 days.

Adult geese are often seen leading their goslings in a line, usually with one parent at the front, and the other at the back. While protecting their goslings, parents often violently chase away nearby creatures, from small blackbirds to humans that approach, after warning them by giving off a hissing sound. Most of the species that prey on eggs will also take a gosling. Although parents are hostile to unfamiliar geese, they may form groups of a number of goslings and a few adults, called crèches. The offspring enter the fledging stage any time from 6 to 9 weeks of age. They do not leave their parents until after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace. Once they reach adulthood, Canada Geese are rarely preyed on, but (beyond humans) can be taken by Coyotes, Red Foxes, Gray Wolves, Snowy Owls, Great Horned Owls, Golden Eagles and, most often, Bald Eagles.”

Excerpted from Wikipedia

I found it interesting that the adults lose their flight feathers during the incubation period. 

If you are interested, you can read more here.

Then it was time to go!

What a privilege to spend a few minutes with this little family.

I had seen a few families before but never with my camera so when I spotted them, I had to “pull a U-ee”.  Safely, of course!

Out & About – Week 3 & Fertilizer Friday

It’s been a very odd spring here in New England.  Unseasonably warm and periods of heavy rain seem to have sent all things with roots into high gear.  The bloom schedule is way out of whack!  

As we say good bye to these….

We say hello to….

Flowering Almond is  so pretty.  I feel like this is a bit on the early side.

Leopard’s Bane is a true work horse in the garden.  It often blooms twice in the garden.  With this early start it may go for 3!

Grapevines are budding!  I really need to get this wild thing under control.

Coming around nicely………

Foxglove

 

 Hydrangeas   

Lupines

Peony

Oriental Poppy – one of my faves!

Pulmonaria

 

Lamium & Sweet Woodruff

Catnip – is looking good!  For now!  Soon the kitties will be rolling in it with wreckless abandon like a hippy in the 60’s!  And acting just as funky!

My brugmansias arrived from Florida and were potted up yesterday.  Fingers are crossed!

Now these are the most unwelcome guests of all!  Japanese Beetles are very early and I was shocked to find them yesterday. 

 Nasty bugs doing nasty things.  It’s going to be a long summer with these guys!

Well that’s it for this week.  Can’t wait to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods.  Head on over to Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie’s blog.

Out & About – Week 2 – Fertilizer Friday

I love to keep a timeline of what is going on in the great outdoors.  Which plants are blooming as well as the wildlife that emerges or migrates back to the area.  

Last week I was out & about and here are a few of the pics.

In my own yard….

Brussel sprouts!  I was shocked to see this is growing from the last year.   It was the first time I grew it so that was one of my experiments.

Leftover garlic.

And leeks.  And acorns, of course!

This beautiful tree blooms for a very short time every Spring.  Such a pretty addition to the landscape.  I wish it lasted longer!

Hydrangeas are budding.

Tulips & Hyacinths…..no garden is complete without them.

Nor these, unfortunately.

Neighboring towns….

I love this place.  It’s a house on a corner so it’s easy to see the pond from the side street.  It was quiet on this day.  Usually it’s brimming with geese and ducks.

Only one lonely duck on this day.

Then just down the road, this beautiful pair.

I hadn’t been to this pond in quite some time and was delighted to see this beautiful swan. 

 

Her partner was across the pond when I started feeding her but not for long.

 

What beautiful creatures!

We’ve had a very wet spring in the northeast and it hasn’t been very much fun.  

But there is a bright side.

Flowering trees have all exploded at the same time.    I’m happy to enjoy the beautiful sight even if just for a short time.

So that’s what’s been going on in my area over the last week.  I hope you are enjoying the bounty of Mother Earth’s wand too!  I look forward to seeing everyone’s posts on Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday.

Silly Sheep! They Fertilize! Fertilizer Friday

When I wrote this post it was not intentionally written for Fertilizer Friday.  As I was trying to think of what I would write about this week, I had a “DUH!” moment.  A few days ago, I wrote a post about sheep and thought “Sheep are natural fertilizers!”.  (If you have access to their poop!)  So without further ado….

From time to time I come across things that I simply must share.  I’ve been following a blog called “Chickens in the Road” by Suzanne McMinn.   Suzanne lives on a remote farm with a barnyard full of animals.  She has an interesting life, writes well and it is always amusing to read. Click on the picture to visit her blog.

Recently she included a 1 minute video of funny farm activity.  If you need a belly laugh, check it out.   You deserve it!

Don't forget to pop over to visit Tootsie and her Fertilizer Friday friends!

A Small Problem...in the Grand Scheme of Life

If you take a peak at my sidebar, I have a little problem.  I am my own follower!  What a dork!  I have no idea how I managed that and have no idea how to stop it.  Anyone?

 

Must be because Spring is in the air.!

Atwater Market - Fertilizer Friday

I am working with very scant means today.  My laptop is in the “hospital” for a few days so I am using the photos that I have on my old desktop.  Not a very co-operative creature.    C’est la vie. 

I did discover some pictures that I took last year while visiting Montreal (aka:  Home Sweet Home) just before planting season.  It was kind of a treat to revisit these pictures.  I hope you think so too.

This is the entrance to the Atwater Market.  It is a stone’s throw from downtown Montreal.  It opened in 1933.  Were it not such a landmark, it would not occupy such a prime piece of real estate.

Beautiful art deco building

  

With row after row of farm stalls.  Farmers from surrounding areas set up shop for the warmer months (April to November’ish)

All filled with gorgeous plants.  An absolute riot of colour.

This is the outdoor corridor that runs between the outdoor farmer stalls and the indoor market.

The indoor corridor has markets with fabulous foods.   Boulangerie (bread), charcuterie (meats),  fromagerie (cheese), poisonnerie (fish), and the outdoor cremerie (ice cream & sorbet) etc.

 

It is a wonderful place to visit, particularly after a long winter. 

I am linking up and getting in the Spring groove with Ms. Tootsie and Fertilizer Friday.    Please visit, it will lift your gardening soul.