We saw our first ruby-throated hummingbird today flitting from feeder to feeder. They are tardy! Most years they show up around my Mom's birthday, April 23. We put our feeders out on the 19th and waited. The hummingbird migration map, which you can see here, showed the early birds arriving … [Read more...]
Spruce Tree Massacre
Our yard is narrow, only 200 feet across, but it feels secluded and private because of the big spruce trees planted all around the front and sides. This is what casual passersby see from the street: Spruce trees. Lots and lots of big beautiful spruce trees that the original owners planted 20 … [Read more...]
Remember Woody Woodpecker? Pileated Woodpecker in My Yard
The other day a big black and white bird flew among the trees by the side of the road. At first I thought it was a magpie - not a Michigan native - before spotting the crested red head. It was a pileated woodpecker. If you're the right vintage you may remember Woody Woodpecker cartoons. … [Read more...]
Rainbow at Sunset – November 18, 2015
We had a spectacular sunset here. First rainbow appeared right at the eastern horizon, not a full arch but a huge, wide prismatic glow of colors. I could see where it touched the earth on the hill across the river. By the time I got outside with the camera the rainbow was arcing … [Read more...]
Grow Up Little Tadpole and Frog Away!
Our tadpoles are finally growing up and turning into frogs! I wrote about our tadpole guests last spring when we rescued several hundred from the pool winter cover. (You can read that post here.) In June through mid-August Dave fed them cooked up shredded lettuce, but they weren't getting … [Read more...]
It’s Been A Rainy Summer – And A Buggy One!
We have had great summer weather this year, with only a few days of I'm-dying-it's-hot but it has been wet. That means bugs, mosquitoes and flies. I've had to wear bug repellent to garden and even to go for a walk. This week it's been very hot, high 80s and into the 90s, and I have walked early … [Read more...]
Saving Tadpoles from the Swimming Pool
Our pool was full of gunk this spring above the winter cover. You name it, we had it floating in the rain and snow melt that accumulated on top the cover: bugs, hydrangea flower heads, leaves, pieces of plastic from the roof repair, assorted garbage blown by the wind. It doesn't look too bad in … [Read more...]
Misty Mornings Mid May in Michigan
Yesterday morning I looked out the back window and saw this beautiful view of mist raising from the Kalamazoo river valley a mile away to cover the trees and most of the field behind our house. The spiderwebs sparkled with raindrops and the faint misty sunshine. Everything looked shrouded in … [Read more...]
Cold Spring in Northern Michigan – Ice Melting on Little Traverse Bay
We live in Southwest Michigan, where spring comes about 2 weeks earlier than it did in Midland and about a month earlier than further north. This weekend we went to a trade show in Petoskey, which is right on Little Traverse Bay (part of Lake Michigan) and about 70 miles north of Traverse City … [Read more...]
Waiting For the Birds of Spring
In Kalamazoo we have robins year around although we don't see them often. I have seen them near the suet feeder but usually they sustain themselves on the crab apples or berries left during the winter. Recently I saw a flock of them on the tree in driveway circle that has small fruits on it. It … [Read more...]