Collards are survivors

Well, the collards that poked their heads above the snow from time to time are definitely dead. But the collards out back on the hillside, the ones I didn’t see up close all winter not only survived, but look downright robust. They’re as tough as pansies.

Maple Sprouts

These are the weeds I should be pulling: sneaky little maple sprouts, lying coiled on the surface, eager for spring rains to wake them, ready to spread green little wings. They’re easy to pull now, but not when they take root and become seedlings and saplings and trees. That’s the price of having a corner […]

Cloudy skies, sunny flowers

Since when are pansies wimps? They make it through the winter just fine, or at least mine do. When I’m looking for fall pansies, I pick the old-style whiskery ones that aren’t so huge and overbred. So here’s the first one flowering today. The daffodils also decided to offer their bit of light to a […]

New guppies enter

Sue has been busy. I spotted the first baby guppy near the beginning of the month, realized there was two just over a week ago, and finally got a picture. Sort of.

Feeding the squirrels

This is the view from my office on a rainy Sunday: a squirrel raiding the difficult bird feeder. Usually they go after the easy one, the post feeder, but that’s gone empty for a few days (poor things). You might be able to make out how they pop the cover off and get inside and […]

Bird fruit

To a cat, the most important fruit that a tree bears are birds. Here, for example, is a crop of fat juicy sparrows waiting to get another chance at the bird feeder. Too bad there’s a fluffy white cat sitting under it, looking hopeful. I told you he was evil.

First day of spring

Whereas I saw a honeybee today, as it cruised along checking out the crocuses;

Garden buddies

Just enjoying the springlike activity in the garden, not just the snowdrops multiplying and spreading, but the trees and bushes budding out.

Last and first harvest

I suppose these leeks are both the last harvest of last year and the first harvest of this year. They weren’t looking too hot out there, but they made it. When the ground finally reappeared, I went out and pulled and yanked from side to side and pulled and–

Holding Patterns

Snow goes on. Snow goes off. Cat goes in. Cat goes out. Breath goes in. Breath goes out. Does anything really change?