I wrote this poem as I thought about those first true warm spring days where the light, and sounds and scents all change and add such an excitement. And I am dreaming of those spring days now and that light, and the sounds and especially the scents. All are gone in winter….replaced by a different canopy.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about the Spring’s Song. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
The idea of this poem was originally written as a birthday tribute for a true flower woman who creates fields of flowers from seed. I kept the idea, but changed it to reflect the birthday of another gardener/flower woman, me. I am celebrating my birthday next week, and am pleased to have lived and loved for 61 years now.
The pictures are of native lupines. They were seeded in my meadow by this flower woman’s hands. They symbolize imagination. So apt as I imagined creating this beautiful meadow, and have not been disappointed.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about the Flower Woman. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
On this Earth Day, we celebrate 48 years of awareness about being kinder to our home planet….to protect our environment even in the wake of the horrible policies and environmental agenda of this country. This poem has many levels….a renewal of my garden, the earth and of me personally that always happens in spring with new growth.
The pictures are of early organic lettuce growing in my garden last year. With our cold spring I have not started my lettuce in the garden yet.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about A Renewal. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
Even with the vernal equinox coming this week in the northern hemisphere, the first day of spring never quite arrives according to the calendar. It shows up when it is good and ready…each year a different date. And this year winter is unrelenting, and March seems to be the new February, with cold and almost 4 feet of new snow in the first two weeks. Now we are frigid again with snow piles everywhere….no spring thaw in sight for weeks perhaps. So as I wait, I am thinking about what I am yearning for when spring finally does show itself in earnest.
The pictures are of native Bloodroot from my garden. They are one of the first native flowers blooming. You have to watch for their blooms, and savor them while you can, as they fade fast.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about the Yearnings of Spring. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
In spring I see the subtle signs of spring….those I listed above. And this year as February ended those signs appeared. Unfortunately we had a beast of a storm on March 2nd that dropped a foot and a half of snow on us. And more snow comes daily with cold winds. So now we wait for the signs of spring to come again perhaps by March end. You can read more about the storm and my garden in this post.
The pictures here are from my garden. Snow covered back garden, and pond thawing.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about Winter yielding, and spring sighing. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
I am called from deep slumber
To awaken now.
A dynamic spark firing through me
Beckons me from hibernation.
Emboldens me to germinate
Seeds of inspiration.
And as the icy shield melts from my body,
I feel a creative fire building inside greeting the sunrise
On this first spring day!
As March begins, my thoughts turn to spring, a season that takes it time to show up this far north. And as I await spring, I keep preparing by starting seeds early for the veg garden in late May. And I clean and clear the garden as the weather permits.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about I Am Called. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
I had not written much since last August due to a shoulder injury and due to a need to travel inward….a self-imposed time away. But on a sunny day in early April when I began my new journal habit, this poem flowed forth trying to break the ice damn that had built up. It was how I was feeling sitting in my garden waiting for it to wake up….and hoping my creative juices would do the same.
The pictures above is of my early spring pond a bit muddy, and below my later spring pond full of life and water lilies.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up, Poetry Pantry, for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about muddy waters. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2017. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
“I believed then – in a deep, easy way that is impossible for me as an adult – that there was more to this world than meets the eye. Trees had spirits; the wind spoke. If you followed a toad or a raven deep into the heart of the forest, they were sure to lead you to something magical.”
~Jennifer McMahon
When we had the pond built, almost 20 years ago, we had high hopes that lots of critters would visit or make a home there. And we have seen our fair share of critters come to the pond….frogs, insects, turtles, snakes, birds….and the list goes on. The most consistent visitors making a home, in the pond, has been the frogs laying many eggs every year (see picture above).
But my favorite, yet elusive, visitor to the pond has to be the toads. Although we hear the toads, we only see them from time to time as toads are generally nocturnal. The American toad (Anaxyrus americanus, formerly Bufo americanus) is the species of toad found here. They love areas with moisture and plenty of insects…..which is exactly what you will find in our garden.
We heard the toads again in early April, and they seemed quite close each night calling with that amazing long, trilling sound. So imagine my surprise when we saw them not soon afterward…..
I was so surprised because we had never seen two at once, and certainly not in this amorous embrace. Of course in this position it was quite evident that the large rust colored toad was the female and the smaller the male. The female makes her home just outside the fence in a small garden we have, and we see her burrowing herself in for the winter, or uncovering herself as spring warms the ground.
We see the smaller male toads here and there, in the garden and pond and even some tiny young toads. But we have never seen the making of those little toads. Not wanting to intrude on these two, I took pictures and quickly left them alone.
It is interesting to note how the mating ritual takes place. Males go to shallow ponds, and call to females. When the female arrives, the male actually grabs or hugs her (the lady must be willing if the smaller male can grab the female twice his size) until she discharges her eggs. As the eggs come out, the male fertilizes them by discharging fluid with sperm onto the eggs. I actually witnessed her continuing to push out two long strings of eggs looking like a necklace of black pearls. See them draped all along the vegetation above.
If you look closely, you can see the eggs are covered with a jelly like substance in long tubes. The toads found the perfect spot for the eggs; shallow water with vegetation near the irises that had not bloomed yet.
Like frogs, once the toads lay the eggs they leave them to develop on their own. Eggs begin to hatch in a few days. The process can take up to 10-12 days before the eggs become tadpoles, and then they fully develop into toads in about 2 months time. American toads usually survive only a year or two in the wild although we have seen the large female here for a few years. Most tadpoles don’t survive very long becoming food for snakes, and frogs.
You can see the development of the eggs above over a 10 day period. We have not seen the toads yet, but they should be emerging sometime this month we hope.
Here are some additional facts about the American Toad:
Toads don’t cause warts, but the American toad produces a toxin that can be harmful if swallowed, or if it gets in your eyes. So be careful if you handle toads. We leave them alone.
When the tadpoles are ready to leave the pond they emerge usually in groups.
Tadpoles have several ways to keep predators at bay. They swim close together in schools, and stay in very shallow water that is thick with vegetation. We have lots of that especially around the cattails so perhaps we will have several surviving toads emerging soon.
Special Note: I wrote a poem about our toads and you can find it here….Ode to A Toad. The picture at the end of the post is of our House Wren feeding its babies recently. The wrens have fledged, but we still hear the Wren’s song in the garden.
What wildlife lessons are you learning as summer begins?
With this wildlife story, I am joining in the meme Wildlife Wednesday hosted by Tina@My Gardener Saysthat happens the first Wednesday of every month, and with Saturday’s Critters hosted by Eileen@Viewing nature with Eileenthat happens every Saturday. I am also linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every week. Please check out all these great blogs.
I leave you with another thought about studying nature. Feel free to download the photo and share.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-16. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
Do you talk to the bees? Well I do. I wish them a good morning, with the sun’s first rays. And as I do, I give a wide berth to these buzzing teenagers, slow to wake. They can be ornery, you see. And if aroused, you might feel the sting of their wrath if they are still trying to sleep on their flowery beds. They require a soft voice, and gentle touch. Needing time to stretch their wings and get their bearings, they drink in the moment. They linger over their first sip of nectar or sniff of silky pollen passion. But once tasted, they move from plant to plant leaving their mark. Letting all know, “I have been here”.
I love to go into my garden and start the day by watching the bees sleeping on flowers. And I talk with them as they are just beginning to wake. Thanking them for being part of my garden sanctuary, and pollinating the flowers bringing us abundance. They remind me to savor the beginning of the day, and live in the moment.
The pictures here are of those spring bees that wake early in the garden season, and do their spring dance bringing me indescribable joy. This haibun poem is in honor of these precious bees, who are under assault from chemical warfare.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about talking to the bees. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
The plant profiled here is called Bride’s Feather, Goat’s beard or Aruncus dioicus. Its unusual blooms look like fluffy feathers. And it is a pollinator magnet. You can read more about it here. This native plant grows in my summer garden, and is pictured throughout the post.
I hope you have enjoyed reading some of my wildflower poems, over the last several weeks.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about this beautiful native plant. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
“One should pay attention to even the smallest crawling creature for these too may have a valuable lesson to teach us.”
~Black Elk
As spring warms up, the birds come flocking to our garden. Many have visited before, and return to find feeders, nesting areas or boxes, and a habitat in which to raise their young. Chemical free with lots of plant debris. And water….a nice pond to drink from or bathe in. More on the pond in another Wildlife post in the months ahead.
And each critter who wakes or visits, teaches us lessons in how they live, cohabitate and survive. So here are some of the mid to late spring visitors to our garden.
Squirrels naturally assume that wherever they are, is the place to be. We have found many black walnuts in and around the garden; some eaten, some forgotten. The squirrels love to play around and explore every nook and cranny of the garden, high and low. I can tell you this favorite perch on the wren house had to be vacated once the wrens were back.
And what a surprise to see this baby bunny just out of the nest. In March, we saw a pregnant female near the big ash trees in the center of the garden. I could not find the nest, but eventually, once they left, I saw the small opening. It is not uncommon to have a nest in our garden each year, but this year they nested early because of the very warm March weather.
This little babe was hiding in the middle of a bunch of daffs absolutely still (see last photo at end of post). I almost didn’t see it. It eventually moved more to the edge of the daffs the next day, and then it was gone. We see a small bunny around our neighbor’s shed so perhaps we will see her in our garden eating the clover that is flowering.
Pollinators were cautious of the warm March weather, and were slow to emerge in April. But once they did, they were busy making nests in the bee house we have. I am not good at identifying bees, but these are small solitary bees.
The pond also awoke cautiously in later April. Frogs…..
and toads. This is a female toad laying eggs for the first time in the pond. I’ll have their story for you this summer. And I’ll show you the pond project that has been a roaring success for the critters.
Pileated woodpeckers live here year round, or so it seems. They have been busy in the garden since February, digging holes and getting the insects that have been living in trees and stumps.. This female visits often. I plan to have a post about these majestic creatures this fall.
Finches live here all year round too. They eat the dandelion seeds, in spring, that are all over the back lawn…which is mostly dandelions and clover. The Goldfinch looks very happy, and the House Finch looks like he got caught in the act.
Red-wing blackbirds came early with the robins this year. They returned to their territory and nesting areas, and many visited the suet feeders, especially this March and April as the cool weather kept their insect diet at bay.
Other familiar year round faces are the Cardinals, here, and the Song Sparrow in the picture at the top of the post. Cardinals sing all year round too. It is a beautiful song.
But as May dawns, I look for two migratory birds to return to the garden….the Baltimore Oriole….
….and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds. We put up feeders, for both birds, but more birds prefer the Oriole feeder, even the hummer above. Both birds arrived a day apart in the evening, and were exhausted taking long drinks and resting on the feeder.
Our oriole feeder holds sweetened water, and cups for grape jelly. And as we were refilling the jelly, the Orioles couldn’t wait to partake…..you can see we didn’t even have to hang the feeder.
And Orioles (left and top right) are not the only ones who love the sweetened water and jelly. Downy Woodpeckers (center right) visit frequently, along with Catbirds (lower right), Sparrows and a newcomer to the garden…..
…Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. A stunning bird isn’t it.
I wasn’t sure the Wrens would return. I heard their jolly, bright song for weeks and finally they were ready to nest. It is fascinating to watch them carefully make a nest of small sticks….turning the sticks in their beaks and handing them off to their partner in the box.
And last but not least, the Cedar Waxwings returned in late May right around my birthday. Always the best present!
I am struck by the spring lessons of caution and focus as I observed, looking back at our visiting and year round critters. Pollinators and pond critters took their time not being lured out of hibernation too soon. And I was cautious too as I observed an early spring that turned back to winter. And those critters that came too early, weathered the storm and showed me such resilience.
Once the critters arrived for spring, they were focused on their chores of finding food, and procreating. I too was very focused with garden chores this spring. And we will see the fruit of their labors soon enough with baby frogs and baby birds being added to the garden habitat. I hope to see the fruits of my labors as well as the garden season progresses.
I am sharing these lessons with Beth@PlantPostingsfor her wonderful Garden Lessons Learned meme. I hope you will join her.
So there you have some of our mid to late spring visitors. I have at least two more spring stories coming in the next two months….both about the pond. What critters are showing up in your garden this spring?
With this wildlife story, I am joining in the meme WildlifeWednesdayhosted by Tina@My Gardener Saysthat happens the first Wednesday of every month, and with Saturday’s Critters hosted by Eileen@Viewing nature with Eileenthat happens every Saturday. I am also linking in with Judith@Lavender Cottagewho hosts Mosaic Monday, and Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every week. Please check out all these great blogs.
I leave you with another thought about the lessons to learn from looking deep into nature. Feel free to download the photo and share.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-16. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
In spring, I love seeing shrubs flower. One of the most beautiful is the native viburnum, Viburnum dentatum, that blooms right off my patio. The white flowers turn to blue berries in late summer, and are devoured by birds. I wrote this poem in honor of this very important native shrub. You can read more about it here in my garden post. The pictures here are of that wonderful viburnum that blooms profusely in my garden each year.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog, and with Gillena@verses for her Monday WRites meme.
I leave you with a few additional words about wonderful viburnum. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
“Silence was the cure, if only temporarily, silence and geography. But of what was I being cured? I do not know, have never known. I only know the cure. Silence, and no connections except to landscape.”
-Mary Cantwell, Manhattan, When I Was Young
I wanted to wrap up this series with another trip back to the lake across the street. Several months ago, I started this series called, Beyond Words. I wanted to showcase different spots I find, in pictures, with as few words as possible. I have been focusing on the lake across the street; already seen in late summer,late autumnand winter.
Now as we are full into spring here, I thought it would be interesting to see how spring unfolded in late April at the lake. It was chilly still in April. Some days were warm, and many nights freezing cold. But still life moved along, and the leaves just started to show up on the trees.
So let’s see what early spring looked like, at the lake.
This is the iconic view as you pull up to the beach. Picnic tables and grills to the left in the trees, and the playground and bathhouse to the right. Of course the still lake in the background is always a peaceful sight…..when there are no swimmers!
The beach wasn’t much different, just a bit greener as the grass grew quickly through the sand in spring. Soon the machines will be there to dig up the sand, sift it and get it ready when the beach opens this weekend. For now, geese and gulls are making the beach their home. And watch out for those cigar-sized goose droppings.
Closer to the shore you can see all the grass and wood debris that continues to wash up on shore, all needing to be cleaned up too.
Looking left toward the jetty we can see it is just beginning to green up, and tall grasses will grow out into the lake soon. Mallards are likely nesting along the shore.
Again looking toward the little cove, we see all the tall grasses and weedy plants, along with small trees greening up too. I love how the lake was still and calm making it a reflecting pond.
As there were no fishermen on the lake or boats yet, I turned around toward the woods that were alive with activity.
Looking up we can see visitors stopping by. I was unsure who this was….perhaps a sparrow. And I was checking out the woodpecker holes to see if anyone was claiming them as a home. And you can see the maple trees were first to leaf out.
I decided to walk the path to the bench. It looked a bit lonely at the edge of the grassy beach. Lots of bright glaring sunlight around mid-morning.
I turned back around toward the right again, and saw clouds were beginning to roll in, almost giving the long view, out to the point, a foggy appearance.
As I walked away, I turned back to look through the woods where the sun was still shining….this view will remain etched on my brain. I will not be back to the lake for the rest of spring or summer, as it will be overrun with people soon….basking in the sun and splashing in the water.
I hope you enjoyed these trips to the lake. I am not sure what spot I will pick next to highlight, but I’ll let you know. But for today, I am out celebrating as I turn a young 59! With this post, I am linking in with Judith@Lavender Cottagewho hosts Mosaic Monday.
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Special Note: Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State. It has a surface area of 79.8 square miles, and is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. There are several parks, marinas and beaches along this lake that spans several counties.
I leave you with a few additional thoughts about celebrating life. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
“Who will free me from hurry, flurry, the feeling of a crowd pushing behind me, of being hustled and crushed? How can I regain even for a minute the feeling of ample leisure I had during my early, my creative years? Then I seldom felt fussed, or hurried. There was time for work, for play, for love, the confidence that if a task was not done at the appointed time, I easily could fit it into another hour. I used to take leisure for granted, as I did time itself.”
~Bernard Berenson
Many days I felt like this. Hurried, hustled and bounced about. Feeling time was running out, and I had accomplished little. And even after I ticked everything off my To Do list, more was added instantaneously. Never time for leisure, relaxation or rest.
I always dreamed of a safe haven away from the flurry of life….where I could go to get away even for 5 minutes to regain my sanity. And when I thought about this place I saw the ocean or a meadow….flowers or a beach. Each of these images are healing for me, and immediately ease my pain and renew my soul.
So when I designed the bones of my garden, I imagined flowers and water there in a special spot…and with it the sound of water. It was clear that a pond would be the perfect spot to have water and flowers. And that pond had to have a waterfall, so I could have the healing sound of water nearby, especially since I don’t live close to the ocean.
It was easy to decide where to place the pond….as close to the house as possible so we could have easy access, and hear the water flowing over the rocks. Where I could sit on a large rock at its edge and look out over the garden of my soul…my sanctuary!
And once created, this place took on a magic all its own. I discovered that my sanctuary was also a safe haven for others who wanted to share it with me. They didn’t talk, they just hung out with me in the moment….they were my quiet solitude companions that added their song to sing me to sweet solitude and peace.
I am of course referring to the frogs, toads, birds and insects who also call the pond their home, and their sanctuary. They bathe here, and give birth here. And some have made this place their home too. We commune and talk, but mostly we just sit in peaceful meditation marveling at how incredibly beautiful this place can be.
I look forward to every spring when we put the pump back in, and the pond stirs to life. To see the tadpoles and frogs awake. And the lily pads start forming on the surface, knowing the flowers will be along soon. To watch the reflections in the water. This is my heaven on earth….my special haven for healing.
Have you ever created a sanctuary for yourself?
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Special Note:The pictures here are of my pond in its first year of bloom. While it is a bit overgrown these days, it is still my sanctuary, and beloved habitat for so many who share the garden with me.
I will be taking a week off, and will have another post next Thursday, the 26th! It is a special day for me….
I leave you with a few additional words on creating a sanctuary. I welcome you to download this photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
I love to see these tiny little yellow lanterns spreading out across the, almost bare, meadow landscape. Their liver-spotted leaves give them away before you see their blooms. Look quickly though for they only flourish a short while. A flower delicacy fleeting with time, but like a fine wine, they will be forever burned into your senses….sending you looking for their bright yellow blossoms each spring, even if you can only glimpse them for but a moment.
One of the first native wildflowers to pop up, in early spring, are the Trout Lilies or Erythronium americanum. Called a spring ephemeral because they bloom for but a few days or so as the air warms. You can read more about this native flower in my garden post. I created the haiku in 2012, and completed the haibun this year. The pictures here are of Trout Lilies that bloomed in my meadow last April.
I will be skipping posting a Sunday poem next week, and will return on May 29th with another Sunday poem.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog, with Gillena@verses for her Monday WRites meme, and Sanaa@A Dash of Sunny for her Prompt Nights every Friday. This week’s theme is “Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is Art.” Not sure if this hits the mark, but I adore native plants like this Trout Lily, and they seem to be nature’s work of art for me.
I leave you with a few additional words about rejoicing in spring. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
I am continuing my spring poems with another wonderful native plant, Wild Blue Indigo or Baptisia australis. Their spikes of purple flowers rise tall each spring, drawing in dozens of pollinators for weeks on end. You can read more about this plant here, in my garden post.
The pictures here are of the Baptisia that grows in my garden each spring.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog, and with Gillena@verses for her Monday WRites meme, and Sanaa@A Dash of Sunny for her Prompt Nights every Friday. This week’s theme is “Nothing is more memorable than Scent”!
I leave you with a few additional words about deep blue indigo. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
As spring (March 21st) dawned in the purply-pink sky, there was a perceptible shift in the air, urged on by the warmer spring weather. As we walked around the area and observed our surrounds, we were greeted by crowds in the trees, in the sky and on the ground; crowds of migratory birds who had returned here early to nest and raise their young.
Of course it was different when the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) came around in mid-February. The birds scattered to find warmth as it fell on the coldest weekend of the year with -20F temps and -40F wind chills. It was lonely and the trees were pretty bare. Now weeks later, the birds are showing up to usher in spring right on schedule….March 21st.
When we returned in early March from our trip out west, the weather had warmed a bit and the peepers were singing us to sleep. And when I walked around our pond, the first week of spring, I saw tadpoles swimming. The frogs are usually not long off. The first are usually the Northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens).
Prior to the new birds arriving, I noticed the Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) were pairing off and looking around for nesting sites.
And American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), along with various hawks, were seen gathering nesting materials. This crow was ripping bark from an old vine growing in the meadow.
Canada geese (Branta canadensis) were also returning, in droves, in mid-March, littering the skies on their way to the lake across the street.
And many blackbirds descended upon us as spring started….Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), andCommon Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula). A few Red-winged Blackbirds were back in February, but the raucous noise of the males returning to their nesting sites was a glad spring chorus in late March.
But I knew spring was here, when we heard the familiar banging on our front windows. Our female ‘crazy-toes’ American robin (Turdus migratorius) was back to claim her nesting site, our garden, for her third year. The banging meant she was back to fight the imaginary robins in our windows. You can read more about our journey with her here.
As I report on the events of the start of spring in March, April receded to winter with snow and cold. The robins were especially struggling, and you can read about their struggle here. They seem to have made it through and are now building their nest next door at the abandoned house.
So there you have some of our first spring visitors. I will update you on more spring critters next month….April warmed, and the critter activity has been busy! What signs of spring are you seeing in your area?
With this wildlife story, I am joining in the meme WildlifeWednesdayhosted by Tina@My Gardener Saysthat happens the first Wednesday of every month, and with Saturday’s Critters hosted by Eileen@Viewing nature with Eileenthat happens every Saturday. I am also linking in with with Judith@Lavender Cottagewho hosts Mosaic Monday, and Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every week.
I leave you with another thought about the lessons to learned from the singing birds. Feel free to download the photo and share.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-16. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
In honor of National Wildflower Week, I am highlighting one native plant, that grows in my garden, each week for the next 5 weeks.
Wildflowers are amazing to see in the woods in spring. These lilies of the wood, as I call them, are also known as Trillium grandiflorum. Upon seeing their carpet of white blooms, across the floor of the forest, I was inspired to write this poem. You can read more about this beautiful wildflower in my garden post.
The Trillium pictured here are those that I grow in my garden, in hopes they will make a mass of stunning blooms one day.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about the lily of the wood. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
April springs are unique and special. The weather shifts from cold and rainy to warm and sunny, even within the same day….trying to settle. This year it has been very unsettled. The blooms continue to pop up more and more throughout the garden decorating garden beds throughout….much like presents with bows.
The flowers here are pretty spring bulbs known as, Chionodoxa, or Glory of the Snow.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about April spring. I welcome you to download the photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
“What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness!”
~Helen Keller
When spring gets into full swing….where the flowers are coloring the landscape, and the warm breezes drift around me carrying intoxicating scents….I am calmed, I am rejuvenated, I am healed.
And it isn’t just in spring….it is anytime I am in nature really. I have a strong need to be here where I can observe a special world that moves to its own slow rhythm and pace. Being surrounded by the constant noise of machines and voices, the smell of exhaust from engines, the bright light of screens, and the endless push, push, push to get things done, I need a place to go where I can feel a healing balm descend on me body and soul. Where I am reminded to breath slowly….to look and listen…to take in the world around me with every sense I can muster.
But there are rules when I enter nature’s world….and these rules must be observed if we are to get any healing effect from it. You must surrender to this world in silence….open up your eyes and ears. Breath deep, and drink in every smell. Feel the temperature, the air and light on your skin. Be there in the moments that present themselves. And for heaven’s sake, bring no electronics with you…well maybe a camera from time to time to capture a bit of it. We cannot notice this special world when we are engaged in looking at a screen or talking to another person. This is a world to enter alone. To give ourselves to fully.
Recently, I have been keeping a digital journal of Moments of Fulfillment in my garden. Moments I am beginning to write down in a journal and on my other blog, monthly. The moments that bring light and lightness to my heart. Where I feel at home, and at peace. Let me show you a few of these moments that have been a healing balm for me this spring.
When a sky, this color, presents itself, you must capture the moment in your mind as you sit and gaze on it….just by looking at its magnificence I am instantly calmed. And the tears that well up in my eyes, at its miracle, match the raindrops still on the branches of the tree.
Sitting on the Wall Garden, I can watch the first pollinators roll around in the crocus pollen…they are drunk and high with their first drink of spring. And the high is catching.
The tiniest of bulbs are now popping up all over the garden. And because the landscape is so bare, you can’t help but notice them…..in blues…..
And pale pinks….nestled in and among the new growth and spent debris of last year’s garden. Hardly noticeable sometimes unless you stop and look closely. Even getting down on hands and knees. Sometimes I will even lay upon the earth and stare at their beauty.
There are surprises around every corner. A clump of dried grass is so much more upon closer inspection. The thought of new life, or life that never came to be. Pondering the mystery brings me solace.
And visiting nature after a refreshing rain can bring its own special beauty.
One of the most incredible sounds is the sweet song of the spring birds. Calling to each other. Whistling a tune. They just seem so happy, that each time I hear their songs, I break into a smile that lights my heart. For me there is no better healing balm than nature…whether in my own garden, or in a park across the street, or a nature center across town.
Where do you find solace and healing?
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Special Note:The pictures here are of the recent early spring in my garden.
I leave you with a few additional words the healing power of nature. I welcome you to download this photo and share it.
All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2016. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
So when I designed the bones of my garden, I imagined flowers and water there in a special spot…and with it the sound of water. It was clear that a pond would be the perfect spot to have water and flowers. And that pond had to have a waterfall, so I could have the healing sound of water nearby, especially since I don’t live close to the ocean.
