I was working on a post this morning (It begins: “I may be an idiot for bringing this up, but I can’t help myself . . .”), and then a dental adventure took up too much time and energy, so I’ll post it next week. Promise.
So, it’s all about spring and the farm today. And, yes, lordy, lordy, spring is busting out all o-o-o-ver. Recent rains and warm weather have electrified the grass, neighborhoods are alive with pink, red, and white crab apples and redbuds, rabbits are rabbiting all over our yard, and the birds . . .? The birds are something else altogether.
It’s like watching adolescents grow up if you could compress ten years into six weeks. It all started with the avian equivalent of a drug-soaked spring break, when the air was full of male birds crazed with lust and recently acquired freedom. Little boy downy woodpeckers pitched aerial battles straight out of Top Gun. The female doves scattered into the bushes looking for lawyers to sue for sexual harassment. The air was full of what we call “bird song,” and what I’m guessing male birds call SHOUTING: This is MY YARD and MY FEMALE, SO STAY THE &^$(!@ AWAY!
Spring break is still going on with the recent arrivals—last week the rosebreasted grosbeaks, the wrens, the orioles, and the hummingbirds blew in—but the early arrivals are now akin to twenty or thirty-somethings with serious family responsibilities. We have three nests attached to our house: House finches that we can watch out the living room window, a pair of mourning doves in the pergola just a few feet away, and a phoebe in the carport. Best, from my perspective, are the bluebird babies being fed religiously by their parents, in the nest we put up in the upper orchard pasture. (“We,” of course, means Jim, after I said “please put it here.”)
This is the male house finch, who has taken to sitting on the hummingbird feeder, just a few feet from where I sit on the living room couch. He flies in and checks out everything going on in the room, just sitting and looking for the longest time. He can see the TV from there, perhaps he has opinions about what we’re watching? He sits, moves his head around to get a good look, while I laugh, Maggie is transfixed, and Skip is oblivious.
Here’s a rose-breasted grosbeak at the feeder. Not the best photo, but what a handsome boy. There are at least 3 of them right outside our window much of the day.
The flowers too are glorious. Three happy crapapple trees cloaked in dark pink extravagances, Virginia bluebells flutter behind the fading daffodils, and our tulips are reminding us why their bulbs were worth a fortune in the 1600’s. In the last week I’ve planted peas, chard, romaine, greens, and carrots. Next up are potatoes, and brussell sprouts. Holding off on tomatoes for another week. It is Wisconsin after all.
Last weekend we went spent some time at the Nippersink or Swim trial outside of Lake Geneva. I didn’t run either dog. At 11 and a half, Maggie is retired from serious trialing (sometimes I see “old dog face” when I look at her, tell me it isn’t so). Skip blew his chance, the last time he ran there, by ignoring a 6-8 foot drop into Nippersink Creek, and scaring the crap out of me when he flew into it at eighty miles an hour and plummeted out of sight. Okay, maybe he wasn’t running all that fast. But still. Every other dog in the world saw the creek as a fence, but not Mr. Wonderful, the dog of many nicknames, including “Suicide by Fence.” Or, creek.
Maggie got to set sheep out for a bit, but she and I both got pretty tired, so we enjoyed catching up with friends, two and four-legged. One of my biggest laughs of the weekend was watching two dogs make their desires screamingly obvious: Look at owner, look at car. Look at owner, look at car. Repeat as if on a loop. Here’s Gem, friend Samantha’s dog, being as clear as a blinking, neon sign. “Please stop yapping at each other and load me up!”
It seems only appropriate in spring to include a photo of one of the farm’s cutest lambs in the world:
I’ll leave you with a few more delights of spring: First, our baby redbud tree actually had 9 (count them, 9!) flowers on it. It’s very young, and this is the first spring with any flowers at all. I have high hopes for next year, although it’s a bit nippy here for them and I’m not sure if they get enough sun. Who knows, maybe 27 flowers next year! (Note: If you don’t know, the flowers are miniscule, maybe 1/3 of an inch wide? Feel free to shake your head and roll your eyes.) Here are three of them:
I’m guessing few will roll their eyes at the year’s first rhubarb/strawberry pie.
The rhubarb;s from our yard, the berries from Burre’s Berry Farm down the road (we’ll have our own soon!). I will admit: I have many faults, and many failures, but I can make a damn good pie.
I’ll leave you with this shot of the sun coming through my gardening tubs while weeding and mulching the day lily garden. (I was going to crop the dead daffodils flowers out of the photo–it seems that deadheading 400-500 blooms takes some time; who knew?–but thought a little realism is in order.
I am delighting in the colors of spring all around us. You?
J. Hass says
I am right there with you being enchanted with the birds and their nesting. My garden is newly planted with native California plants, and my wish to attract native wildlife (in suburbia) came true this year. I have a bushtit nest in the bay tree. These are tiny 3-inch grey birds that build elaborate hanging nests made with spider webbing and local plant material. They used my dog’s fur to line their nest. With incredible luck, I happened to be on the patio when the baby birds took their first flights. Tiny clumsy flying things came whirring out of the tree and away they went. So cute! I have CA poppies, lupines and clarkia blooming, and the coyote mint smells heavenly. Besides adopting my current dog, planting natives was the best thing ever I did.
Michelle says
Your post is bursting at the seams with spring revelry; I was smiling broadly for you!
Gayle says
You don’t really deadhead your daffodils do you?!! I just let the foliage die away on its own – I couldn’t imagine trying to get in and deadhead each bloom.
I love spring for all the reasons you mentioned – the riot of color – the sounds of the birds – everything coming back to life!!
Your pie looks scrumptious!
Joanne says
Thank you for the inspiring spring sentiments!,,
Barb Stanek says
Thanks! Yea, spring!
Betsy says
Hooray for spring!! Not so much for all the severe storms (my barn is flooded).
May I post a request for quiet games for giant breed dogs? We’ll soon be having neuter and gastropexy surgery for my 17 month old Dane. Our vet says Danes are very prone to neuter complications so he will be severely limited in activities for 7 to 10 days. All of the mental stimulation toys I have or have seen are too small for him. I would really appreciate any suggestions or advice!! Love this community of dog people; it’s a village of support!
Wendy Katz says
Sorry about the dental emergency! I always enjoy your farm/garden posts. Here in KY the redbuds are done; the roses and irises are in their glory.
Trisha says
Thanks for the suggestion Betsy, and sorry about the upcoming surgery. I’d go for nose games for sure once he can be a bit more active, but for now I”d go for huge versions of toys you can stuff with food. (The massive largest Kong for ex.) In my experience, so many dogs get bored easily with many of the “mental stim” toys (or hate them), so you are regretably in good company. Could you start trying to train him to learn the names of objects? Different kinds of foods? Discriminate different scents? Keep us posted and good luck!
Trisha says
Gayle: I do deadhead all my daffs, am I crazy?
Trisha says
J Hass: Bushtits look adorable, and I love the description of their nests. What an amazing thing to see them fledge. I saw barn swallows fledge and it was a highlight of life.
Betsy says
Thank you so much for the suggestions, Trisha! Surgery is a month away so I can start our training now. I’ll keep you posted!
bobbie says
I have loved the redbuds in Spring, gracing the hillsides and edges of woods, ever since I first drove through Missouri and back to college after a break when I was a student. The time going through to Columbia and viewing this just took my breath away! I don’t live anywhere near Missouri now, but whenever I see a lone redbud in bloom along a street (I never see them growing naturally here in Oregon) I always enjoy it so much!
Laura Anne Welch says
Redbuds are wonderful native trees. We have bunches in NC. They finished blooming a few weeks ago around Raleigh. In our wooded yard, they self seed, and they take several years to fully burst out in bloom. It’s worth the wait! Did you know that their flowers can be used in fritters? We’ve never tried that, but if you do, please write about it.
Barbara says
I always enjoy your posts. Spring has sprung indeed !!
Lovely pictures.
Beth says
We live in upper northwest Wisconsin, and have seedlings in the basement, but no garden planting yet. There was a hard freeze several years ago just before the beginning of June and we lost everything! My husband came in from the deck the other evening after bird watching/listening and announced, “It sounds like an orgy out there!” 😉
Your pie looks heavenly!
Kat says
My early spring flowers are done but in another week I’ll have a spectacular display of Rhododendrons. I’ve tossed veggie and herb seeds around for this year’s chaos garden. Because my space for planting is somewhat limited I just drop seeds where ever and hope they grow. The Pyrs and I have compromised. I’ve built small hugelkultur mounds along all their paths and surrounding the berry patch. They refrain from tearing them apart and allow me to plant things there. It’s always fun to see which of my seeds crop up where. In exchange for the dogs leaving my planting area alone I abandoned any hope of growing anything in the corner by the fence or in the space outside the front door. I’ll plant my tomatoes probably tomorrow. Tomatoes go in earthboxes on our deck. It’s the only place I have that is actually sunny.
For reasons that made Pyrfect sense to D’Artagnan and Falkor Bash squirrels are considered livestock at my house and are fiercely protected. I have very fat squirrels that are living their best lives. They’ll hang out within a couple feet of the dogs. Note, I do not feed the squirrels but I do have a lot of mature fir trees so there is plenty for them to eat and without anything threatening them they aren’t burning many calories. I’m wondering how many of my plants will fall victim to the squirrels. Still they are fun to watch and protecting them makes the dogs happy.
Jann Becker says
When I arrived in St. Louis from Minneapolis (via Iowa) I was amazed at the flowering trees; I still don’t know the names of them all, but the redbuds were self explanatory! Meanwhile my husband’s orchids have decided to bloom again after we thought they’d packed it in for the season.
Business at the bird feeder has picked up, with hilarious parental “Get your own damn seed!” instruction sessions in progress. The hummingbirds are back, three at a time Monday evening. As always they’re particularly fond of cold, fresh-from-the-fridge nectar.
M. McDonald says
As always, fabulous photos! I’m drooling just thinking about that rhubarb pie.
Amy F says
I want that pie.
Every time I read your posts about all that is around us, it resonates so, so strongly. It’s a thing… observing, noticing, noting changes in shapes, colors, behaviors. You’re one of the few people I know that share this.
“Rabbits are rabbiting” 😀
Trisha says
Kat: Love the news from your garden. I’m laughing that the Pyr’s consider squirrels as livestock to be protected. No accounting for taste. Skip thought the cats were weird, fuzzy-hooved sheep, while Maggie treated the like her own babies. Which she’s never had. Hugelkulture–I’d write more but I need to learn about it….
Dianne says
Love all that Spring brings and would love to be your neighbor to taste my favorite pie combo. What is your recipe for a flaky crust??
Glenys says
Enjoyed your spring busting out observations. I’m in Maine and our spring is often late, muddy, brief and joyous. It often includes a powerful snow and ice storm that takes down our tall but shallow-rooted pine trees. (Just to keep us guessing and working our butts off with clean up) First hummingbird noted yesterday, May 8th! I recommend road trips to places with earlier springs to celebrate twice! In early April I was lucky enough to mark my 70th birthday with a road trip throughout Wales, the English Welsh borderlands and the Cotswold region. I was struck by the beauty of the green hillsides, bright yellow fields of “rape” (the crop that makes rape seed oil?) and mass plantings of daffodils (which in many places were just about past). It was nice to see the structure of the tree branching against the back drop of gorgeous vistas and wonderful gardens. The UK people love their dogs so much and are everywhere doing their walkies and visiting the pubs with dogs tucked in by the tables. Our life-long dog obsession has been terriers. We’ve been chuckling about our 1.5 year Jack Russell’s serious work of digging for chipmunks and stalking them. Funny to see half of her body and a tail as she digs her holes. I’m a amateur dog trainer and often give up after half hearted efforts to break through hard headed terrier instincts. We have a history of just keeping them safe as well-loved companions in our fenced in yard. We’re working on garden improvements to make our home an artist’s paradise. My husband Jim is a painter and he’s into nature’s joys and visuals as well.
Trisha says
Diane, re pie crust: 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening, but most importantly, King Arthur’s Pastry Flour. Don’t use AP flour, it has higher protein than pastry flour, and the lower the protein the flakier the crust!
Margaret Tucker says
Flowering shrubs are loaded now north of New York, but my first taste of spring was March, with Siberian squill blooming under the forsythia, and a bunch of goldfinches turning yellow. I don’t know where the nests are, but the bird feeder has been very busy with many different customers. And no, I don’t deadhead daffodils or narcissus.
Renee Dankert says
Hi Patricia. Your post is making me smile . I am with you in spirit.
Anne says
I can almost taste that pie just looking at it. Wonderful spring things!