Photo of the Week

Spring is making a valiant effort to arrive in Maryland, although my yard does not give much evidence of it yet. There are still vast patches of apparently dead grass that didn't survive the winter drought conditions. The forsythia is struggling to pop out some blossoms, but they're very sparse this year. Maybe I'm expecting too much too soon? We'll see.
But here's what has come forth so far.


However, one faithful houseplant has given me hope for brighter things to come. My poor sweet little orchid has favored me with several buds and a couple of beautiful blooms already. I really MUST have the poor thing re-potted soon.

Photo of the Week..late

I was so happy to see these pots of pansies at the supermarket this week! I do wish they wouldn't put stickers on the front of the pot that are impossible to remove completely. But I'll probably transplant the flowers to the yard later on anyway. But aren't the colors incredible?

Photo of the Week

They're ba-a-a-a-ck!!! The bluebirds (I assume it's the pair who nested here last year) have been in the area all winter and have come to check the house each week. Maybe everyday, but I don't see them that often. Today, however, they came early and stayed for at least two hours, exploring the house, measuring for curtains and rugs, etc., and defending against intruders. The usual baddies include house sparrows, mockingbirds, and territorial robins. Squirrels have begun exploring our deck each day, and the bluebirds very deftly informed one of them that their favorite perch on the far end of the deck is private property. It's fun to watch not only the male but the very feisty little female fend off any creature who attempts a takeover. They had a terrible time last year with a determined robin, but they won out in the end and fledged four little blues in the house.
So, here is Papa Blue. I don't know if he's really that rotund, or if he's just fluffed up to keep warm during the cooler temperatures. He's never that round in the summer, but isn't he a cutie?

Sisterhood

Here are the rules for the Sisterhood Award from Sherry
1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Nominate 10 or more others to receive the award
3. Be sure to link to your nominees in your post.
4. Let them know they've received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you've received the award.
I am nominating 5 lovely women now and hope to complete the list later:

http://thewindowtomylife.blogspot.com
http://sewingwithmoonbeams.blogspot.com
http://leapingcalf.blogspot.com
http://karenkbecker.blogspot.com
http://loloschild.blogspot.com