Robin's eggs

It never fails . . . Robins find someplace on the property to nest. We don't mind. It's curious to see the birds dart about building their nests. Typically they nest on the elbow of the downspouts under the eaves. Since the eaves of the house are a couple feet deep, this provides more than enough protection from the elements and marauding Blue Jays. This year however . . . 

Outside my back door

Looking east from the edge of the patio, just outside the backdoor of the sunroom, you can see that the chives are in bloom.

The lupine were said to be adverse to clay soils. But, in my ignorance, I bought a couple plants anyway. And now they proliferate in Spring.

Royal Star Magnolia

The Magnolia is sick. I sprayed for scale a couple weeks ago and the flowers still bloomed. I hope the scale can be controlled and will diminish this year. I wanted a magnolia for the longest time. And this one was one sale a few years ago. It's had a tough time. Poor sighting left it vulnerable to deer. Then, I moved it closer to the house -- the "Smile" bed, which we can see from the kitchen window. It came back. But, late last year . . . magnolia scale. 

{Sigh}

Fruhling

Unseasonable

Warm, dry weather persists. May flowers are in full bloom.


What will become of May?


Arianna took the camera into the garden today . . .

Chipmunks

Well, I don't know too much about the wildlife I share the neighborhood with, but when I saw a chipmunk today. I was a bit taken aback. It's February. And, I can guarantee you that there were no chipmunks out of hibernation a year ago.


Quiet day.


Bruno testy, despite his focus on a 1500 piece puzzle.


Arianna is catching a cold. But she persevered in her Valentine's Day preparations.


The sun was so inviting, I grabbed my camera -- 

the Yashica -- and went for a short walk. 


I  won't be at all surprised if we do get a serious snowfall before, say, Easter. But, after being out and about the yard and the neighborhood, I'm just about convinced that we are in fact due for an early Spring.


So, which do I prefer?


A view of the front walk in 2011 . . .

Or the view this weekend?

Early Spring?

Well, Woodstock Willy -- Punxatawney Phil's counterpart in Illinois -- didn't see his shadow the other morning. (How could he? The fog was too heavy.)


To be sure, the ground isn't frozen solid anymore. But, I would never have expected Monday's 60 degree day to result in the appearance of a crocus!

Poor thing. It hardly flourished.

Snow!

Around 2 o'clock Arianna came running down stairs. "It's sleeting . . . or snowing . . . or something!"

I stopped tidying my desk and walked up stairs to the kitchen and looked out the window.

Cold.

Grey.

Windy.

And, yes, snow.

It's been a cold Spring.

Signs of Spring

Daffodil . . .




Crocus . . .




Hyacinth . . .

Good dog, Jack.

Old Charles Ingalls and his family are on the move again. This time to the Dakota Territory.

We finished reading On the Banks of Plum Creek and have begun By the Shores of Silver Lake.

Sentimental old fool that I am, I could not read the episode of the passing of the Ingalls’ dog, Jack. As I handed the book back to Sharon, I freely admitted that I couldn’t help but think of Miss Kitty’s last days.

As we begin the last book of the set Arianna received as a Christmas gift from her God father Greg and his wife, Ronda, both Sharon and I are astonished at the restlessness of Mr. Ingalls. As well, I can’t help thinking how optimistic he is. Regardless of how dire his circumstances, he remains confident that prosperity lay just around the bend.

I am thankful for having had the opportunity to read these books to Arianna.

*

Unseasonably warm weather – 70+ degrees in Chicagoland today. Driving home from work today, it was an odd site to see the ponds and lakes still covered with soft ice.

Crocuses

With Mahler’s 4^th Symphony playing on the Victrola.

The family has gone to Huntley to deliver Girl Scour cookies to Aunt Myra and Uncle Lester. I was left behind to bury Miss Kitty, who has been tucked safely away in a corner of the garage for a month. Grisly as this may sound, the bitter cold has worked to our advantage in preserving her boxed remains. However, despite the receding snow, the swale full of running water, and the appearance of yellow, white, and purple crocuses on the front lawn, the ground is still frozen solid. So, after conceding the point to Mother Nature, I shambled across the yard and retrieved the fallen wind chimes and collected sticks for the burn pit.

We are so easily seduced by sunshine and warm breezes. It is a glorious day. But, it is still Winter. And as I explained to Arianna, who jumped for joy at the sight of the crocuses, in Chicagoland, frost is still a possibility until May 15.

Tomorrow, HMS Pinafore.