Fountain of Wonder

This old fountain bed in my yard was created c1920 when we always had plenty of water, and the water came from the house next door. When I acquired this lot, the water was, rightfully, shut off. (It would cost $6,000 or more to reinstate water to this lot which would require new piping, shut off valves, etc. Not cost effective for a vacant lot; maybe if I wanted to develop it, but I don't.

The only water it gets nowadays is from rain, or snow. It has been a very water worthy pool bed - it did not leak, at all!  In the depths of one winter it got full to the brim before I realized I needed to sump pump this pool during the rainy season. And so I've been ever since.

But, finally, I've decided to make a big planter out of it. And today, the first step (beyond me making such decision) was to have the bottom jack-hammered and broken up. Next is putting gravel in the bottom; then garden soil; then the drought resistant, water-wise planting.

The Lily's First Day Out

This lily bloomed today. The blossoms will open even farther tomorrow.

"...The lilies say: Behold how we preach without words of purity..."

~ Christina Georgina Rossetti 

Finally, raspberries!

The first harvest of raspberries occurred today!

Imagine a world, in which your entire possession is one raspberry, 

and you give it to your friend.

 

~ Gerda Weissmann Klein

A cloud of blue flag

Blue flag or some similar iris. It shimmers as a blue little cloud when one approaches. Caught at the height of its bloom.

“Unexpected intrusions of beauty,

This is what life is.” 

~ Saul Bellows

Killdeer

Found a nest of Killdeer in the vacant lot behind my house. There are two parent birds, and one is sitting on a nest. At least 1-2 of the eggs have hatched as you can see in this picture, parent on the left, and baby bird on the right.

Killdeer get their name from the sound of their call, which is supposed to sound like 'killdeer.' They put up quite a fuss if you approach close to their nesting area.

The baby birds can walk as soon as their feathers dry after busting out of their shells. They can fly in about 25 days, at which they all go on about their life and leave. The parents stay together for a couple years.

Daffodils 2018

First daffodils appeared week of March 12. Last several years, it seems that they have come much earlier.

Picture self-rotated. Nothing I can do about it now!

Springtime a-coming!

It's only February 7, but the weather says, "And we're off and running!" So here is the initial flower purchase of the season. As I said on Facebook, "Primrose planter presently posing pretty post purchase."