Strong winds blew down the owl house. This gives an opportunity to clean it out before rehanging it.
It is the time of year that some things change rapidly. Things start popping up from underground this time of year like Hostas and ferns. Once upon a time people would have been glad for Hosta shoots and fiddleheads as food. They are still a tasty treat, but nowadays we tend to think of food as coming from an indoor aisle and wrapped in plastic.
More traditional foods like greens and onions have done well. Radishes are coming up and peas are starting to show. I found a single shitake. And a week later another. Keith brought over some soil, mulch, and manure (thank you Keith).
Some things change at a slower pace. Like the night sky. This time of year we can find the Big Dipper overhead and closer to the horizon, Orion is still hanging out. We found a red backed salamander and Ellie named him “Justin” (not sure of the reason for this). Mila came out of the woods with a tick, Ellie found it and has since claimed she saved Mila’s life.
One day, Keightley, Nic, Joann, and Chris hid eggs and Kai, Colton, and Jojo went and found them. That same day we took a family photo that is now hanging on Mom’s wall.
The Barred Owls have been singing loudly. So have the Pileated Woodpeckers. And the Wild Turkeys. One day Mom saw one on the other side of the beech tree. The goldfinches are bringing a lot of color. And then one day, a Scarlet Tanager sat in a tree near the feeder. I watched until he flew to the other side of the yard and landed in a tree top. Adding to the color, bluebirds have decided to nest in one of the boxes.
April brings with it other things as well. One day, Ellie shot a bb gun at a homemade target while hail fell on us. That same day, Karissa started a fire inside (probably the last one of the season). Just a few weeks later, It was hot enough to install the air conditioner (thank you Joe).
And there is so much to do. Pruning and pulling and planting need to be done. There is a rain barrel to set up. And then, we need to rehang that owl house.
scattered thoughts 