flower photos

(I used the pioneer woman's 70's action (which I found from doe-c-doe) on the photos. Isn't it fun?)

planting time

a day off yesterday + sun + temps in the 80s + a garden ready for planting + a bit of lounging = a very happy me :)


(I hope all of you here in the states have a great Memorial Day weekend! I have baking (rhubarb pie!!), maybe some thrifting, a painting party and bbq at my cousin's new house, and more gardening on my agenda for the weekend. Should be fun!)

look who I just found

I was weeding away and minding my own business and I looked up to see this little fella hiding in the daffodils. He kinda scared me! What a cutie pie. Mama rabbit made her nest in the middle of the yard, so this guy must be out exploring.
He reminded me of all the years working at the nature center. We would get calls all the time from worried people that found a bunny nest that they thought was abandoned, or a tiny little bunny all alone. One day, a woman came in with a terrified bunny in a box. She said something like, "I had to chase this all over the yard to catch it, it's mother was no where in sight." Oye.

The mother only feeds them once or twice a day, usually at dusk and very early in the morning, so chances are you aren't going to actually see a mother rabbit care for her babies. She stays away to keep them safe from predators - she has a scent, but the babies don't yet! Isn't that neat? Lucy, our beagle, didn't have a clue the nest was there until she saw the mother feeding them and she chased her away. She's already forgotten all about it (but we put a little fence up around the nest in case she remembers!)

I found a nice web site with a bunch of FAQ's about baby bunnies that I thought I'd share. I know people mean well and don't want the babies to die or suffer, but sadly that's usually exactly what happens when people take the babies away from where they were found and try to care for them themselves (or even if they take them to a rehabber). I'll also find one about baby birds soon and share it here.

around our house

It seems like everything has just exploded around here in the last week or so. Yesterday I finally had some time to wander around and take a few photos..
The apple blossoms are open! It's my favorite flower.. the smell is heavenly. And the sound of all the bees busily gathering nectar is incredible! I would love to get married under an apple tree in full bloom. My favorite flowers and my favorite little insects surrounding us. :) (Would the bees freak out the guests??)
(This is Phlox subulata 'Candystripe'. It makes a pretty mound and is one of the first things to bloom in our garden.)

Every year the empty lot across the street gets painted in yellow. I think it's so pretty. I'll never understand why some people hate dandelions so much. This morning I watched two goldfinches enjoy a breakfast of the seeds.
My friend the carpenter bee. :)
Another one of my favorites - violets (mixed in with some lady's mantle, which I also love!).
And we have a robin nest on our back light! I've been watching her work on it for the last week or so and I peeked in it yesterday (I had to use a mirror!).. there's one egg in it so far.

for the birds

I found this idea (can't remember where!) last year while looking for something else and I thought it was so fun. So I thought I'd try it. Just fill a suet feeder with scraps of yarn and strings from fabric and hang it outside for the birds to collect to add to their nests. I used only natural fibers - mostly cotton and linen and a bit of wool and I made sure they were all pretty short so no one gets tangled. I hung it by the feeders in hopes that they would notice it. I haven't seen anyone on it yet but I'll keep watching. :)

my favorite time of day

day 5 : waiting

out my window

Happy Inauguration Day!I've been watching these icicles forming outside my craft room window for a while now and the light was so pretty last night I decided it was time to photograph them. I love the upward branching of the trees in the background and the icicles reaching downward in the foreground.

Bees and Gourds

I'm really feeling the shift of seasons here in Michigan. The sun is noticeably lower in the sky, the shadows are different. I've been having to close my window at night (so sad! I miss hearing the crickets). I was out wandering around the yard yesterday and my little prairie was completely alive with all sorts of bees and other insects, busy getting ready for winter.

That big one there is a carpenter bee. They live in the telephone pole back by my vegetable garden. I love that they're back there.. whenever I go to the garden I peek in on them to see what's going on.

And the honey bees! Isn't she just the most beautiful creature? I could watch them all day. I can't wait to get my own hives.

And because autumn's in the air, I thought I'd share a fun craft I found on Martha's site using gourds. Isn't it cute? Find it here.

Enjoy the last couple of days of summer.. I'll be busy putting up tomatoes and hopefully do some thrifting. I'm itching to find some treasures. Have a great weekend!

Hello Autumn

Asters blooming in the native prairie garden.

Apples in the old orchard next door.

A baby blanket ready to quilt. I made the top in the early summer and saved the quilting part for the fall.

Delicious vegetable barley soup from here. We add whatever's in the house or out in the garden. This batch had corn, green beans and potatoes in addition to the stuff in the recipe. Pair it with fresh homemade bread.. yum!

Some goldenrod and grasses also in the prairie garden.

Raspberries!