thankful thursday

Hummingbirds.

The tiniest breeding bird in Massachusetts.

Brightening even a rainy day.

Need I say more?

~~~~~

saturday snaps

Apologies for the murkiness of this morning's images...it's going to rain. Again.

I don't know much about hummingbirds, but I think this one may be a baby.

It was all rumpled and fluttery and a bit unsteady.

Maybe on it's first outing!

I hope you have a lovely Saturday.

And I hope you get rain if you need it!

~~~~~

sunday snaps

It looked like rain early this morning, so I went straight outside and got the chores done right away. Not one of the goats moved as I went to and fro with hay and buckets, although a couple sort of mumbled at me in their sleep.

Then I gathered the flowers Most Likely To Be Plastered To The Ground and brought them into the house to enjoy: 

There is more and more color appearing everywhere.

We've had a couple of really hot days this past week,

and lots of plants began flowering:

Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)

yellow bells (Forsythia)

Flowering and/or putting out leaves.

Red oak (Quercus rubra)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Usually around this time of year, a single hummingbird will appear at my window, hovering at eye level, letting me know it's time to hang a feeder. Yesterday I decided to put the feeder out as a surprise to greet the first hummingbird. And in the evening, when it was nearly dark, look who appeared:

Piper and I had only one good long visit to the pond and woods this week. It's a good thing we lingered that day, because it turned out to be the last day before the black flies began to bite. Now they are unbearable.

Piper (Scottish Monkeyhound)

We actually could have gone out yesterday (covered in bug spray) but I blew it. I was in such a state from the dozens of black fly bites I've already accumulated from head to foot, I did some online research and took a "non-drowsy" antihistamine tablet to try to get a little relief from the itching. Well, I don't know what the "drowsy" formula could possibly feel like! I gradually became a stumbling zombie, struggling to focus on even the simple task of cooking a pot of farro. I don't recall falling asleep at 3 in the afternoon, but woke at 630 PM thinking it was Sunday morning. Thank goodness I had turned off the stove before sitting down!

 So, no walk in the woods yesterday, and none today because it is indeed raining. It will take quite a bribe to persuade Piper to leave her couch even long enough to walk down to the letterbox with me.

I understand your feelings on this, Piper. Listening to the rain on the roof, I am feeling a tiny bit smug about getting the chores done by 5:30 AM.

In fact, it's likely to be a quiet, cozy day of puttering in the house. The full extent of my productivity may be making a meatloaf.

Cheers, readers! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, wherever you are.

~~~~~

a little something for everyone

As promised, the results of the giveaway giveaway!

There were 15 commenters:

And the random sequence generator says:

So...the winner of the Kiva gift card is Thistle Cove Farm!

Congratulations and thank you for your comment, Sandra!

I hope you will enjoy your first Kiva experience :)

And I know it isn't the same as winning a giveaway, but for all the commenters - and indeed for all the silent readers of Comptonia (who I dearly hope will someday say hello!), I'd like to share two special images. I hope you enjoy them.

The first is a hummingbird moth!

 If you've ever seen one of these gentle furry creatures you can imagine how thrilled I was to find this one - called a Snowberry Clearwing, believe it or not! Did Tolkien name it? - enjoying the bee balm yesterday.

And only moments later:

 

Have a marvelous day, everyone!

Really. Let's all look around and find something to marvel at :)

~~~~~

nearly wordless sunday

I dozed off three times while loading this collage.

G'night now!

~~~~~

weekend snapshots

It has been a hot, sunny weekend.

I mean, hot.

And sunny.

I had to take off my flannel shirt. And put on a visor.

And now, at 5 in the evening, 

I've had to come inside for a while to cool off.

Good time to post a few snapshots!

~~~

Yesterday, after doing the recycling,

Piper and I went for a stroll by the pond.

This is Piper, strolling:

The maples were flowering.

And the sky really was that blue.

See? Even in reflection. Very blue.

But when you look beneath the reflection,

you also see green and yellow.

(A few weeks ago, this was ice. Remember?)

There was a lot of green at the water's edge, too.

These reeds are vibrant.

Back at home, there is also a bit of green.

Softer green.

I almost cried when I saw these fragile bloodroot flowers.

Bloodroot is always a miracle to me.

And this year, even more so.

Because these very few and tiny plants 

mean the goatbarn builder

did not kill all my bloodroot with his skidder.

I love bloodroot.

~~~

Now, does anyone know what this little plant is called?

This amazing plant that is already poised to flower?

It's one of the many, many perennials

given to me by a generous friend last autumn.

She told me what most of them were, and when I got home,

I tried to remember.

And as I planted them, I carefully placed a label next to each.

I laughed yesterday when I saw this plant's label:

"mottled"

True enough, as far as it goes!

Does anyone know what it is?

The flower may be purple, if that helps.

~~~

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Are you gardening yet?

It seems like I am so far behind everyone else,

but here the ground is only now warming up.

OHHHH!

As I was typing,

the first hummingbird just swooped by!!!

Must go prepare the feeder.

Huzzah!

~~~~~

sizzler

Can you see the haze in this picture?

That was yesterday at 8 AM.

It's been humid and in the high 80s and 90s for at least three days now (I am trying not to keep track) with intermittent and colossal thunderstorms to break up the monotony of sweating incessantly while sitting still.  Or trying to sleep.

I had a feeling that if Piper and I didn't get out immediately after morning chores, we would miss the chance to walk (me) and lope (Piper) without collapsing.

It was a good call.  And a nice time.

Piper, hunting and gathering

We visited the partially submerged tree where - if we approach very quietly - we sometimes find a row of sunning turtles.

No turtles this time, though:

But a different kind of treat!  

White pond lilies (Nymphaea odorata) were in gorgeous bloom!

In another area, a few yellow pond lilies (Nuphar lutea) were barely visible:

Piper had fun, but after just a short time she was happy to head home.

Within an hour she was flattened out on the bedroom floor, sound asleep.

She didn't even want to have her nap on the screenporch where I was cooling off with a snack before  tackling a small but necessary fence repair.

Can you see the haze in this picture?  Ahhhhh!

On the other side of the screen, a charming visitor was also taking some refreshment:

~~~

Hope it's pleasant weather in your neck of the woods.

And if it's a sizzler, I hope you have some fresh strawberries and a companionable hummingbird to sweeten your day!

~~~~~