Mixed Bag

I'm making some progress - honest!

I have rather a mixed bag of birds today.

We'll start of with a Towhee...

I have several decent shots of the Acorn Woodpeckers this week.

Once in a while I fill up this feeder with loose treats (nuts).

The birds devour them.

Here's the female with a peanut. 

And one of the males.

A two for one shot - male and female.

Each with a peanut this time.

While I daily have 6-8 Steller's Jays, I only see California Scrub Jays once a week or so.

The Songs Begin

Design - "Black-capped Chickadee Chirp" (kit)

Designer - Bent Creek

Fabric - 32 count Summer Khaki linen

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 17 May 2015

Completed - 21 May 2015 

As I've no new stitching to show off, I thought this flash-back would be appropriate.  I have three chickadee houses up and ready for occupation.

Did you hear that bird?  Free, safe housing!

Everyone recognizes the call of the Black-capped Chickadee, "Chicka-dee-dee-dee". But come spring they have a rather sad sounding song.  You can hear it here.  

After a Kinglet drought for most of the winter, I saw my second Ruby-crowned Kinglet on Tuesday.

Once again I heard the bird in a blossoming tree...

...flitting around eating insects.

Unlike the chickadee, the Song Sparrow has a lovely spring song. 

And for many folks, the sound of a Tom Turkey gobbling away is fast becoming one of the familiar sounds of spring.

This is a female, and she went quietly about her business. 

Probably trying to stay under the radar and out of sight.

A Host of Golden Daffodils

It's early April and a neighbor's woodland is awash in daffodils.

I think the senior family matriarch (now deceased) planted these out 40 or more years ago. 

Some of the oaks have fallen, but the daffodils have increased and spread about the edges of the woodland. 

There's a mix of pale cream and yellow.

It's a gift to everyone who passes by and takes a moment to look.

I love that each year I can look forward to this display.

There are random patches of daffodils all along the road.

Here's a collage of those I saw on my mile walk back home.

Little Flying Creatures

What shall I stitch for April?  I'm thinking birds...

specifically this new series of European birds by The Little Stitcher.  They are available at her Etsy shop. 

The male hummingbirds are showing off - flying high up into the air and then dive-bombing straight down.

Here's the male Rufous.

A Pine Siskin and male Rufous.

He thinks he's pretty special!

Speaking of small flying things...this is what greeted my Mom and I as we walked to enter the house from the garage Friday evening after church.

He's either a Little Brown Bat or a California Bat.

And yes he startled me!  I said loudly, "OMG! It's a bat!"

And we went around the front door to get into the house.  He was there again Saturday evening, but I've not seen him since. 

April Blog Header Revealed

April's Blog Header

Row #1: JBW Designs, "Plaid Bunny"; Alexandrina, "Easter Rabbits"; The Trilogy, "Happy Bunny Bunny Day"; Ewe & Eye & Friends, "Chocolate Hare".

Row #2: Ewe & Eye & Friends, "Wooly Hare" (kit); The Primitive Hare, "Otsara".

Row #3: Homespun Elegance, "Among the Berries" - "Rabbit"; Fanci That's Pumpkin Patch Lane, "Rabbit"; HandWork Primitives, "The Bunny Notebook Cover"; Homespun Elegance, "Sampler Bunny", The Prairie Schooler, "April" - "April Rabbit";

Row #4: Stone and Thread, "Hoppity"; JBW Designs, "Gingham Bunny"; La-D-Da, "Briar Rabbit".

Well that was exhausting and time consuming figuring out the designers and names of all the bunnies in my header!

I'll leave you with one of my prospective tenants.

  

I think she's decided where she'd like to nest.

Easter Sunday

HAPPY EASTER !!!

Easter 1957

Here are a couple of youthful teenagers in their Easter best.

My Dad is 18 and my Mom 17 in this photo, and they'd been dating for about a year. 

I like that the house address is visible.  It is my maternal grandparents' home at 1479 Moss Street.

Did you see the Easter bunny?  I think I did!