Saturday Afternoon......

When there are no desirable birds at the feeder I get desperate and take photos of starlings.  They are an ok bird but I would like snow birds. I am assuming the lost of my trees will effect birds coming to the feeder.  I do have more trees in the back  yard so it will just cut down a little on the landing sites for the birds that feed.  I am assuming the juncos are gone north already and that other birds are enjoying the seeds from the bushes now that the snow is gone.

While I was out this morning, I was pleased to see this flower coming up. I can't give you a name yet because I am old, but when I am not thinking about it I will remember.
Spiderwort does come forward and now to my mind. I will keep an eye on it and see if it proves me to be correct on the identity.

All of my geraniums were taken to the basement last fall except for this one. I need to remove the dead leaves but it seems to be healthy sitting next to the aquarium.  It is a refreshing green to see by this time of the year.

You can barely see the line of Canada geese in the sky.  I did learn that the geese are already migrated to the southern Iowa sites along the Missouri River and the Mississippi.  So the ones I saw heading north last week and photographed probably really were heading north.  I use to live down  in Sidney, Iowa and the river valley was just filled with thousands of geese as the migrated both south and north. It is an amazing sight and sound to see with every swamp area covered with white snow geese and many kinds of ducks.

The removing of the trees started on Monday with the neighbors trees and as you can see by Friday we are looking like this.

The one lone pine tree remains.  I bet it will really grow now that it isn't in the shade anymore.  The neighbor girl planted it there when she was 5 and it was stuck in the ground with not much thought.  Now that is is 28 years later it is the lone survivor of the whole block and a half. As you gaze down the sidewalk you can't now see the two large maple like trees and the one other taller tree. They all are gone.

In my backyard is a silver maple they couldn't touch.  It was a volunteer tree when I bought the place back in the late '70s.   I let it grow and I am really glad that I did. I was more fortunate than either of my neighbors because I had planted the birch up by the house and the balsam pine in the yard.  The pine will really grow fast now as it too had been in partial shade for its beginning growth years.

We were at the Hobby Lobby for art supplies this morning and hit the bookstore for a little while afterward.  We had to stop for taco wraps on the way home as it is Taco Saturday at our house.  We are having a relaxing afternoon and it has warmed up to the high 60's today.  It will start to cool down this evening and stay colder for next week. We always have snow storms during the Girl's State Basketball tournaments and it will be this Wednesday that the snow will hit.

I hope all are safe and well today and thanks for stopping by my blog.