The field at the corner of our road is a favorite spot for deer, especially in the evening. I’m rather embarrassed by how much I love watching them. Last summer I had a doe and her baby frequent the creek beside the garden and I caught myself cooing at that little spotted baby way too often. By summer’s end I had even fussed our dog Bertha enough about barking at them and scaring my baby deer, that she gave up warning me of imminent danger and instead sits and stares at them intently. Sometimes with a glaring look as if to tell me that my baby deer is going to grow up and eat all my beloved plants. I just tell her to shush it.
Right before Luke’s spring concert at school last week there was a commotion that involved a bird in the chimney (no fire was going) and sadly ended with this little female bluebird flying into a window. I never saw a bluebird until moving to these woods, and they are truly one of my favorites. We were all sad she passed away, but appreciated the chance to see her up close. How lovely are her feathers!? Joe brought me back a few after he put her in the woods past the yard.
On a happier note, the flowers are coming up! Snowdrops and crocus are beginning to bloom and the daffodils and tulips are poking through down in the field. I have found a total of six (out of 300) crocus and chionodoxa in the front yard, because you know, the ducks. At least I got to see a few! And now I’ll just have to buy more bulbs this fall. Oh darn….
In other news, there’s over a foot of snow in the forecast for this weekend… I guess winter and spring traded spots this year? Luckily these rugged little flowers won’t mind much.
xo,
s
Sweetbrier Journal 