Walking in the Rain (I Can't Sing)

This morning we have sunshine with a bit of frost on the lawn, but we had a week of rain, snow, and cold. While it won't get very warm today, 60 F maybe, it is nice to see the sun on the landscape. When I went out Saturday to the get mail, the wind blowing a chilled rain down my neck. The green landscape,  all fresh and clean sparking in the rain. I have always enjoyed rainy days, probably because we have mostly sunny days. I set down the mail, grabbed the camera and headed back to capture a few images of the Garden Spot all cleaned up and alive with sweet rain--and some snow thrown in for good measure. Look closely and you see bits or rain drops mixed with light snow. Ah, Spring on the Colorado prairie.

The little white crowned sparrows, ground feeders, are usually the first migratory birds to appear. They flit and dance in the wet grass scratching, looking for grubs and seeds. They are easily recognized by their white striped head, a crown. They arrive in flocks, staying sometimes all summer, but they are mountain bound.

The Head Gardener has a sharp eye and spied this handsome fellow early Saturday. He was quite a challenge to photograph, a Rufus sided Towhee. We rarely see them. That doesn't mean that they are not here, we just don't always see them. We have been at the Garden Spot  for 7 years, now, and this is the first time we have seen this particular Towhee. We'd see them at the other house more frequently. The Birds of North America Online by Cornell University shows that they nest throughout Colorado. We wonder, then, why we don't see more of them. He hopped around the ground underneath the bird feeders for most of the day and now seems to be gone--to the mountains perhaps.

I am always thrilled to see a new bird or a migrating bird at the feeders.

My photo walk began right out the front door. You can see that I am way behind in gardened clean up with the new plant life seemingly climbing itself up last year's stocks. I will get out there, soon.

The bright green chamomile acts as a nice ground cover to keep weeds down and the pretty little white flowers will keep the granddaughters happy to pick them.

The tulips in the front garden grew to greater heights this year, but their bright red seems to be fading. They have been in the ground long before we moved here. I am going to replace them this fall--rather add to them. I liked seeing the bright red.

There are couple of successes in the center garden this spring. You won't be able to see them just yet, but I will be sure to share them with you when they bloom: a gorgeous pink astilbe which I seldom have luck with and a beautiful pink stargazer lily that came up last year. This year it has a good start. I bought more to go with this one, but it has been too wet to plant them. It will bloom behind the wagon wheel, along with the others that I will add.

Along the drive way, these tulips have been amazing this year. Givne the moisture that we have had, these tulips too have grown larger and more abundant than ever before.

The Prairie Fire crab apples are blooming, too.

The lilacs are just so close to opening up. They have done well this year, too, with abundant blooms. Soon I will pick huge bouquets to fill my white pitchers.

These stunning tulips always pleasing. With the cold weather, they have stayed tightly closed, but once they open up again, their petals will fall for they are at the of their bloom season. I do wish that they would say through the summer. They will fade away and the peonies will flourish.

My hair dresser had this young lady by her backyard pond, so I call her Barb. She sits quietly by the waterfall, rain or shine. 

I'd had enough of the wind and rain, so I skipped the close-ups of the apple blooms. I had the telephoto lens and really didn't want to change lenses and go back out again. I was beginning th get chilled and a bit wet. Instead I used the iPhone to take final photos of this old, tired warn out flooring before the new gets installed, beginning this morning. 

I like the wide open space. The living room feels quite large without any furniture to clutter it up.

The office and both bedrooms are stacked full with all of the furniture.

I probably could have held out a bit long with the old floors, but this rip was becoming a trip and fall menace. The installation will take 3-4 days, so the house will be torn up and our daily routine altered, but it will be worth it. 

The carpet will be replaced with a beautiful new product. I'll get new curtains, too. Those lace panels came from the old house. They are K-Mart Martha Stewart brand--our K-Mart is closing and I haven't a clue as to where Martha is these days. I have loved them for years. I think it is time to update. 

I leave you here now, as I begin my day. Javier is here now working on tear-out upstairs. I a dental appointment later in the morning. A busy day.  I hope the sun shines brightly on your garden this week. Thanks for stopping by. See you soon.