Nuthin' But Spring

I had a very busy day but did spend some time outside picking up blown-in trash and sticks, dragging the birdie tree to the curb, taking out last year's straw bale stakes, and raking the bale remnants into a pile.  Oh yeah, and picking up the dead RAT corpse (not bare-handed) and throwing it into the trash.  No, I didn't put out poison and no, I never managed to entice it into a trap.  I looked out this morning to see it lying dead between the patio step and the birdseed cans.  *shrugs*  Evidently someone did put out poison, the RAT ate it, and chose to kick the bucket on my patio.  I was happy to dispose of the remains so that none of the hawks or owls that hunt around here ate it and died from eating poisoned meat.  (I took its picture but won't put it onto the blog. Instagram maybe, but not the blog.  You're welcome.)  Instead here's a picture of the first dandelion with its resident ant.



Picking up all of the little and not so little pieces of trash that have blown into the yard the last few days led me to seeing all sorts of sprouts and flowers.  In front of the house I don't know how I missed them but these two daffodils are in the same clump as the early hyacinth and I first noticed them today.  I just love how they look with their short orange throats and semi-ruffled petals.



This is the first grape hyacinth to bloom.  There are a whole whack of them getting ready to bloom but this is the first.


 

In the garden I pulled up a plant tag that was right next to the edge timber and saw these little chocolate mint sprouts poking out.  I put the tag right back in so I remember what's what.



 
I know this doesn't look like much but it's all that remains of last year's straw bales raked into a pile.  My plan is to plant at least one potato in there.  One of this weekend's to-dos is to read up on growing potatoes in straw bales.  I'm so glad I bought that book.  I'll probably head over to Menard's for taller stakes (I have a rebate to spend) so I can fasten 2x4s between them so they stay upright and hold the trellis wires more securely.  I plan to learn from last year's rookie mistakes.  Maybe I'll even go to Stein's for bales and get started conditioning them.  I'll have to see how much fertilizer I have left for that.  

The mild, low-snow winter let the bunnies munch off almost all of the blueberry bushes' branches.  I didn't get the chance today to get down and check for sure but I'll be surprised if I get many berries this year.  Dammit.

I didn't write last night.  It was too late, I was too tired and crabby, and knew that today would be a busy one.  You'll just have to be content with the pictures.



Oh, this isn't the greatest picture but I managed to capture a photo of one of the robins flying up to nab a bit of apple/raisin/suet cake before falling down to eat what it managed to get.  There are two robins that have figured this out.  Another one lands on top of the feeder and tries to lean over to eat while fluttering like crazy to keep its balance.  Very entertaining watching how they work it out.
--Barbara