I did end up buying some pansies and some calibrachoa at the nursery yesterday morning. There isn’t a whole lot of inventory there yet as it’s been quite cold lately, but I expect that will pick up next week. After I came home, I cleaned out a bit more in the garden beds near the porch – so more wheelbarrows full of leaves were carted to our pile. I potted the pansies (oh, they’re so bright and cheery!) and the calibrachoa, which I always place in the vintage plant stand.
So I did quite a bit of work and was very tired, once again. But I have to remember that the last vestiges of the virus are still with me as well as allergies and just plain tiredness from the show, etc. But I am going to take it easy today before we mow for the first time tomorrow.
But the BIG thing about yesterday?
I was standing on the porch and I heard an extremely loud bird sound unlike anything I had ever heard before. Up and down the scale, screeching and calling. I looked up and saw a bald eagle right next door in my neighbor’s tree! Don happened to be outside getting ready to take a walk, so I alerted him and then I ran in the house for my telephoto lens.
You know, you just aim at the bird and hope at least one photo is good. This one is very good. Look at that fierce face! He was very, very vocal, making all sorts of sounds. I’d love to know what he was thinking. Eventually he took off but spent quite a bit of time soaring above us.
Don has occasionally seen bald eagles near the river across the road but this is the first time we’ve seen one on this side of the road and so close!
That was the highlight of my week.
Today is supposed to be quite warm and it’s sunny. I’ll take it.
Stay safe.
Happy Friday.
What a beautiful picture you captured, Claudia. That is frame-worthy. I always think of pansies as brave little soldiers. They seem able to withstand the cold and even snow before it is truly spring. Enjoy your day of rest and continued recuperation. Hugs, Elaine
And pansies make you smile!
Stay safe, Elaine.
WHAT a bird… Claiming his territory? Attracting a partner?
I’m not sure…I’ll have to read up on bald eagles, Petra.
Stay safe.
what a wonderful sight … a bald eagle in the tree next to you! glad that you and don both saw it (and you took a great photo of it).
glad you found some pretty plants and flowers and especially that you felt well enough to do all that work outdoors. hope you can take it easier today and enjoy the outcome of your efforts and nice weather from a spot on the porch, sitting with don. :)
an update on turning that vintage cupboard into a bookcase: it’s actually an old ethan allen “media cabinet” with a very nice wooden box (with a drawer and shelf in it) and a swiveling tray to hold a tv. looked simple enough to remove it all by turning a bunch of screws. unfortunately that is not going to happen as everything (including the screws) were glued in, too. so, plan b is making shorter and fewer shelves around and on top of the media box. bit bummed by that, but it will happen … just with more math and repeated measurings after trying different arrangements of books that will go into that cupboard. thanks were said to a very patient man named wade at a big-box store in west des moines for cutting the five pieces of wood. and no thanks to the man (at another big-box store) who asked me “who’s going to build that for you?” and “how are you going to get this to your car?” (ugh). onward!
happy, safe friday to all!
kathy
I’m surprised he didn’t add “little lady.” Unbelievable!
I know you’ll figure it all out and adapt it to fit your needs, Kathy.
Stay safe.
Oh how exciting! And what a great pic Claudia! That would’ve made my week too.
The nurseries around here have opened too, but I have yet to go. Still have garden beds to clean out. And, if I did buy anything, it would be too early to plant anyway. Still rather cold here.
Hope you continue to feel better….enjoy your day! ;)
It’s finally warming up here. Even though it was cold this week, it didn’t hit freezing, so we’re good to go.
Thanks so much, Donnamae.
Stay safe.
Great shot !
They are so majestic, there’s nests along the Unadilla river, didn’t realize they’re noisy.
I’d never heard one make those sounds before. I’m going to research them to see what calls they make.
Stay safe, Pat.
How exciting to see that Eagle and that close. I am envious!!!!!
It was a beautiful and unexpected blessing, Deb.
Stay safe.
The temps are still up and down here so no planting yet. That photo of the eagle is amazing!
Thank you! I was very lucky!
Stay safe, Ellen.
Incredible to see that bald eagle so close! That’s quite a sight! You certainly got a lot of work in yesterday, glad you’re feeling better! Enjoy your pansies!
That’s with a telephoto lens, Barrie, so it’s looks closer than it was. Still, it was right next door.
Stay safe.
It’s not easy to tell male and female bald eagles a part, so perhaps it was a female. Maybe she has a nest nearby and you’ll get to see her often. Wouldn’t THAT be something?? Fantastic photo, btw!!
Thank you, Jenny!
Stay safe.
What an incredible photo!
Picked my first roses yesterday; saw my first blue jay today.
Yay! How is your husband doing, Vicki?
xo
Thank you for asking. He’s trying not to lose too much weight as he didn’t have it to lose even before surgery. Has resumed the long walks with the big dog. Has returned to his part-time job on a limited basis. Driving the car is fine. It’s good and bad in terms of surgery results so far; long-term outcome is still somewhat unknown. He’d hoped for eradication of all bad symptoms; some have returned already despite surgeons saying they think he is progressing favorably. He says he’ll take ANY improvements even if it isn’t one hundred percent turnaround, so that’s exactly how it might be in the end. My biggest challenge is reminding him of what he can and cannot do right now, such as lifting something too heavy (he still has healing incisions), getting tempted with foods he cannot eat yet (he can be his own worst memory, but the necessary diet for this til June … pureed/blended food and only what you can ingest via a drinking straw … has gotten really ‘old’ really fast; he’s just not a blender kind of guy, and blended/pureed food is not eye-appealing … is not thrilling to him, any of this!).
I don’t know why my computer resorts/flips to these word subs; like what I just wrote at the end was that my husband can be his worst ENEMY, not memory. I know darned well that twas not MOI who wrote that wrong!
xo
xoxo
An amazing experience, Vicki.
Stay safe.
I am happy you are feeling better and your job was a success despite feeling bad. Enjoy the spring weather and flora.
Thanks, Kay.
Stay safe!
Wow! Great pic :)
Thank you, Naomi!
Stay safe.
That is an amazing photo. I would be tempted to have that framed. Getting a shot like that is very rare indeed.
Thank you, Lyn!
Stay safe.
We have a pair of our largest bird, wedge-tailed eagles, living quite close to us. It always makes my day when I see them soaring up in the thermal up-drafts. They used to be shot regularly, as they were suspected of taking young lambs (now proven to happen only very, very rarely) and thank goodness their numbers are recovering across the country. There are supposed to be only about 800 pairs living in my state so it’s such a privilege to have them so close.
Oh how wonderful! So glad their numbers are increasing.
Stay safe, Denise.
Beautiful pic of the Eagle. We live right down the street from the river, and they are here all of the time. Our village has Eagle Days every January when the town is packed. They are just so majestic!! The pair care for their young starting with taking turns setting on the eggs and protecting the nest. As the young grow up, watching them fly together as a family and land in the trees together is just amazing. Their fishing tactics are so interesting to watch as they fly and then swoop into the river to grab their catch.
We are a ways away from planting as it is pretty cold after those few days of 80’s we had just last week. Chances of snow all weekend. The farmers are anxious to get into the fields, but it just isn’t happening yet.
Hope you enjoyed a nice day today and have a nice weekend ahead. Take care.
I imagine Bald Eagles are numerous around here as well, I just don’t see them that often. How lucky you are to see so many of them, Chris!
Stay safe.