Spring days and the groove

Finally. Getting back into the groove of things.

I walked the dogs just after dawn and then took a walk without them into the land east of us.

First I looked for flowering trees and searched to see if I could hear the Cat Bird yet. The wrens were singing along with Cardinals, Blue Jays, Brown Thrasher, and Morning Doves. [I heard others but couldn't ID them]

The shot below is of one of the wild apple trees before the sun lit it up.

When the sun touched other trees in the Meadow, I was stunned. The morning light adds so much warmth to the colors. 

Midday washes colors out, but evening also ads color.

Here is the lowly and unloved Box Elder Tree with its seeds ready to spread in the wind.

My all time favorite tree has nasty thorns, but I think is beautiful, is the Hawthorn Tree.

There is a small patch of them just outside of the Meadow.

Thankfully, the loggers didn't find them worthy of their chainsaws.

They will blossom any time now. 

In the fall their leaves turn brilliant and their flowers turn to red berries.

I had some friends in my pocket, so I couldn't resist.

My Pink Titan 13 had to smell the wild apple blossoms. 

Wall-E and Eve came along. Under the tree they found a quiet moment for love.  💖

These turned out much nicer than my efforts the other day. I can say that I am pleased with them.

The white and purple violets are for Sandra from This and That!

My yard is full of them. I am mowing around them!

Yellow Wood Violets!

Enjoy your spring day. Hopefully it is a good one. With the longer days, I feel like I am getting more things done.

Sunrises

Sunsets

Birds and blooms....

I prefer not to 'shoot' the birds at the feeder, but sometimes they are so fun and so wild, I just can't help myself.

I love the action shots best even if the background shows my paddock with the ugly fence and ground behind it.

These goldfinches have been absolutely wild this spring!

On some mornings I can get out and walk in the neighbor's meadow to the east of us. It is a huge meadow with the forest surrounding it.

I can hear Brown Thrashers, Crows, Robins, Orioles, Wrens, and many more birds. When I reached the far eastern edge of the meadow, I looked back and there was Sunshine my 28 year old mule watching me from her pasture.
 

I stood quiet for a long time and was so surprised to see an owl! I'm pretty sure it is a Barred Owl. He/she is near a spot where we used to find Owl Pellets.

Eventually, it flew away.

These Palm Warblers are making nests in the multiflora rose bushes. Aren't they smart? They pick the worst and nastiest thorny spots to keep their nests safe.

I don't have a very good shot of the Catbird but they were singing back and forth across the meadow.

This is the time of year when I want to be out in the meadow or forest every single morning.

This was another 'nap' time foray. I was back home before hubby woke up and quite pleased with what I was able to find.

The wild apple trees are just starting to show color and blooms.

The forest is exploding with Virginia pinks and other flowers. But I'll have to get to them tomorrow. I need to get a lot of farm work done today.

Enjoy some birds and blooms....

Sunday Arty Stuff

I am doing a photo album of just 'tree' stuff. I'm trying once again to follow some of the local trees on our road and the forest through out the year.

It isn't just about the trees themselves but more of a study on how the trees shapes just amaze me. They are an artform all their own.

Below: Apple Blossoms

I think I like this one below a bit better...
for its artsy minimal effect

Below: Cherry Blossoms in the morning light

Abstract

Below: Cherry Blossoms in Neighbor's yard

Birch tree

Oak Tree with catkins

Most of these photos were taken in mid May. That is how far behind I am in addressing my photography. The yard and gardens sort of took over and I'm just about finished now except for planting sweet corn [I'm going to do a no till experiment that may fail miserably].  

I also have a rough spot in the yard that I'm going to dig up a bit and toss in a couple of packets of wildflower seeds.

Today looks like a good day to just chill out.

Wandering

It has been three days since I could go wandering. I couldn't mow any more yard and I was caught up on the housework.

Besides, out there somewhere...could be a morel mushroom just waiting to be picked.

So I wandered.

And found ...

I like wandering!
I got home just in time to do chores and make supper.

Some Trees and Stuff

I don't know enough about trees. I bought a guide book but still, I sorely lack the expertise in identifying trees. I can ID the simple ones.
Birch
Oak
Maple
Pine
Box Elder
and the much disliked tree
the Buckthorn.
I am currently working on trying to figure out how to kill some of them off without nasty sprays. Chopping them makes them branch out. I am wondering if 'girding' them will work.

I do however adore the not much loved Hawthorne Tree:

I adore the shape of the leaves and the flowers that appear in spring.

The color and shape are very pretty. The thorns? Probably not so much.

I like the wild apple trees that grow in the Meadow next to us.

In the fall I do pick as many apples as I can and make juice, jelly, and dehydrate them in slices covered with cinnamon and sugar. They make a great treat while hiking in the winter.

In the spring I do like to go around and take photos of the trees when they 'flower'. After that, I lose interest in them again until fall when they show me their colors again.

Each year I am encouraged and try to wander around to figure out what the trees are by their bark, or their shape. However in a thick forest, ... the shapes get lost.
And then I get caught up by more interesting things.

Like rocks.
Or Fungi.
Or picking berries.

I don't seem as if I can ever stick with it.

Perhaps this year I can do better.

Trees and blossoms

While hunting morels the other day, Rich and I went into our creek bottom and wandered about.  It was fairly early in the day and the light was delightful.
He called me over to see a gorgeous discovery.
This wild apple tree with brilliant pink blossoms.

I've lived on this land for 20 years and this is the first time I've found this tree in all of its pink glory.
How odd, I didn't know this wild apple tree even existed.

I went back in the afternoon and everything looked different in the afternoon light.

Last week we had a very foggy morning and I decided to take a quick walk up to the ridge and see if the 'chokeberry' tree was still in blossom.

The morning light was wonderful and the sunlight cast harsh sideways shadows on one of my favorite trees.

The blossoms wouldn't be around much longer, perhaps only 24 to 48 hrs.  I felt lucky that I got a shot of them this year.

The next tree that will blossom will be the Hawthorne tree.  Rich doesn't like them but I find their blossoms beautiful and their leaves distinctively beautiful. I am not sure that anyone particularly likes the thorns though.

I love adore these little flowers. How can something so thorny have such beautiful blossoms?

These trees are just starting to bud out and will probably be in full bloom by the weekend.

One of the things I keep promising myself each year is to learn how to identify trees by their leaves and their bark or shape.

I am slowly learning.  But it is hard!