What's outside your window?

Spending more time in the house?

I have been working from home for a month now; with my computer set-up on the dining room table. A room I haven't used much since my family all moved out of the area.

The cool weather has bothered me more this year than in a long time, and I haven't felt like even venturing into my yard. But the view from my double windows here improves every day.

It's a side view, and neighbor's house is less than 30 feet away, but there is a 3 ft. tall wood fence between and some perennials on this side.
The squirrels and robins land on the fence regularly. One squirrel brings his meal to the same post every day and nibbles on it while looking defiantly at me. Not sure why. I'm friendly. The robins are always busy hunting worms and I notice there is a nest building up in the downspout crook next door. It was a couple of loud pigeons one day that made me look up. I guess they found it unsuitable and haven't been back.

There is a nice-sized snowball bush and a Hydrangea paniculata (Vanilla Strawberry, I think). There is also a volunteer dogwood growing up through the snowball bush and it is in full glorious boom right now. The flowers are white edged in pink. Lovely. The snowball blooms are tight green mini-balls just now and the hydrangea is beginning to leaf.

And today the sun is out.

eta: I recall the hydrangea is more likely PeeGee.

Looking out through the French doors in the back, I see a nest of robin's surrounded by Knockout roses just coming into bloom. On the opposite side of the patio my azaleas are in full bloom. The dogwood trees (2 white/3 pink) are almost through blooming and have leafed out. Harder to see the birds on the feeders hanging from them. A little devil of a chipmunk lives under the patio steps and cleans out the sunflower hearts feeder even though there is a wire cage around it.

Out the front kitchen window, a new robin's nest in the cherry tree by the driveway. Dwarf slender deutzia is in full bloom. Nothing slender about it.

Out the breakfast room window, irises are just coming into bloom.

Pouring rain.

I'm in a city apartment, so no room for gardens, and it's not yet warm enough to put herbs out on my sliver of a back porch (which has a lovely view of the alley!).

However, the front of my apartment looks out onto the street and we have two magnolia trees in front of the building that are blooming. They had just started to bud when we got snow, so I wasn't too sanguine about their future, but they survived. As I am on the 3rd floor, sitting in my sun room is like sitting in a tree house.

Loving this thread.

Not quite up to describing my view but trying to identify the various birds that frequent our city yard. Robins, for certain, and we think house sparrows, grackles, and a pair of cardinals. There's a magnolia out front which like >3 lilithcat:'s, survived the recent snow, and another small-ish tree and hedge which the birds love to congregate in, especially when it rains.

We also have squirrels galore, occasional Eastern cottontails, and while I don't like to think about it, undoubtedly Norwegian rats. One of the side effects of Chicago's stay-at-home order is that rats are finding their regular food sources (restaurant trash bins) are drying up, and they're foraging further afield than normal. We've had experience with rats indoors and will be vigilant in keeping them outdoors.

I'm sitting by my living room window, which looks out on my front garden, the street, and assorted parked cars. I enjoy watching the passers-by, especially the kids and dogs. There's also a bird feeder hanging outside the window for the amusement of the cats, but not much activity there right now. Things are still pretty dull; the trees have not begun too leaf out, the grass is still brown, and not much is sprouting in the garden. In another week, it will be completely different.

I'm working at home, sitting in front of 3 screens (one mine and the other two belonging to the office) and beyond the screens is a row of full-height windows looking out over a street (which is 19 floors below me) and a small bay coming off the Persian Gulf. On the other side of the bay is a bunch of towers most of which are luxury hotels or apartment blocks, and beyond them is the northern part of the city and beyond that the desert. The sky is cloudy and it looks like there's some dust on the way. Thirty-five Celsius degrees outside (95 Fahrenheit) outside, according to the weather app.

Not many birds here. Sparrows, mynahs, doves and the occasional seagull over the bay.

I have roof windows, so what I see is a rectangle of blue.

I live in the American South, so my "cool season" isn't very cool, and by the time I was put on lockdown at the end of March it was already well into spring. so my "work desk" is on my back deck looking out over the garden, unless it is raining. In bad weather, it is in my library, which has east-facing windows and looks out over the road. I've been slowly building up a screen between me and the rest of the world, so now I mostly see a young (relatively speaking) live oak tree, a growing hedge of indestructible rosemary, and some small shrubs I've been coaxing along: viburnums, chaste trees, and a couple of sweetshrubs called "Carolina Allspice" that are finally getting their rooty legs under them and no longer need extra care.

I have been working from home for decades now, sitting right by a window to our front garden. I have finally got round to refurbishing the sash window, which had not been openable for at least twenty years (when we moved to the house) and probably much longer. I am now sitting by the open window while the pait dries, so it is getting a bit cold (evening , near Manchester in England), but I am really noticing the sound of the birds - goldfinch and blackbird most notably, and the crunching of the overweight pigeons on the slate chippings. All the Acers and other little trees are in full leaf now, and the large lindens over the road are spreading their shadows, the spring flowers are gone, and the welsh poppies coming in.
it is a beautiful time of year.

>9 TimSharrock: Oh! The color, or maybe the texture of lindens!

Hmmm. How do I know that? Where have I ever seen lindens in person? College?

It rained all night here and is still overcast. At the back of my kitchen, I replaced a blank wall with a single glass door flanked by smallish Anderson double-hungs (one of my best renovation projects). It almost looks like a forest out that way, as I've allowed some volunteers to grow. A room sized forsythia anchors the house corner. It's in full leaf and full of birds. The young apple tree on the right is showing lots of young fruit. The ground is mostly covered in wads of long pine needles except where the aconite and daffodil leaves protrude. There is a pure white dogwood massed further out and a hemlock on the right property line before you get to the 80 foot tall pines that march down to the alley.

I am looking at the lake and the water is calm today. The trees are starting to get their leaves and the grass is getting green.

>4 elenchus: and another small-ish tree and hedge which the birds love to congregate in, especially when it rains.

I've identified the small-ish tree as a White Flowering Dogwood. There's been rain these past few days, which both encouraged the budding out into the flowering stages, and certainly encouraged the birds to congregate. The hedge (not yet identified) probably should be trimmed, but I sort of like the green branches shooting up over the lower panes of our three bay windows. The house sparrows love to keep up a chatter in there, too.

It's been raining here all weekend, but woke to brilliant blue skies this morning. All the greenery is still wet, so it sparkles in the early sunlight. The birds are chorusing. Lots of sparrows eating the bread cubes I tossed out the back door. Yesterday, there were two does bedded down in the aconite. They were not bothered by my opening the door even. I've seen their hoofprints, scat and evidence that they like to browse the moss that the shade is encouraging. At the bottom of the yard, the burr oak is flowering with green tassels. It looks like lace. Adjacent is a flourishing plot of lily-of-the-valley, and I brought a cluster of those inside. Their odor is sweet, but not nearly as long lasting as the lilacs from last month. Peonies are putting on buds.

I see I need to correct my ID - not aconite, winter aconite.

I've come to realise what I thought were house sparrows were actually sparrows and finches. That red head tipped me off, and my son & I looked up both sparrows and finches to confirm.

My eyes will never be good enough to spot the crucial differences unless I get lots and lots of repeat visits (with which the sparrows and finches seem happy to oblige me).

My eyesight is poor as well. Thus I could not identify the bird that took offense this morning at something one of the squirrels was doing. The squirrel was chased back and forth along the top of the fence till it dashed off for better cover.

The Chinese snowball (Viburnum) is in full bloom, but this one always disappoints me. As a youngster, my parents had a magnificent specimen that was covered in snowballs and the shape of the bush was a full fountain. It was large enough to serve as a room underneath, where we played with our Barbies (note - one per girl) endlessly.

This specimen is leggy and bare. I've already moved it once, and I may just clip it down to the base and see what happens. It was a free plant, from a friend's yard, so no loss if it doesn't recover.

Since my last post, we've had a bit of rain and things have greened up quite a bit. The trees are still not out, but my front garden is covered with Siberian Squill (scilla siberica), whose little blue flowers delight me.

>5 tardis:
>18 tardis:

In a little more than a week, as promised: so different!

Well, crap! It's raining today, and I just discovered that my gutters and downspouts on this side of the house need attention. Water is pouring down the side of the house and across the storm window.

I know what the problem is, most likely. I've had to clear plant debris out of the downspouts before. But this one is two stories up.

>21 2wonderY:

Frustrating. The second story gutter makes a difference, it always bears repeating among friends: please be careful. I've only had to do it from one story up.

The dogwood out my front window has lost it's coat of white blossoms and is leafing out in earnest. The view is basically variegated green, what with the dogwood, the darker green shrubbery below it, and the maple and ash trees beyond it. I trimmed the shrubbery, but not so far back that it isn't visible above the sill. A very pleasing scene.

I think the sun has gone down now, but it is still light, and we have the terrace door open to listen to the chorus outside. Birds still singing away now, but in the next hour the frogs will take over.

Sorry, sunset is in 14 minutes. Can't see it here, though.

Just discovered this thread!!! I love reading where everyone is and what they see >6 haydninvienna: Are you able to go to apark or city garden so you can get in your quota of outside?

I live near phoenix, which is now in its summer season, extended oh about 6 months. Wish I were here in april when I could brag about our weather and all the spectacular blooms from the desert wildflower pack I sewed in Oct Weve had lots of rain as well so all of our bushes bloomed attracting hummers and butterflies. We just finised cleaning it all up (after seed harvesting) and preparing what plants we have for the hot days and hot nights! We also have several desert trees such as Palo Verdies and Mesquite that need trimming and raking.

Oh and we had a hummingbird nest! close enough that we could watch it. Only one baby. They both flew away together and since have had one or two stop by to say hi.

My favorite place to sit is on my porch swing outside when it not summer, otherwise its in our AZ room filled with windows and plants. I look outside my window to see rosemary and several of our hot weather bushes blooming (Yellow Bells, Globe Mallow, Indian Mallow.and butterfly bush, lantana, I usually sit with a book, but often I just like to look out and see whats happening. We have lots of greckles. sparrows and Cactus wrens and woodpeckers. There are others but Ive never been good about naming them

and dont mind you can brag about your weather. We know what it will be like come November in the desert :)

From my living room window today, I can see tulips, snowdrop anemones, bergenia, Jack Frost brunnera, and pasque flowers (pulsatilla) in bloom, the trees are leafed out and some are blooming, and it's all lovely. Regrettably, the tulips turned out to be orange, and the bergenia is a lurid pink, so the combination is a bit much, even with the white anemones and blue brunnera to soften the effect.

I've been sitting on the front deck in the mornings with the newspaper and my breakfast, but now (8:30 pm) it's a bit cool to be sitting outside, plus the mosquitoes are out. Sunset is still more than an hour away, though, so lots of people are out walking and biking.

>24 cindydavid4: This is what the best bit of "outside" looks like when I'm in it:



The "pyramid" is the Sheraton Hotel, Doha. Sun coming up just to picture left. I go for a walk in the morning before it gets too hot (having said which, I got out the front door a little after 4 am this morning—still dark but the eastern sky just beginning to turn pink—and it was already 30º Celsius (86ºF) and about 80% RH). I go for about 10 km, which takes about an hour and three quarters, and the sun is well and truly up by then. After that I stay inside looking at the heat haze. At this moment (11:40 am), the weather app says it's 39º and 28% RH. I gather that in Arizona you know about temperatures like that. Rain here is very infrequent and there are no wildflowers. There are parks, but the water consumption must be horrific.

Well thats a pleasant place to walk, and seeing the sunrise is good thing. I also wait till early morn to walk, but soon it might be too hot for even that, so its time for the gym.

Oh yes we know about heat. Our highest temp on record was 122F, weve had more of our share of above 110F for days in a row. Unfortunately the mornings are no longer cooler like when I was a kid. In May and June in the 60s, you could depend on mornings in the 50sF to escape from the heat. Not anymore; we are lucky if the temp is 90F at sunrise!!!

Our RH doesn't get bad till around July; we get some relief from thunderstorms, but not often enough (the heat island from so much building over the years has pushed a llot of those storms away from us). And we get those rolling dust storms, more frequently lately. (Ok what do you call those? we used to say dust storms or monsoon, now they are using the term haboob. I somehow dont think thats right)

Ok its outside my car window: but while waiting for the light to change, I saw a butterfly, think it was a Lady, flitting around over that section of traffic. Not sure if it was lost, or just wanted to put a smile on our faces. Did mine, any way.

>27 cindydavid4: "Dust storms" is what we usually call dust storms! But "haboob" is current here too. I imagine the word is Arabic and got taken to the US by vets who had been in the region. There's a wind that comes every once in a while that blows straight down the Gulf, called the shamal. It tends to bring a lot of dust with it. Very few thunderstorms here and the ones that do happen end to be fairly weak, hardly an apology for the real thing. Rain only between November and April.

I am from West Texas and we called them sandstorms. My hometown has the Monahans Sandhills State Park.
I am in Minnesota now. A couple of people fishing on the lake this morning. Yesterday my son got close to a nest and took a picture of three robin chicks in the nest. The mother built a nest near my back door this year and she gets angry when we get close. There two families of geese on my yard this morning and when I opened the door they went into the water.

Footnote to #26 on the wild flowers: I've seen a few of these as weeds:

.

The other day I found out what they are. They are the Giant Milkweed, also called the Dead Sea Apple or Apple of Sodom (Calotropis procera), and they are quite capable of killing you if you try to eat one of the seed pods. (It has been suggested that this is the plant responsible for the "death in the pot" mentioned in 2 Kings 4, 38-41, but the plant doesn't fit the description there given.) The bush in the photo is on a bit of waste land at the foot of my apartment building. The bush is taller than I am.

So a new flower popped up this spring Id never seen before, several tiny yellow balls growing on the plant. Found out they are called Billy Balls. Left them all growing till I saw a news article saying these are considered invasive weeds and should be pulled. Awwww but they are so cute! So I went on line to discover other areas of the country grow them just fine. So I'll let them grow next year, but watch to make sure they don't make a pest of itself!

>31 cindydavid4: Show us a picture, please?

Ive been trying to - I cant seem to down load an image for it. Think I have pics on my camera, lets see if I can share it

How do I download an image from my camera to here?

Add it as a profile picture first; then use the url to bring it to Talk, using the directions in the first post
of this handy dandy thread:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/177029

Do you know how to right click on an image to access the address?

Out of my window in Tennessee

It is light now and cloudy. Might rain today.

>36 perennialreader: All kinds of nice!

There is so much wrong with 2020, but I'm going to complain about the weather. My house is a small 106 year old drafty balloon frame, with out-dated heating, no air conditioning and very little storage. So change of seasons is accomplished with certain rituals. Light the gas heaters in the fall, shut the gas feed in the spring. Switch the storm door and the screen door, with the one not in use stored behind the couch. Blankets, quilts, sweaters all live in the attic in the summer. So do other snuggly clothes such as corduroys and tights. I have never before had to reverse these actions once done. This year, I've had to several times. Last evening I had to get a quilt down again! and I'm wearing tights, woolies and corduroys this morning.

>39 2wonderY:

For whatever reason, I am cheered reading about your seasonal rituals and storage creativity. (But not condoning the need to reverse multiple times: boo!) I'm in a much different situation, but have a parallel set of seasonal swaps and empathise with the challenges.

I'm currently in a sweater with my feet resting on a heated cozy. That's Spring in Chicago.

Hee, spring time in phx is the same. One year it was so cold and rainy in May that they had to postpone graduation. Another day in the same month the temperture broke a record for highest temp for that month. In the same month we had glorious weather and everyone was outside. Crazy!!!

>40 cindydavid4: non-members can't access it.

Man, oh man, it's been a long time since I uploaded a picture here, but I really wanted to share this one. >28 haydninvienna: , you reminded me that I had multiple photographs of a haboob. It's a word I've grown up with, and I have no idea where it came from. It must have been someone from when I was little.

Here's the shot (it's from 2013):



It's not a thing you want to be caught in, although it's an excellent start if you wanted to paint your car a new color.

ETA: I think that one's about 30 feet high, or so.

Great shot.

Is that a cat out by the fenceline? Seems so ... unconcerned.

>44 Lyndatrue: Indeed a great shot. As to the origin of the word haboob, Oxford Reference on line says: "origin late 19th century: from Arabic habūb 'blowing furiously'. "

https://www.librarything.com/pic/7578554

This is a picture I took yesterday. How do I show the picture and not just a link? Appreciate any help.
Leona

>47 mnleona: See >35 2wonderY:

I am still not getting a picture. I did it one time on another post and it finally worked but I am doing something wrong now.

The url of the photo is

https://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/bf/7e/bf7e4caa4274eed63705a657641434b4171...

found by right clicking over the picture itself.

Now insert it between the quotes in this sequence:

IMG SRC="http://host.com/picture.jpg"

and bracket it between the greater than and less than symbols that appear on the keys above comma and period on your keyboard.

deleted

Close. Now put in the img src= and quotations around the url.

I finally found how to get the url by searching. I so appreciate your help. I will try later because I am messing up the message board.

I did not see your second message.

I, for one, hope you keep trying. The anticipation is killing me!

I am so sorry about the bad messages. Somehow it is not working for me and I appreciate the help. I will just read the messages and enjoy the pictures.
Leona

I tried to show what I am doing and the message did not take. I put the brackets before the imgsrc and after jpg
It that correct? I also put the url in " ". My goodness, I am usually smarted than this.

>61 mnleona: Add your picture info after the =. No " ". Just arrows on each end.

I am doing

IMGSRC=http://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/bf/7e/bf7e4caa4274eed63705a657641434b41716b42_v5.jpg>

It would not take when I put the first bracket in the message so I took it out and this is what I am trying to post.

>65 mnleona: Space between IMG SRC and add arrow to the beginning

I did it. I so appreciate the help and patience with me.
These are on my lake.
Leona

>68 mnleona: Nice!

Yay! -- for the success in posting.

And, Nice! -- for the image itself.

My son was so tickled to find 2 families of geese and goslings this spring. Not quite so many as in your picture, I think there were perhaps 7 goslings between the two sets of parents.

Thank you. They do leave a mess in the yard. I am always impressed how they protect their young with one parent in front and one in the back.
A mother robin built a nest near my door for the first time. My son got close and took pictures of three chicks. When I went outside earlier today, all three flew from their nest. Yesterday, they were all in the nest when he took the picture.

>67 mnleona: Lovely photo, and worth waiting for.

I love ducks and geese. I should make my way to the river (the mighty Columbia), and see how they're doing.

The deer are making themselves much more at home in my neighborhood this year. It used to be they would stay on the other side of the park, in the higher dollar neighborhood, with larger properties and backing up to woods.

But two young'uns, at least one a buck, just sauntered past my window, snacking on various bushes and settled themselves across the street in the shade. We don't have kids playing out there much anymore, but the mowing guys are nearby with their loud machinery. Doesn't seem to matter.

Very very strange weather for June in the desert, Its cool again, and outside my window the wind is picking up, I hear the windchimes and watch our trees dancing in tune.

Yesterday my family was treated to an adult robin supervising a juvenile as it learned to fly. Or rather, as it gained confidence in flying: I knew of the juvenile's efforts because the day before I startled it in the yard, and it was clearly flustered in trying to fly away but kept making gliding hops instead of taking flight. It eventually did quite well, perching on the fence a couple backyards away. I was alerted to the scene of supervised flight practise by a peculiar chirp which I'd not heard before, louder and a much different sound than typical robin calls.

The little guy eventually did pretty well. Wonderful getting to see it all, and made me wonder if this was the adult's first or umpteenth time supervising their offspring.

>75 elenchus: Neat!

Out my side kitchen window, the sky is an intense blue today; which sets off the new barn red metal roof my neighbor just had installed.

The car window



We're taking a short break in Illmitz, at the eastern end of Austria.

>67 mnleona: The goslings here are nearly the size of their parents by now. Look like feisty teenagers.

we had a humminbird nest this spring and we have been treated by visits from the mom and kid. Yesterday my DH was reading in the back yard. One came clicking around him, then landed on his hat. then flew around and landed very briefly on his hand!!Very cool.

Great fun! Was he wearing bright colours or drinking anything fragrant, I wonder.

>78 cindydavid4: That is pretty dang magical!

I've had more wildlife here. The deer are making themselves quite at home in my backyard. Yesterday, one was already picking green apples. I hope there was no tummy ache.

A squirrel was jumping around on my front porch, and even on the window sill.

Which doesn't even compare to the snake that my daughter photographed being inquisitive at her bedroom window.

I've notice a red bird hanging out in my front yard. A finch of some sort, I think. He like to stand on my windshield, and I think he once checked out the interior when the window was down. Today, I found him quarrelling and pecking at his reflection in the rear view mirror.

Its too hot here but my portulac (moss rose) is blooming to beat the band outside my patio door

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plant-world-seeds.com%2Fi...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQBxq5s6a1Oj9cnWYg96DOIz_...

I love moss roses. I've never been able to keep them happy. May have to try again in my new location.

Re-reading Emma, my least favourite Jane Austen novel, and our weather matches hers:

"The weather added what it could of gloom. A cold stormy rain set in, and nothing of July appeared but in the trees and shrubs, which the wind was despoiling, and the length of the day, which only made such cruel sights the longer visible."

I too shall refrain from going outside for a walk through the shrubbery.

>83 2wonderY: for one, they need full sun, and prefer sandy well drained soil. If planted in the ground water every day the first week, every other day 2x a week and so on. If they are in pots they need daily water this time of year. Good luck

**Good morning, mumbled she, waiting for the water to boil for tea**

If it's sandy soil they prefer, that may explain it. Nothing but clay around here.
Daughter has recently been bitten with the gardening bug, and she may be trying them in her yard. She sent me an advert picture of them with an exclamation point.

Both of my girls have been spending time in the dirt this year; a first. I'm so pleased.

Rose's front yard is dominated by two fairly ugly maple trees. (Their fall color is underwhelming and the city electrical crew regularly come around and chops them.) The shade they provide is dense and welcome, but has frustrated her attempts until she decided to embrace the shade. She's got a woodland garden started under them now and it's beginning to lush out with ferns and moss. And snakes, too.

She does have a narrow (8 feet) sunny side yard for other trials.

Saw a boat with two people standing and fishing off my point this morning. We had rain yesterday and the birds had a field day getting bugs and worms in the yard. I had not thought of moss roses for years and I also like them. Maybe next year. Have a good day.
Leona

>81 2wonderY: A finch of some sort, I think.

I've had the same visit the Juneberry tree (shadbush) outside my window, a house finch I'm guessing.

The Juneberry tree has been great for birdwatching. Assume it's always been this way but I was always away at work, before. What I've been missing!

another humming bird sighting - David was outside watering with the hose, when he saw a female hummer fly into the water stream and started drinking the drops! great fun and of course no pics coz she was too fast!!

We are spending sometime up in northern arizona, where is a cool 75 degrees, and outside my window are the flowers that don't last in our 115 degree heat: hollyhocks morning glory, cosmos, plus tons and tons of sunflowers. sigh, we arre going home tomorrow so enjoying all this while we can

New house, new windows.

Narrow lots, so no side yards to speak of. Neighbors on both sides. Front view is dominated by the street and power lines, but the neighborhood is full of mature trees, so green forming to gold, orange and brown in the background. The rear view is the prize. Private and full of trees. Two mature grand maples, complimenting an array of birds and squirrels going about their business. A wooded lot behind mine and a friendly gardener to the west of me.

Up in >26 haydninvienna: I had the Persian Gulf and the desert outside. Now it's England and an English autumn. Trees, although no large ones. Gardens.

I have to add to >90 2wonderY: that sunshine streaming in at the front windows was a major factor in choosing this house. The living room has 5(!) windows and the kitchen has 4, including side windows. Happy, happy.

>90 2wonderY: and >92 2wonderY:

Your situation is similar to my own, though pointedly I have no wooded lot at the back. There are several good gardeners on the block, alas none visible (nor are their gardens, natch) from my windows. Have to take a walk for that.

We have morning sun in the front, evening sun at the back, and with the narrow lot the midday sun is dispersed and indirect. I've often wondered if I would love this arrangement so well if our building had another orientation: is this truly my preference, or did I grow to love it? If we'd had morning sun at the back of the house, and evening sun in the front, would I love that?

I sympathise with all those city residents whose front rooms are north-facing. I assume it makes for a permanent dusk indoors.

I’ll let you know. My house faces north, but has an open feel, perched on a hillside. I’m sitting on the back covered deck, and am just now able to sit in some sunshine because the leaves are thinning from the ancient maples.

I envy you your east west orientation; I crave sunrise/sunset skies.

Nice thread, sorry I'm late.

My house faces east, and while the front covered porch is too narrow to sit on facing the sunrise, my house plants thrive in the indirect bright light. I just brought them inside a week ago, in anticipation of our first frost.

The kitchen has a double window facing west, and in the past got very warm in the summer. This past spring I found a used metal awning that fit both windows, and rehired my independent siding contractor to mount it. I felt he'd want to make it look nice to match the new siding (2019), and he did a great job, adding trim around the edges so it matches the windows. It was SO much cooler in the kitchen this summer, but still bright enough.

Well, I got some direct sunshine in my back windows today. That’s south; but with the wooded hillside and the covered deck, the sun has to be in a specific line of sight to slide in these windows. It was pretty nice. The rooms changed significantly.

Snow in middle Tennessee. Came yesterday, gone today.

>96 2wonderY:

The magical hour, or quarter-hour. I have such a fleeting time for my east-facing basement windows. Different time of day, but I enjoy when I'm able to be there for that brief period of direct sunshine.

Ice. Not an excessive amount; but the branches all have a light coating. And I had to break into my vehicle this morning. I’m sorta stranded in WV till the roads are safer. Went to the library and the grocery store. I’m staying in the house that’s in process of clean out, with no cooking except for a microwave and an electric kettle. The power went out for a few hours, so I brewed tea on the gas space heater in the dining room. When power was returned, the ancient microwave wouldn’t re-set; so I placed it out atop the trash can. Someone came by and took it today, despite me calling to them that it no longer functioned. It’s got me considering creative re-uses for the appliance.

The breeze is wicked out there. I picked up food items that will work with what I have left. I do have a small saucepan that I used to heat soup on said gas heater.
Picked up cat food for the strays that live in the area. And bread and seed for birds. But no birds sighted. A squirrel is seizing the opportunity.

Ice and snow. Husband helped refill the feeders and the birds were doing well until the neighbors started sledding down the hill next to the feeders and the birds left.

The best part about winter? When it's over...

We had a fair number of birds today. They show up at the feeders when snow is on the ground. Although our normal guests are still rare, there was a magpie, a robin (European), a blackbird, and several starlings, as well as crows. I put hot water in the bird bath, replacing the ice, and threw some hedgehog food that is mostly meal worms onto the terrace. We didn't actually see the birds, but the whole terrace is full of bird tracks. This is right in front of a double glass door, so the birds avoid the area when we are in the room. Still, it's nice to know that my efforts are appreciated.

We were spared, the temperature stayed above freezing for the storm, but my whole yard is a swamp, puddles all over.

It's pleasant this afternoon: the sun is shining and it's currently 64F. The birds are singing. I saw my first daffodil bloom, too.

Chicago was hit by a glorious snowfall, there are rabbit tracks (really, not from hopping or walking so much as leaping from drift to drift) and birds calling. I've recognized a cardinal pair the past months, assume it's the same two but I really have no idea, and they were out.

No issues with power so toasty indoors and it makes for a bright indoors with all the indirect light, cozy views of snow-laden branches and sidewalks carved through snow banks.

If I can get a bout of reading in tonight, it'll be fabulous peering out the window from the wingback chair.

Warm and sunny today, Lots going on in the garden; bees and butterflies enjoying the spring blossoms. And the hedgehog is also out and about in full daylight.

>104 MarthaJeanne:

Hedgehog! I would love to see that.

https://scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/c0.66.662.662a/s851x315/13343190...

We have had a road runner in our neighborhood, he takes turns hopping into yards and looking for bugs and lizards to eat. Here's what I saw this weekend

https://scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/c0.66.662.662a/s851x315/13343190...

>105 elenchus: I put my picture in my garden thread https://www.librarything.com/topic/328646#7462284

Jerry's is


They are awfully cute, they don't do any damage in the garden. If slugs are around they might eat the slugs.

I imagine we have them in Chicago but guessing in the preserves or along the river, not so much in the yards. Adorable.

No, no hedgehogs in the Americas.

I've been able to upload Jerry's picture.

Hedgehogs are so cute! We have porcupines. Not that cute, but charming in their own way, as long as you keep your distance :)

We had a dog once who was fine at home, but every summer when we spent a week or two in Maine he would have encounters with porcupines.

Hedgehog prickles are well attached to the animal, and have no hooks. It's not a good idea to touch them without a strong glove, but that is mostly because they tend to have fleas and ticks and other such things. Porcupines are also quite a bit bigger. About 18 kg instead of 1.1 Kg.

I was able to pet a porcupine once, at Science North in Sudbury, Ont. It was very tame. As long as you petted it WITH the quills and not against them, it was fine. Not nice like petting a regular furry animal, but at least not painful, and the porcupine seemed to enjoy the interaction with people. I've seen them a few times here in the wild, and I know lots of people whose dogs have had unfortunate encounters.

Thursday: Sitting on the fence row--Eastern Bluebird, but I can hear a woodpecker in the neighbor's woods--probably a red-headed, at the back of the acreage, playing amongst 2 red oaks are 2 red squirrels, running around like crazy--it's spring! And of course, the multitude or robins and house sparrows. Also, I've been seeing a turkey vulture.....I walked the property today and did not see anything dead.

>93 elenchus: Okay, I realize my house doesn’t face directly north; there is a western tilt as well. My front rooms are already flooded with late afternoon sunshine. I’m thrilled!

I’ve been working to make my front yard more interesting. There were no plantings at all. I’ve got the slope down to the sidewalk/street covered in plastic, cardboard and lumber. It’s a long term project to kill the grass and then build terraced planting beds. Above that, daughter tilled a two foot wide strip, where I’m planting iris, day lilies and whatever else comes to hand. That’s the first bit of interesting garden architecture visible.
I’ve got planted beds of perennials close to the house, but those aren’t visible from the windows. I bought a peach tree, not for its beauty, but for its fruit. I haven’t yet found where to dig it’s hole, but I do want to see it from the kitchen windows. Will probably end up with a couple of small pretty trees of some sort as well.

>115 2wonderY: I love my Japanese maple, and it's small. After 15 years it's grown from 3' to about 8' or so. I love the red leaves, too.

Another pretty one is szechuan pepper. I love mine. I can only use a small portion of the spice it produces, but both the flower and the fruit are delightful, and even in other seasons it is a nice looking plant. It does have lots of thorns on it. Mine gets a lot of trimming in the bottom two meters because of that.

A pepper tree? I’ll bet it is a pretty sight. But no; Szechuan Is not for me.
I have cherry trees that I might plant; volunteering from the roots of a mature tree. But it’s not particularly bountiful anymore. Of course it might be the pine tree shade that causes that. The ones I planted on the ridgetop finally flowered this spring. I’ll see how they produce. The mother of my current tree used to be full red with fruit (baking variety) and we fought the birds every season for them.

It has hit 100 degrees so it is now officially summer (been an absolutely beautiful spring! we usually hit 100 in April!) So plants that are dying back are being replaced by those that can handle the heat. Bought a bunch of Vinca, Portulaca (Moss Rose) Zinnias, and have planted sunflowers. so looking out our patio window shows us a new season!

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rf0AAOSwPh5ZDz3B/s-l400.jpg

https://www.gardendesign.com/pictures/images/320x240Exact_0x84/site_3/cora-vinca...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTs0FYHh3L05UjA2MUWKjrC3IQ7...

we also have Cats Claw and Lantana that thrive in the heat!

Loving it!

Yay, moss rose! So pretty!

>119 cindydavid4: we're not to 100 here, but I've already planted portulaca and vinca in anticipation of our typical summer's heat and humidity!

I may have said I have only one window that reliably brings in morning sun. That’s the attic window at the top of the stairwell. It does reflect some down into the little hall at the center of the house.
But when I open my living room curtains on a sunny morning, the view is light filled and I don’t need artificial lights.
The kitchen faces the same direction and I just leave those windows uncovered. I noticed an extra glow coming in there today. I’ve decorated a short wall extension with an old chrome hubcap that is nearly mirror sharp. And it is angling the morning sun into the space.😎

My grandbaby (almost 3) loves to play with the light. We spent some time yesterday in the attic stairwell with sequined fabric and crystal beads making the light dance.

>122 2wonderY: I absolutely love this post! I can just see you with your grandbaby, and the image will stay in my mind. Thanks for that!

>123 cindydavid4: Do you do Instagram? I’ve posted pictures and a short video there from another session.

>123 cindydavid4:

Agree, and I love that idea of the hubcap. I've thought about options for angling light into the front of our house, facing east, using the afternoon sun and reflecting it into one of the south-facing windows. But I also wonder if that would produce an unpleasant glare: the windows are eye-level, unlike what I imagine the light coming in the attic window is for 2wonderY.

Have you posted pictures of the front yard project? I'm also thinking terracing, if very subtle. Our front yard is not sloped, so I'd have to build any terracing we had.

>125 elenchus: No, it’s too ugly just yet. I should probably take some pictures for “the before.”

It is sunny now and the grass is getting green.

The end of azaleas. The bleeding heart is still going. The knockout roses are in full bloom. And the hardy ferns are up. The peonies are also on the way out.

>108 MarthaJeanne: Great picture.

Yesterday as I was doing the dishes, I saw the bunny rabbit that lives under my deck, stretched out on the grass. He/she is usually sitting and eating.

I also saw a couple rabbits yesterday. I suspect they are munching on the landscaping, and while I don't fancy myself a Mr McGregor, I also want to ensure the still-new plants have established themselves rather than being eaten away. I'm trying distilled vinegar as a way to discourage them from the front, but leaving the back untouched. We'll see how it goes.

Tomato plants and milkweed are blooming here.

The neighbours across the driveway are just weekend visitors - their main apartment is more central. This morning sho came over to offer me the roses she had here over the weekend that certainly have a few good days left.

While she was here a butterfly came and enjoyed some of the flowers in my fence pouches while she and I enjoyed watching the butterfly. It drank from two different plants and then just stood there in the sunlight. Lovely! It was white/cream with vein markings and larger than most of the ones we get here. (The neighbour wanted Jerry to bring his camera down, but Monday is sauna day.)

>133 MarthaJeanne: Whan a nice story.