Thanks Margaret and Chelle!

We got a spoiler day yesterday and today in the 60's but it's headed back to the low 40's tomorrow for highs for the next little while. Went on my 4 wheeler to check some of the other gardens today and there is green peaking up in places.

So glad you had a chance to check out places with more blooms showing Chelle!

I think we are all pretty anxious for spring, it has seemed like a long winter.

Here's a sign of spring! @dave @trish we are warmer than you right now up in MN! Only a teaser though.

I tripped over my Iris 'Katharine Hodgekin' cleaning up leaves from last year. But the snow fell on them yesterday. They seem to be just fine today.

That's a really pretty picture.

I keep looking for signs of mine, but I've seen nary a trace so far.

There was a strong, warm wind from the south-west all day today, and the temperature soared to 18C! Migrating ducks took advantage of the wind and flew north, some landing on my pond to rest and refuel. This afternoon I counted 7 male ring-necked ducks with 4 females, 4 pairs of common mergansers, and 3 pairs of mallards. The ring-necks and mergansers were busy diving for fish, while the mallards just paddled around and quacked a lot. I had a look around the garden, as most the flowerbeds are now bare of snow, but I did not see any bulbs coming up yet. They probably know there's more snow in the forecast. Nice pic of the snowed-on iris, Treehugger!

I really look forward to the migratory visits, too. The Hooded Merganser is my favorite, but they're very shy and skittish here. I'd love to see one up close to really get a good look at it, but they move away quicker than any other of our bird visitors.

The first of the crocus are blooming here now, and the spring peepers are singing their little hearts out.

Woo hoo, June -- 18C is about 64F; we got up to 58F today and felt like a total heat wave!! Won't be long and we'll be complaining that it's too hot out...

Redwing blackbirds were out in force today, the mourning doves were apparently feeling amorous, and saw some big hawks as well. The cardinals, who stay and stick it out with us all winter, were singing their little hearts out... love is in the air!!

I love this time of year! Birds sure do, and soon the bees will too. Finally, the first flowers have appeared!






No sign of hooded mergansers yet, and the peepers haven't begun to peep, but it won't be long now. Just a few more weeks of frosty nights....

I've been waiting to hear the peepers, too!

Chelle, I wish I had geese or ducks stop by on their trip north but there is no reason for them to stop since my yard has only a very tiny watering hole. I do have everything else. Wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, voles, 18 different wild birds and bear. I'd trade you any of the above for a few ducks.

40F here and light snow all day. yuk

Very cold and wet this morning, but now it's sultry and feels very warm. Crazy weather.

There are a pair of Canadian Geese and several Mallards on the lake today. I also heard Sandhill Cranes flying above the clouds but I didn't get even a glimpse of them this time.

Seeds are sprouting where I direct sowed a bunch of poppies and stuff! Hopefully they'll camouflage an area that's going to be unsightly as the tulip and daffodil foliage dies back. First, those spring bulbs must bloom, but it won't be long now!

Treehugger,

I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see the migratory waterfowl each year. I guess I'd be away from home and over at the state park a lot more often than I am now. I may have mentioned this already, but there were probably a dozen beautiful white swans on their biggest lake early last winter. So pretty...from a distance.

Sorry to hear about your snow, Mary.

I am spreading spring cheer here and there to make you all feel better -- where ever you are

Oh no!! That sucks!!! Do you go by Mary Stella or just Mary?????

Just plain Mary. Stella is my last name.

Sorry you got snow, Mary! It was freezing rain here yesterday, then cold drizzle, and we're forecast to get thunderstorms with huge downpours. My crocus flowers have been shut tight for 2 days now, to keep the wet out.

Treehugger, I'm a generous person and you can have some of my ducks for free. Please keep your bear.

She came almost every day last summer with her three babies.

We woke up to snow like Mary yesterday but it had melted by evening. No crocus or anything else yet, we were having 10 and 11F at night last week and 14 one night this week with highs in the 30's and low 40's. It is suppose to start warming up a little this weekend and some next week so am hoping something will start blooming soon.

I'm almost out of room under my plant lights with flower seedlings and cuttings I took from plants last fall plus houseplants, but I still need to plant tomato's today. I'm going to have to buy the other vegetable plants but there are a couple varieties of tomato's that I would like to try and I always have a plant or two of Sungold which is my favorite snacking tomato.

I'm with June though, Treehugger, you can keep the bears!

Oh, I love the bears, but if they come around here they get in trouble and may get shot, so we take our bird feeders in at night.

Four bears at one time ...didn't you have a lot of plant damage?

Plenty of rain here the last three days, and there may be storms with hail later on today.

Crocus pictures taken last weekend during a spot of clearing. I'm sure I didn't order these, but they're too orderly planted in a newly redone area to be anything other than mislabeled bulbs...wonder what I'm going to be missing later on?





A large white that the squirrels planted.




Still no daffodils open, so I cheated and picked up some color the other day. The neat planters were on deep discount. I've never used the tilted type before, so it should be fun to figure out.
The middle area is the last one I still have to do winter cleanup in, but it's deep and sticky clay mud right now. I really should have done it first!