Birds, gardens, and enjoying the sunshine

Up and it's quite chilly; a good morning to be a little slower, to enjoy the pellet stove's warmth, to watch the little blobs of yellow bouncing around the back yard, going first to the feeder, then to the hedge, and suddenly bobbing off toward the taller trees. I love watching the little finches-- gold, purple, brown-- and the bigger birds, too, the ground feeders and the ridge-pole sitters. I never really took note of birds all that much until we were forced into isolation during Covid, but now I'm glad I paid attention. They are amusing, and they bring moments of joy at all hours, right up until dusk when the robins are warbling.

I found a bird's nest in my rose bushes yesterday! I'm not sure if it's an old one, or a new construction-- it looked pretty dry and old, but I can't tell. No eggs in it, so there's that. I pruned all the dead parts of the rose hedge, and only sustained minor scratches. The die-back for the bigger bushes was minimal, but the red roses (the others are white) were hit pretty hard. I know they'll recuperate, but the truncated look of the shrubs is a bit sad, regardless. 

We also got all the dead stuff out of the garden boxes, and G added new garden soil to top them off. We are all ready to plant-- assuming it warms up soon. I am thinking about planting peas later today, though. They tend to be okay with cooler temps. And maybe put in carrots-- we'll see, though. He still has to construct the new U-shaped beds down by the bee yard, but that's not a rush job. We'll be putting in tomatoes and hard-shell squash there, and those can't be put in for a while yet. 

Anyone else get the itch to garden before it's time? I think that's a common enough "ailment" for those of us who see sunshine and want to spring (pun intended) into action. I won't put tomatoes in until it's past frost, which is usually a lot closer to Memorial Day. And even then, I keep covers handy. I'll seed in some greens, too, because they like the cooler temps, but again, I'm not rushing out to do it right this minute. 

Holly wants me to put up the pool right away, though I keep telling her that it is far too cold at night. She's three, she's excited, and patience is not her strong suit yet. I'd like to put it up in a couple of weeks, but these sub-freezing mornings give me pause. I'll keep an eye on the forecasted temps for now. Tomorrow, I plan to wash windows-- just the insides (I can't reach/do ladders outside), and I'll put up the lighter curtains. April break is like this, though. I need a restful week, but then I get into projects. At least I've tried to balance my time a bit. 

Today, my plan involves just a couple of errands, and then the pea-planting, which will honestly take about ten minutes. This is a trial run; we don't really have space to plant enough to make it a harvestable situation, but Geoff wanted to plant peas. If it goes well, maybe we'll devote more space (or yet another garden box) to them next year. I think it'll be wise to assume that we'll be supplementing our groceries with home-grown things, at least for the season, if not for the freezer. The news is continually distressing, and food supplies will be hit hard for those who can't shift to growing their own, at least in part. 

I hope you are well. Enjoy the sunshine!

C