Weed Bouquet

Look at all these flowers my daughter picked for me while I was pruning roses and cleaning out garden beds :)

Robin Hunting

Be very quiet...this robin is hunting worms.

Monkshood - Plant That Keeps Vampires Away

This greenery is monkshood, which shoots up tall stems with dark purple flowers late in the summer. It's also a poisonous plant, and one of a long history of secret poisonings of enemies, both for real and in literature. In the movie Dracula, it was used to keep vampires away. The plant is also called wolfsbane, aconite and blue rocket.

Backyard Ducks

Mr. and Mrs. Duck have been visiting our backyard for the past week. The same couple that visited last year? No, we don't have a pond...

Bachelor's Buttons, a.k.a "Weeds"

Every couple of years, I try to battle these flowers back, but they keep winning :) They're a type of cornflower that re-seeds itself successfully every year in the strawberry patch. They're also one of the first flowers in the spring.

American Kestrel

This little kestrel, "sparrow hawk" is a more common name, was sitting on a power line near my home yesterday. I thought it was a mourning dove, at first - about the same size.

Seed-Starting

The first round of seed-starting is underway. Tomatoes, cabbage, basil, zinnias and marigolds. We're 8-10 weeks away from outdoor planting here in Boise. Seed-starting for cucumbers, summer squash and pumpkins is on the calendar for next month.

Daffodil Hello

A nice surprise on the north side of the house - hello daffodils!

Maple Tree Coming to Life

The backyard maple tree is blooming. It's always the first tree in my yard to come to life.

Purple Rock Cress

First flowers spotted in the yard this year - purple rock cress.

They Finally Came! Pine Siskins are Here!

I had been waiting for them all winter. Pine siskins have finally arrived! Their migration pattern is irruptive, so some years, they don't visit at all, and other years they arrive in September and stay all summer. These are brave little curious birds. They like to watch me fill the feeder and stay close.

Mourning Doves Taking a Rest from Eating

Gullets stuffed and taking a break in the grass beneath the platform feeder.

Oregon Junco

Oregon juncos "winter" in Boise. They'll only be around for a few more weeks.

Male House Finch

A male house finch braving the rain yesterday to snack on black-eyed Susan seed heads.

Pussy Willow Catkins

As if the recent 60-degree weather wasn't a strong enough reminder that spring really is on its way, the catkins sprouting on the pussy willow are their own confirmation.

Rosemary

Looks at this proud-looking rosemary plant. My friend gave it to me for my birthday, along with the charming pot. I needed a new rosemary plant, too!