Firsts.....

May 4, 2024

First harvests......

I was surprised to find the morel. I was taking a picture of an open Red Trillium, and oops...what is that in the background?? I didn't think we'd had consistently warm enough temperatures yet.

First rhubarb pie...what is left of it! Yummm.

Things are greening up, popping up, and opening up. We've had a couple of lovely rains and now the daytime temperatures are creeping up toward the low 20's C (68F) The apple tree buds are expanding just enough to see that there are lots of blossom clumps, the old crab apple tree will be dressed in bridal white this year, and my baby plum trees have quite a few swelling white buds! 

Tomato and pepper seedlings are being hardened off. Yesterday I remembered to check on the dahlia roots that have been residing in a pail of sieved compost over winter. There are lovely shoots starting on the tubers, so they are potted up and outside, and will be brought in nightly. The perennials that were earlier transplanted are all showing signs of life. Lilacs buds are busting out..

Green things are starting to poke up everywhere in the bush, and the blackflies are out. I think of them as bird food...for the myriad species of birds which are now serenading every day. A lot of winter migrants are back, not all, but lots. The Merlin app flashes up bird after bird, especially in the mornings. 

Earlier this week, I actually got a shot of one of the migrating flocks of northern geese which are going over. The wind was at their tails, and they sailed quickly across our expanse of sky.

A couple of Canada Geese, (or maybe different pairs each time) have been persistent in their visits to the green, green grass in the yard. We've had to shoo them protesting loudly on their way, several times.

The Tree Swallows are setting up housekeeping...many trips, beak full of nesting material, into the nest box. Other usurpers keep showing up, and I often hear loud chittering as they chase them away. The first Hummingbird zoomed in yesterday morning. We were expecting him, so had fresh nectar waiting. 

Garden beds are being marked out for future residents, some greens, beets and onion sets are planted. The field garden just needs to dry out a little more, and the spuds can go in.  Spring is definitely here now!