Siggy’s Blurbs

The Canada geese are coming back.  I heard honking and looked up at the sky.  The geese were flying in a V shaped pattern with the left side considerably shorter.  There must have been at least seventy geese in the flock.  They were heading for Lake Huron–a small acre sized body of water.  They are an harbinger of spring.  Earlier we noted the row of tulips were coming up.  It will be a surprise what colors they are.  No one seems to remember what the package indicated.  More and more greenery is coming up.  There are surprises every day.

Tags: bird-watching, birds, Canada geese, flock, flowers, geese, greenery, harbinger of Spring, Lake Huron, seasons, sky, spring, surprises, tulips, V shaped pattern
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I keep looking for the two pheasants as I pass the meadow but I have only seen one again.  I did flush a small cottontail in the area yesterday.  No more pheasants, though.  Every time I drive along there I am curious what I will see.  I have seen red winged blackbirds fly over the meadow but not this year.  It is still too early in the season although not all migrate.  I have only seen the blackbirds in the winter time in a bog viewed from a nature center.  There are marshes a few miles away that attract red winged blackbirds.  It is still early in the season.  The farmer has strategically placed nesting boxes for them.  They come back every year.  Every time I pass there I try to spot them after they have returned from their migration.  These are two birds I like.  The pheasants wander to my area from the game lands.  They really are a rare sight here.

Tags: bird-watching, birds, bog, cottontail rabbit, farmer, marshes, meadow, nature center, nesting boxes, pheasants, red winged blackbirds, spring
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I have my eyes open for the two cottontails we saw in the backyard last week.  We tossed out vegetable cuttings in the bushes for them.  They were two plump rabbits grazing in back.  We do see them occasionally around but I had not seen any in awhile.  I wonder where they come from and whether they nest under that large white pine in back.  Ever since I saw them I keep peering out my kitchen window for them.  It is going on a week since I last saw them.  I just wonder where they go in the winter, whether they hibernate, or what?  It has been months since I last saw them.

Tags: backyard, bushes, cottontail rabbits, hibernate, kitchen window, nature, spring, vegetable, white pine tree, winter
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The only thing I saw on the River was the ubiquitous gull.  I crossed the busy highway to take a closer view of the River but that was all I saw.  With a little luck I thought I might spot one of the bald eagles who nest on the opposite mountain.  Not this time.  I keep looking for them but I never have seen them in the vicinity.

Later on I might occasionally spot a snowy or great egret on the fringes of the nearby islands.  It is still too early in the season for that.  I just wanted to view the expanse of the River.  There were many gulls but that was about it.  They could be found here year around.

Later on I will walk around my land and see what plants are starting to come out of the ground.  The daffodils, of course, are five or six inches tall.  I am wondering whether any of the row of tulips planted last year will come up.  There are always surprises.  Spring is now three weeks and some days away.  We will see what comes up.

Tags: bald eagle, bird nest, bird-watching, birds, daffodils, flowers, gardening, great egret, islands, mountain, plants, river, sea gull, seasons, snowy egret, spring, surprises, tulips
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It does feel like winter today.  The temperature is floating around the freezing point and there is a healthy wind blowing making it seem even colder.  Even my four dogs do not want to stay out too long in the yard.  Tomorrow is supposed to be more of this, then it warms up again.  When I woke up, there was a layer of snow on the ground but it was gone by the afternoon.  Spring is getting closer.  In a few days it will be March.  All of that does not matter.  All I want to do today is to stay in.  It is just too cold.

Tags: cold, dogs, freezing temperature, March, pets, seasons, snow, spring, wind, winter, yard
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Twenty-five days to spring.  I counted.  There is a dull roar of the wind tossing the tree branches to and fro.  It is almost a perfect day for putting up a kite.  The living front door is open and and the thermostat lowered to sixty-five.  The heat is not kicking on.  The daffodils are five inches tall already.  I like walking around my yard to see what other new growth is appearing.  I am wondering whether the new bed of roses will come up.  There is no evidence of it yet.  Even the dogs want to spend more time outside and are loath to come in when they are out.  The temperature is slowing rising.  There are less days now when it hits the freezing point overnight.  Before I know it spring will arrive.

Tags: daffodils, dogs, door open, kite, new growth, outside, pets, roses, spring, the temperature, thermostat, tree branches, weather, wind
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The winter was perfect for the primrose.  It was so mild the primrose never died and flowered throughout the whole winter.  In the past there were seasons it bloomed twice– early spring and fall.  Not this season.  It bloomed throughout the whole winter and it appears it will continue through the spring.  At least through early spring.  It likes cold weather, but not warm weather.  I have never seen the primrose do this.  This indicates how mild the winter was this year.  Usually an extended freeze kills its and then it comes up, again, the following spring.  Just about every plant in the bed either has buds or is flowering.

Tags: bloom, buds, cold weather, flowers, mild winter, primrose, seasons, spring, warm weather, winter
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There were several hundred blackbirds in that flock.  They were in the sky flying en mass.  They were tightly grouped and flying together not changing the distance between them much; thus flying as a mass.  I have no idea where they are migrating from or where they are going.  I just notice them coming through this area twice a year–fall and spring.  They are small blackbirds.  Sometimes they will stay in the area a day or two.  I just marvel how they keep so close together when they fly as a flock.  They are just a one of many mysteries of nature to me.

Tags: birds, blackbirds, Fall, flock of birds, migrating, mysteries of nature, sky, spring
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There are many visitors I am waiting for.  At some point, sometime soon I will put out nectar I have prepared for the hummingbirds.  The first sighting is usually not before the end of April but I awaiting them.  The regal great egret will come back.  Maybe, I will see flocks of goldfinch under the tree, again.  I don’t understand it but they stopped coming to my thistle feeder but during the beginning of spring I see the most–often a dozen or two at one time.  I will put out fresh thistle.  Snowy egrets I will see, again, along the river.  And about now I will keep my eyes open for the first sighting of a robin.  And that is a short list.  And includes only the birds.

Tags: April, bird feeding, birds, goldfinch, great egret, hummingbirds, nectar, robin, snowy egret, spring, thistle feeder, visitors
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It is absolutely balmy today.  Forty-forty degrees.  No breeze.  Spring is around the corner.  My four dogs were all outside in the yard soaking in the the sun.  They all know a good thing.  They simply did not want to come in.  Officially spring is still more than three weeks away.  Today is an harbinger of spring.  I have to go out, again.

Tags: balmy day, dogs, harbinger of Spring, pets, spring, sun
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The weather turned a corner.  I had to take off my insulated tee shirt.  It was too hot in my house.  For several months I wore one and the insulated underwear may have to go, too.  Spring is less than five weeks away.  I keep checking the ten day forecast and the temperature is slowly rising.  Winter may show its face, again, but not for too long.  Spring is on the horizon.

Tags: insulated tee shirt, spring, weather, winter
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I still come across so many people I have never seen before.  I have lived in this small town of 800 going on nine years.  And this fact amazes me.  Of course, the people who work in the local supermarket, diner and post office know everyone.  They have worked in those establishments for years and have come across every resident of our small town between the three of them although that does not help me.  The postmaster knows all the local gossip.  Almost everyone comes into the post office at one time or another.  In fact some people come to the post office just to chat.  The two cashiers in the supermarket have been there for years.  Quite a few residents come in there to grab some bread or milk or some other item they just ran out of.  It is more expensive buying items there but you have to travel sixteen miles to get to the next, nearest  supermarket.  And gas is expensive.  The diner in town has the the old fogies who mill around and share the latest gossip over a cup of coffee every morning.  These places don’t even include the local pizzeria or ice cream parlor (which will open up in the spring).  Of course, I frequent all these places (except for the diner) but it is still not unusual for me to run into someone I have never seen before.  We are all creatures of habit and that includes me so I should not be surprised when this happens.  Our circles just did not cross.

Tags: bread, creatures of habit, cup of coffee, diner, gas, ice cream parlor, local businesses, local gossip, milk, old fogies, pizzeria, post office, postmaster, small town, spring, supermarket
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