Celebration

In the wake of the recent disaster in Japan and in an effort to quiet my self preservation instinct I am focusing on celebration.  This week the first of the migratory hummingbirds showed up at our feeders. Allen's hummingbirds are just so gorgeous!  A pair chase each other about our Roger Red grape vines, sitting for Dwight and I to have a close look at them.

The recent issue of Fremontia: Journal of the California Native Plant Society was filled with celebratory articles.  The most astounding related a discovery amidst the revamping of Highway 101 near the Presidio of San Francisco.  The presumably last wild, previously thought extinct, Franciscan manzanita (Arctostaphuylos franciscana) was found and moved through unparalleled conservation efforts.  Human BE-ings from various, and often cantankerous, organizations were able to pool their resouces to successfully relocate the "ten ton plant and soil monolith".  Clearly a cause for celebration!


The many varieties of California Wild Lilacs (Ceanothus) are blooming. 

Celebration continuing . . .


And there are the flowering currants and gooseberry bushes, too.

More celebration . . .


Before these last series of rain storms, Dwight was able to almost complete the rebuilding of the compost bins so Vickie and I can fill the bins with weeds.

Celebration of Dwight's nature!


As Dewitt Jones' encourages in his CELEBRATE WHAT'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD! http://blog.celebratewhatsright.com/ may we each in our own way
give celebration.  


This Sharp-shinned Hawk gives celebration for the many birds who visit our shelled sunflower bird feeder that might provide breakfast?

Celebration of the natural cycle.


As you each

please consider sharing in the comment section below your own celebration.

Spring's Happening

Rain and pleasant weather is the pattern, hopefully those freezing nights have passed but that is not likely just yet.  The stone fruit trees are in bloom unfortunately there is not a pollinator to be seen, although Saturday I saw a Mourning Cloak butterfly on our walk along Willowside Creek.

Dwight has been cleaning out and refurbishing old nesting boxes as well as building new ones from recycled lumber.  We are hopeful that birds will move in and successfully raise their young.

Chickadee Nesting Box

Western Bluebird Nesting Box

Northern Flicker Nesting Box

Nuthatch Nesting Box

In the open field to our South not long ago I noticed Turkey Vultures circling and landing.  My curiosity had me climbing over the fence and walking up to see what lay on the ground . . . a dead doe.  And not far away a pair of grey foxes were playing.  It has taken the dozen or so Turkey Vultures about two weeks to clean the carcass.

And a few afternoons ago I saw in the same field, what I thought at first was a fox but then a tail with circular strips shot up in the air.  With my binoculars I could see the pointed ears of a bobcat which lounged about in the grass for some while.

We often take Rose to Shollenberg Park along the Petaluma River for walks.  A few mornings ago we were fortunate to see a River Otter swimming and diving in the river.  We are pretty sure it was a male since he was so large that at first we thought it was a seal.  “How cool is this?” we asked each other.

With all the rain the soil along the South perimeter of our property is saturated hence we have a running creek.  Rose loves to play in it.  While she is having her afternoon nap, the ducks enjoy foraging along the narrow waterway and into the grass, under the bushes.  With all the food they forage they barely eat any organic laying pellets.  And we have been gathering an egg each morning now for a few weeks.

Many early blooming natives are in flower here at MuRefuge.  Here's photographs of just a few.

Aristolochia californica (California Pipevine)

Carex nudata (California Black Flowering Sedge)

Arabis blepharophylla (Coast Rockcress)

Ribes speciosum (Fushsia flowering Gooseberry)

Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Sentinel’

Garrya elliptica male variety ‘James Roof’ (Coast Silktassel)

I would love to hear what is happening at your place.  Comments are appreciated while you