A Walk About In The Yard

Continuing with the Spring theme, I thought I'd take a little walk down in our marsh.  It is a little cooler today, but it is still seasonable.  This year I can walk out further than I ever have.  As sad as it is to have so little moisture, I could see things from another perspective.  I could look back at the house.  It looks a little drab and sad looking from this angle without the contrast of the summer greenery.   You can see why we don't worry about flooding even when the river gets over flood stage.

Next as I looked around, I saw what is left of the cattails.  I love the fresh new cattails when they form, but these are pretty too.  Some birds use this fluff for making nests.

Interesting lichen growing on a branch.

The pussy willows are starting and will be fully formed very soon. 

It's hard to believe the Baltimore Oriole nest is still hanging from last summer.

There was an eagle sitting in the grass.

Wood ducks have returned.

As I walked along the edge of the marsh, I worked my way up into the woods.  When we were planning the leprechaun trail last Sunday, my husband found an arrow in the woods.  I wonder if this arrow had been used to shoot one of the deer in the area.  The arrow is broken off, but there was no sign of blood.  Hopefully it was just used for target practice and didn't injure an animal.

Circling around into the pine trees, I noticed the pine cones are gigantic this year.  They are usually about five inches long.  That is the size I used for the pine cone wreath I made last fall.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/10/making-pine-cone-wreath.html  This years cones measure about nine inches.  Nature is amazing.  Last year we didn't have any acorns, and this year we have mutant pine cones.

Normal sized cone on bottom is five inches long.

The Spring plants are just beginning to poke through the dirt, and the trees are about to bud.  I will take another walk around in a week or two to report on them.  Right now my poor husband is working at raking the yard, and I am walking around taking pictures.  If I stall long enough, the raking will be done.