Blackbird trees

I always think a sure sign of spring is when you see trees full of blackbirds...I always call them blackbird trees in my mind.
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The Toot has another cold...instead of them coming here this weekend we went over there. It was well worth the trip. She was so glad to see us...I always look through the window before I ever ring the doorbell till I can see her reaction when she realizes it is us. She started jumping up and down and yelling Mamaw! Papaw! over and over.

I cannot believe how she has changed...yet it is hard to explain it in mere words. She has such an active imagination...when she was here last time she was pretending to be dragon. She growls and holds her hands up like they are claws and she is going to attack. She has also been pretending to cook for a while. And she has the tea parties. But she has now started to pretend to pick up 'stuff' and give it to each of us.

And she was getting behind stuff and popping up and saying Surprise!!! and we would laugh and that would just make her do it more.

Her daddy got down in the floor, first laying on his belly, then on his back. Both ways she sat on him on his lower back/belly and would raise his tee-shirt up and stick her feet and legs in it. And set there with this smug smile on her face. When he finally had to get up and go do something, she gets up and starts saying 'My Seat.....My Seat!' Oh what fun she is.

I know I am leaving out things...but want to do a post of some sort. I have clothes hanging on the lines so should go check them. And I need to fill the bird feeders.

Ready for spring....

I want to see the tulips pushing up through the ground...
I am ready to travel down country roads and see the red bud in bloom....
I want to walk outside and see the dogwood full of blossoms
I want to look across the alley and see my neighbor's bush colored with flowers....

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It has been pouring the rain for a while now. It was dark and dreary all day, and sprinkled a little here and there. I have piddled around...on the computer, cooking, and finally I did a little sewing. I have so much more to do and have to make a couple decisions before I go any farther.

I am hoping that the Toot makes it over this way this weekend...if not we will be traveling over there next week. I just get so lonesome for her.

Birds...

Other than the crazy birds in the previous post, everything else seemed normal at the strip pits last night. The first thing I saw were male pheasants, but alas, no photos. Just a bit too far away. Almost every time I am out there I see several male pheasants but not females...
last night that streak of luck changed. I spotted these four hens together. As you can tell by the photo they were skedaddling away the minute I slowed down. Not a great picture but at least proof that I saw some....and I saw some more in the distance.
Then there were the swans....these were at the pond the geese in the previous post were attempting to land in.
And there were a couple Northern Harriers...I was surprised to see them. What is so strange in regards to them is this though. When we first started noticing them, it was not uncommon to see a dozen in the air at once...and it was very common to see them hovering in the air. Like a hummingbird. Now, we very seldom see more than two or three out there...and I cannot even remember the last time I saw one hovering in the air.
Of course there were the red-winged blackbirds....always fun to see them.

I am trying to patiently wait for the dickcissel and the bobolink...I will be a while yet before they show up. Still, I look for them every time I am out there.