Babies

At least two of the eggs have hatched there are little fuzzy grey balls in the nest, I can see them moving a bit, but not really birdlike yet. I think there are two, not sure about the third one. We are pretty sure at this point that they are mockingbirds.

More Eggs

Today there are 3 eggs in the nest and I saw the mommy, I still don't know what kind of bird it is, but it's a simple, greyish brown bird with a dove-like head. I've looked through an old bird book that I have, but everytime I see a picture of a bird that looks like mine, it lives somewhere far from where I am. I need a better book. Recommendations?

Nesting!

We found a nest in a holly tree just outside our front door. The nest has two eggs in it today. I'm not sure who the mommy is, because I haven't seen any birds going near it. I don't even know what kind of bird's nest it is, but suddenly I have a keen curiousity to find out.

Grandpa's Geraniums

My Grandfather, among many other talents, was a voracious gardener. Every spring he would make trip after trip to the garden store and fill every corner of the yard with beautiful; flowers. He loved geraniums and at the end of each season would take cuttings and root them indoors. All winter long he would tend to the messy box in the front window to keep them going, then in the summer he'd plant them outdoors. I remember these huge red blooms that he would fuss at all summer. My mother has managed to keep his line of geraniums going for the last 11 years since he died. I was so happy when my parents came to visit on 4th of July and she bought me a pot with one of Grandpa's Geraniums to grace my front steps. I hope I can make them flourish here. I would love to fill my new property with plants and flowers. We have a huge space, and not a huge budget. If anyone would like to send me seeds from your garden, I'd love that!

Butterfly Mornings and Wild Flower Afternoons

Butterfly mornings
Butterfly mornings
Catch me there
Gonna get me there
If I have to climb all the mountains on the moon


I'll be in butterfly mornings
Butterfly mornings
And wild flower afternoons

I found you in the corner
Down there sitting on the sea
Gonna trace your footsteps
Underneath the waves
On the petals of a wild flower
With the sun high at noon


I want walks in butterfly mornings
And wild flower afternoons


Butterfly mornings
Wild flower afternoons
 
I heard this song in a movie called The Ballad of Cable Hogue and I think of it often when I'm in my yard. We have a lot of wild flowers and a lot of butterflies. I snapped this picture among many that didn't come out. If anyone can identify the flower or the butterfly, let me know. I'd love to know the names of all the things I find in my yard.
 
Also, I'd love to take up butterfly collecting so if you have any recommendations, or resources to point me to, I'd be most grateful.