Night visitor

Our outside lights attract some pretty cool moths. This one was on one of the timbers by the garage.

More spring blooms

The lupine have started blooming as well as our crabapple trees. The crabapples have to be in a minimum security fencing apparatus to discourage those pesky deer. The fuzzy blooms are from the only tree of its kind on our entire 11 acres. Dennis tried the fruit from this tree last year and judging from his facial expression and quick expulsion of the offending fruit, I would say it earns its name of 'choke cherry'.

Daily Hill Photo

There's just not much to say about a 3-legged squirrel. He's looking for the bird feeder that used to hang here. This is why the feeder is gone. These squirrels would hang around all day and I wouldn't get any bird action.

Forest bird

While walking with Cali yesterday evening, I saw a brilliant flash of yellow in the trees. Then I saw another. Two male Western Tanagers were chasing each other high up in the canopy. In my opinion, these are the prettiest birds in our forest and regular summer visitors. I didn't have my camera, so I ran back to the house and grabbed it. Of course, when I got back outside they were gone. I tried to hear their calls, but they had been chirping to each other in a very quiet warble unlike the regular tanager call I'm used to and they had moved far enough away that I couldn't locate them by it.  Then I saw another flash of yellow and I was back in business. They were behind the house, pretty high up in the trees. I ran back there through all the brush (I had to do a tick check later) and spent the next 20 minutes trying to get a good picture of them.

Morning treasures

Both Cali and I found something to be happy about this morning. I stumbled across blooming Indian paintbrush and geranium on our walk and she found a turkey eggshell. She looks sheepish in the picture because I scolded her for getting that egg. It was too much of a trophy for her to relinquish so I think she ate it.

Wet spring days

I spotted a nice chipping sparrow with his bright rufous cap feeding beneath the tree that used to hold the bird feeder. I can no longer leave seed out as it attracts unsavory types like squirrels and woodpeckers.

Poor Cali looks as bored as can be laying on the wet grass. She's tired of being cooped up in the house and I can't really blame her. It's been raining for the last 4 days.

One potato, two potato...

The potato patch we planted is showing signs of life. Three little plants have sprouted of the red variety 'Red Lady'. 

Daily Photo

I spotted this preening robin on a high pine branch. He had the sun on his back and looked so pretty. 

Lunch is served...

Our first harvest from the garden for today's lunch. Spinach, arugula and watercress are finally large enough for picking. I will have to supplement the salad with some greens from the Farmer's market, but it's a good start to the season. 

Spring on Nuthatch Hill

With the first blast of very warm weather, spring flowers are out in full force. The service berry is so pretty with it's shockingly white flowers. Lemonweed is poking it's head out of the ground and the arrow-leaved balsamroot has turned the hillside yellow.

Morning visitor

Dennis and I planned to try out the new boat this morning so I wanted to be sure and take my camera. I walked into the office to retrieve it and saw a brown animal ambling along behind the house. Hmmmm. Well, of course it's a bear. Geez, a BEAR!!! The one thing I am most worried about. Everyone else is concerned about the mountain lions up here, but I can't get over my fear of surprising a bear in the woods. Anyway, it didn't give a fig about us. Dennis opened the window so I could get a picture and it heard that noise and stopped to stare our way. It was behind the nine bark so I only got a pic of his butt.

By the way, the boating was a disaster so no pix of that experience--too windy.

Siding Progress

Paul and Cody will finish today. It looks so great. They did an excellent job as always.

Elusive critter

Oh, what joy! Both Dennis and I have been trying for 4 years to get a picture of the fox that lives on our hill. Or maybe it's two foxes. Who can tell? Anyway, we've carried our cameras with us on almost every walk, during every season, only to be let down. We'd see it, but it would scoot away so fast we didn't even have time to turn our cameras on, much less set up a shot. Then this morning as I looked out on our road, it was just sitting there posing for us. Dennis ran and got his camera and got several nice shots. Finally.

Hummingbirds

The first hummingbird arrived May 5th. What a welcome sight! Of course with all the work going on around the house with the new siding, I had to move the feeders into the garden. It was clear that the first bird was a regular from last year as he looked for the feeders in the usual spots only to come away disappointed. I hoped he would stick around long enough to find the new feeder location. I mean, I only bought every red flower at the nursery to point him in the right direction. Since that first bird, we now have several visiting. I'm back to the old grind of making sugar water every other day to make sure the feeders are filled. I don't mind though. I cry when they leave in mid August. Here is a beautiful female Calliope with a gorgeous view of Lolo Peak for her dining backdrop. (Trust me, she's at the feeder, she's just little.)

The worms have arrived!

The red wrigglers we ordered for the garden beds came in the mail yesterday. Yeah! I know it seems crazy to have to buy worms. They usually just come with the property, but we didn't get any here so we had to resort to spending hard earned money on worms. Good grief. This should really improve the soil in the new bed and help rejuvenate the old bed. I was expecting these worms to look like the kind that would crawl out of the lawn in CA when the lawn wasn't watered well enough. Night crawlers I think they're called. Or fishing bait. Anyway, the worms that we received looked like something I've dissected in Biology 10. Pretty yucky! We had to dig a hole, water it well, deliver the worms into the hole, and then cover with damp newspaper. Everything went well and when I checked them this morning, they were gone! Hopefully not into a robin's tummy, but deep into the soil where they will work their magic.

New in the garden...

The rhubarb has come up and looks great. Not old enough to harvest from though. I need to wait another year.

The 2 tree apple orchard may produce fruit in a few years. Now they are basically stick trees. Dennis is looking forward to his first home grown apple.

The very sad looking tomatoes may not make it. It's been so cold and they are suffering. The fruit pales against a Sacramento tomato anyway, so I'm not going to baby these plants. They are on their own. The small plants next to them are peppers. Peppers seem to do really well in Montana, so I'm expecting a big crop. I have 18 more plants in the garage under grow lights. They will be planted next week.

The spring peas are up and it's a welcome sight. Fresh peas can't be too far away!

Mother's Day at the Reed's

We spent Sunday at the Reed's. It was cold and windy so the Mom's Day celebration was held inside. Paul barbecued delicious steaks. Emma is home from college for a short visit so it was nice to see her. We haven't seen her since Thanksgiving! Reilley is very close to walking on her own, but still needs a little help from her grandparents.

Dennis' new boat

The new boat arrived yesterday and was unpacked today.

It will seem like more fun in the water.

Siding Project

The old wood siding was removed by Paul and Cody on Monday and Tuesday. Dennis stained the trim around the windows. New siding was brought in today and will start to go up tomorrow.

Cali's birthday

Cali has grown into a beautiful dog, but still will not obey me. She definitely has a mind of her own.

We celebrated her birthday with a drive into Missoula for some special wheat-free treats.