Bath Time

Water everywhere

As an avid birdwatcher, I love keeping an eye on our feathered friends, including those that stop to drink and bathe in the water fountain.  Although Robins are everywhere, they always make me laugh as they splash in the bubbler and deny access to others while cleaning themselves.  Following the bath is, what I refer to as, a preening or primping session in the nearby bushes before flying off to their next endeavor.  Such a simple pleasure that always puts a smile on my face! 



Wet and wild fun

Classic Spring Beauties

When daffodils start to dot the landscape with hues of yellow and white, one knows Spring is close at hand.  As noted in my first post, with March's unusually warm temperatures in Iowa, much of the outdoors looks more like April or May.  Along with the daffodils, other early bloomers, including hyacinths, crocuses and tulips, have also emerged and sprinkled delightful colors amid the green grass and blossoming shrubs.

Along with the photos, this Wordsworth poem also depicts a common scene associated with the coming of warmer weather and sunny days.

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils,

Beside the lake, beneath the trees

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze."

              --Wordsworth, "The Daffodills"

         

A TOADally Cool Surprise

Recently my husband (with some help from me) prepared our backyard water fountain for the warm-weather season.  While cleaning out the muddy, leaf-filled collection basin he noticed a guest swimming in the murky water.  A toad!  So, I grabbed the camera and captured this little insect-eater doing the perfect frog kick as well as sitting in the grass. 



Frog kick in perfect form



Take note of how its appearance changes from the water to land.  Also notice the undersides of its hands and feet with what appears to be dark spots...wonder if the dark areas are like calluses on humans?  So many amazing surprises in nature just waiting to be found!



Resting



Spring is everywhere!

Here I go!  This blog will feature snapshots of the world in which we live, including many scenes from the outdoors.  Since Spring arrived early in Iowa, several of my initial posts will contain photographs of the earth waking from its slumber and blossoming into a brilliant spectacle just outside our door.  My hope is that you enjoy viewing these pictures as much as I enjoy taking them.



Ferns emerge with a hair-like covering

A cluster of ferns wrapped in a hairy shroud



Tulips sprinkled with the early morning dew