I'm bushed (after today)

Finally had a chance to catch up on a few things around the house.  My neighbor friend who gives me milkweed pods gave me some extra flowers (salvia, impatiens, etc).  They have been sitting on my porch since probably mid-April.  And then Cindy's dear friend Cindy Francis bought a Korean dwarf lilac bush in honor of Ruth.  I named the bush Barbara.

So today with it hitting over 90 degrees again, I mowed, potted flowers and planted a bush.

Here are some of the flowers...

 

And here is the bush pre-planting...



 

I'm posting this partially for me to remember what I used...

 

 

Here are the flowers...

 

 

I had a few extra salvia I stuck in the ground

 

 

 

For the bush, it needs some sun.  It can get five feet high and five feet wide so had to give it room.

This is where we decided to plant it...

 

 

 

Prep and planted...

 

 

Project done...

 

Love you Ruthie

Ruth loved the pictures I posted on my blog.

Here's a couple from the past I know she would like...

Looks like the neighbors have their own bunnies

This kit one is too small to be part of our litter.  But it has a better roof over its head with an entire deck...

 

 

What did I see today?

I never know what I'll see when I look in the woods.  Most days nothing.  Some days coyotes.  Today I saw wings flapping and I could tell our resident Turkey Vultures were looking for something.  I know they are nesting on the edge of the woods facing the pond.  It seems to be a staging area for quite a few.  I don't usually see them fly through the woods but today I saw four vultures lighting on the ground and on logs.  As I was taking these pictures, they got bothered and flew away.  Ugly birds but impressive wings and wingspans.

Here's what I captured...

 

Here's a video clip you can only see ON the blog...

 

And then I took Russ out and as I usually do walked to the top of the hill and as I usually do was carrying my camera with me and saw these ladies.  It was sunny so pretty clear shots and you can see them leaving bothered by my presence...

I covered the nest yesterday

This is the first time I've watched a nest of rabbits so closely so I didn't know what to expect.  But we are not seeing any little ones and I'm not sure what to make of the recent sightings of what we think was the mother.  I do know they are big enough to be on their own so it was time.  But not before one last visitor...

Here are close-ups of the nest...

And filled in...

And final inspections from Russell...

Video of the coyote yesterday

(Ruth, you won't be able to see this in the e-mail you receive...it's viewable on my blog only)

This was yesterday morning just before 8am.  Feel free to mute Russ...



Black and white

On my way back from the dentist, these American white Pelicans caught my eye.  This was taken along some backwater off Pennsylvania Ave just north of Lutheran Hospital near the Des Moines River.  They are migrating.  I've seen them flying over our house in formation.  Quite the sight.

Mixed in are some Double-crested Cormorants...

 

While getting close enough to take the photos above, I encountered this family of Canada Geese...