Happy Earth Day

I consider Earth Day to be a day of celebration for the simple, natural things that are so often taken for granted: the beauty that abounds in the world we live, the earth's natural resources that sustain us, as well as the comfort and pleasure experienced by our interaction with the natural world around us.

There is no better time to recognize the beauty in the environment around us than in the springtime.

As my little part of the earth awakens from its winter sleep, it is easy to feel the changes. I am more eager to get up in the morning, anxious to give in to my annual nesting instincts. I feel ambitious, creative, and so alive. Aside from mundane household chores that require equal parts of vinegar, water, and elbow grease, the first thing I want to do is walk around the yard just to see if anything has changed overnight. Every place where last year's flowers grew need to be examined. There is an unmistakable joy as the first buds appear on the trees. Their silhouette against the sky becomes more intricate as the tips of branches elongate with new growth, resembling delicate lace, especially at dusk when all the once-vibrant colors of the landscape fade to black and white.

Even before the grass turns green, the first wildflowers appear. Then, there are tiny sprouts from last year's flower bulbs. Each discovery is a new revelation.

Mother Earth enhances the process with another of my favorite things--rain.

Rain transforms the woods like a hot shower after a hard day's work. The sweet fragrance and overall clean feeling is so revitalizing.

The rain is life-giving, a nourishing elixir that affects all plant life. After a spring rain flowers almost magically burst forth; the buds on the trees open as tiny leaves emerge. Once painted in shades of tan and brown, suddenly the world seems to change into every variety of green from yellow-tinged chartreuse to deep, dark forest green.

Early spring brings about a new awakening in the forest landscape. I am not the only one that feels it. The air is abuzz with bumble bees, butterflies, damselflies, and other insects. Tree frogs begin to sing their songs. Just after dawn, the woods are alive with chatter, as birds prepare to build nests. 

My personal favorite is the goldfinch who lives here year-around.

The male is, for me, one of the first signs of spring. During the winter months, his color is similar to that of mustard, a dull, olive-tinged shade of yellow. But as springtime approaches, he sets out to attract a mate. As he molts, his new feathers are the most vibrant yellow. The color of his body contrasts with the black bars on his wings. What female could resist?

When it isn't raining, the world is bathed in sunshine. Its warmth is almost intoxicating, making me want to spend the day outdoors. It sometimes gets so warm that it chases me into the shade, the shade made by those great, sturdy oak trees covered with its new leaves.

Some of the most glorious days of the year occur in the spring. Can anything be more pleasant than a day when the temperatures hover around 70º to 75º, with a gentle breeze?

Happy Earth Day! 

Bluebirds vs. squirrel; Bluebirds win

While I hate to sound like I obsess over bluebirds, given my previous post about the pesky, little critters, I have to say the more I see of these birds, the more I admire them. 

This morning, I heard a noise outside my window. It sounded like a scraping and then a thump. There was a squirrel at the base of the bluebird's tree--the one that contains a nest box recently built by my husband, John.

The squirrel looked like he was hanging on for dear life as a male bluebird went about diving and hitting the thing. Now, I normally don't have much sympathy, or positive feelings about squirrels. They tease the dog, taunt my cats, and steal bird food. Though I will admit I enjoy watching their antics at times.

This morning, I sympathized with this obviously young squirrel--just a little. Poor thing was just trying to make his way down a tree--perhaps to get some exercise or make his way over to a bird feeder, which is where my sympathy would end.

The female bluebird sat inside the box, peering out as her man--er--the male bluebird instigated a death-defying battle. It looked as if she was cheering him on. She reminded me a little of myself as my husband dutifully checks off the completed items from his honey-do list. 

Soon the female bluebird joined him. That struck a familiar chord as well. There is no such thing in our house as gender-specific chores We both pitch in to take care of whatever needs doing. More often than not, we do them together.

The two birds were dive-bombing this poor defenseless young squirrel. If I could read the expression on his face, it would be one of bewilderment. He probably had no idea what he did wrong. 

The two birds perched on a branch before taking off. They flew almost straight down like barnstormer performing at an air show. They came right at the squirrel, slapping their bodies against him. At other times, they thrust their beaks into his fur. These birds meant business.

Finally, the squirrel scurried up the tree, and out of sight, using the back side of the tree, opposite the bluebird box. He was gone, so they settled down. It was quite a show.

I have wondered if there was anything inside the nesting box. I figured they built a nest, but I didn't know if it was filled with eggs or babies. Their behavior indicates this pair was being protective. While they were very aggressive, I can only imagine what it must be like to be a small bird in a world where there are so many other creatures bigger than you and most are predators who look at you as prey. Those birds must have viewed that squirrel as a terrorist. 

I admire the way they stuck together. They actually risked their own lives for the nest--parenthood at its finest. Any parent can understand that behavior as well. Birds and humans may be totally different species, but we obviously share many traits.

Narcissus, daffodils and Springtime

Even on rainy days, the colors found in daffodils and narcissi

can almost substitute for sunshine.

I can't resist picking a bouquet of them

to bring indoors to warm the still-cold temperatures. 

These hardy flowers come from one garden, 

planted in full view of a huge window, 

where they tempt me until I can no longer resist. 

These are some of my favorite flowers, 

probably because they are among 

the first to bloom in the Spring.

I love their almost-transparent pastel yellow petals 

and faded-looking yellow corona. 

The daffodils stand out among the bright and pale 

yellow double narcissi. Together, what a striking combination.

BTW, only 21 more days til Earth Day!

Is our government involved in bait and switch?

While President Barack Obama, speaking to students about alternative energy recently, talked about incentives for large companies to up their game on energy efficiency.

Every year billions of dollars--our tax dollars--in incentives are given to companies that pay little or no taxes of their own, in an effort to boost their businesses.

It is an ever-increasing practice business and government uses, at our expense. The benefit of tax incentives is often times touted as a benefit to consumers, but often times it isn't. Any perk for consumers is minuscule compared with the monetary gains businesses and politicians enjoy by the practice.

I can't help but wonder, what about the little guy? We should be so fortunate...

Recently, my husband and I were promised an Energy Star Appliance Rebate--$225 for the purchase of an energy-efficient washing machine. We spent a little more than we wanted to, but were lured in by the promise of the government-promised rebate.

I have begun to believe that all rebates are a scam. I can't recall the last time one actually paid as advertised.

Despite this being a government rebate, this one didn't deliver either. I thought a government rebate might be different. It wasn't!

Like the billion-dollar grants given big business, this rebate was an incentive to cut household energy costs. It was offered by the Obama administration and distributed by the states, and as we learned, sub-contracted to an outfit in another state.

We purchased our GE front-loading washer and matching dryer. We had been using a 30-year old pair--also a GE. We were very happy with the performance of the brand. Our machines were old, but still functional. They did not need to be replaced and we did consider waiting. But our decision was swayed when we learned the ones we wanted were on sale and there was a rebate being offered. We did something we haven't done since we retired; we purchased the appliances with a credit card. The decision to use a credit card was a difficult one.

Several months later, when we didn't receive the rebate, my husband contacted the Michigan company charged with handling the rebates for the State of Arkansas. He was told that we didn't qualify because we didn't write the serial number of the old washer on the application form and we didn't include the sales receipt. Also, it would do no good to reapply because the money had all been spent. Out of luck, was the way he put it.

My husband, who filled out the paperwork distinctly recalls the form said the old serial number wasn't necessary. The sales receipt was stapled to the form.

Is our government now involved in bait and switch?

Spring is by far the best season

The calendar says we are four days from the start of Spring, but no matter. In my mind, we have been there for days--weeks even.

 
Early this month, all the signs were there, despite cold temperatures designed just to throw us off. 

Still, it was hard not to notice the sun rising higher in the sky. Turning our clocks ahead only enhanced the obvious longer days. 

There was just something about the sound of the birds' song in the morning too, signaling a behavioral change. They began to scurry around looking for the perfect nesting material. They seem to sense that  Spring was and they were happy to sing all about it.

One of my favorite less subtle signs is in the plants. Nothing is more enjoyable than walking through the yard and scouting out those tiny green sprouts as they emerge from the cold, still leaf-covered ground. Here, my first crocus appeared on March 2.

Other buds also began to appear, like those pictured on the left: the redbuds, lilacs, and those big, fat, pink magnolia blossoms.

Today, things have advanced nicely. Springtime is unmistakable and it is a joy to behold.

Is there anything prettier than a new stand of daffodils in the spring garden?

The magnolia, though only a few years old, is magnificent.

I have even turned one of the blossoms into a screensaver on my computer. Pink is my favorite color and there is nothing more pink than one of these lovely flowers.


Waking up in the morning to start another day is always a joy, but there is just something almost magical about waking up on a mild spring morning. It is unlike any other time.

Enjoy!

NASCAR women from Arkansas have a great day

Mark Martin may be the man but Danica Patrick is the woman!

Not only did we women of Arkansas get to watch our native son, Mark Martin from Batesville, AR win the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas, but we watched Danica Patrick make NASCAR history.

Mark Martin brings it home

It was great to watch Mark Martin back in victory lane, a place he has been 95 times before.

His #32 Dollar General Chevy owned by Turner Motor Sports finished first at Las Vegas, ending a long winless streak. Martin hasn't won since 2009 at Phoenix. He went without a win during his entire 2010 season.

Martin was in the right place at the right time Saturday, as led only one lap during the race--the only one that really counts. Taking every advantage, he was nearly out of gas when he passed Brad Kezelowski, the race leader, who cut a tire, allowing Martin to cruise to victory.

It was a first win for Turner Motor Sports who enjoyed a good finish last week as well when Ryan Newman brought the #30 car home in fourth place.

And for the ladies, the big news of the day

Saturday's race has made history, as Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 GoDaddy Chevy, finished the race in fourth place. It is a career-best finish for her, and makes her the first woman driver in NASCAR ever to achieve such a finish.

Patrick broke a record that has stood since 1949 when Sara Christian came in fifth.

Patrick said she was secretly hoping for a finish in the top 10, but instead it was in the top five. In reality, what she really accomplished was a history-making fourth.