A Museum Tree

                                                         A Museum Tree

Trees and neighborhoods mature together. Many of the trees were planted near the curb and have grown so big, with expanding roots, that they started raising the cement nearby and had to be removed. They are also often taken down when they interfere with above-ground wiring.

Sometimes trees reach their life span and start losing their leaves, eventually remaining as just a trunk with bare branches. Most of the time they will be chopped by the township and no one will know that they had once been providing beauty and shade and nesting places for local birds.

So it was quite the surprise when I came upon the trunk of a dead tree that was artfully transformed! It was sculpted and painted and stood as something that could be in a museum. It was a delight to see and it made me remember that we can be creative in all sorts of ways. I am delighted each time I pass that tree and I  hope that other residents appreciate it as well.  

 

Double Rainbow

There it was, up above the rain-drenched roofs, arched over the trees – a magnificent  rainbow! It spanned across the sky, in a brightly colored arch, wide over the street.

That would have been enough to see but then above the rainbow was another arch. I had never seen a double rainbow before and I was awed. But there was something interesting about the rainbow above. It’s colors were the reverse of the rainbow below it.

A rainbow, besides being amazing, is seen as a sign of possibilities. In the midst of life’s storms it is often hard to spot a rainbow, but they tend to appear after the storm and offer hope.

A double rainbow is even rarer and a good omen. It is the symbol of hope and encouragement and prosperity. It also provides spiritual encouragement. But whether scientific or spiritual, any rainbow is a joy to see,

Here is the technical reason for a double rainbow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzgNM-P_JCQ

 

                                  Mushrooms, Mushrooms, Mushrooms

I looked down at the grass on the street side lawn as I started my daily walk. It looked like two golf balls had been lost and ended up on the grass. Then I looked closer and saw that they were really round, white mushrooms, a kind I hadn’t seen before. Quite impressive.

I’ve been noticing that there are more mushrooms popping up on lawns recently. Brown ones, white ones, flat, round, and, well, traditionally mushroom-shaped. I looked up mushrooms and I think the ones I saw were like Giant Puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) .

Each day’s walk has become an observational trek. It’s hard to believe how many mushrooms there are. There are over 14,000 species out there! Some are edible-and delicious-but many are poisonous so it isn’t wise to pick any off the lawns.

But whatever kind is local, they are so interesting to see. It makes my daily walk new each time.

11 edible mushrooms

https://www.plantsnap.com/blog/edible-mushrooms-united-states/

Awesome Goldfinches

 

                                                   Awesome Goldfinches

Outside our front door was a wonderful sight – a male goldfinch was sitting on one of our Astilbe plants. His beautiful gold color was startling. As we watched, a female goldfinch flew to one of the other Astilbe plants and seemed to be watching the male. He didn’t chase her away so perhaps they were a couple.

They sat there together/apart for several minutes until we had to go out. Then our movement disturbed them and they zipped off and we haven’t seen them since.

A sight like that is breathtaking. I remember hearing once that we should look for awe in each day. That is how I felt about seeing those beautiful birds. It was awesome and started my day with enthusiasm to be on the lookout for the incredible possibilities that nature might offer – if we are open to seeing them.

Directions for growing Astilbe plants:  

https://www.thespruce.com/growing-astible-plants-1402833     

Nature's Jigsaw Puzzles

 

Nature’s Jigsaw Puzzles

I love doing jigsaw puzzles. Recently, I was given a thousand-piece puzzle that showed lots of birds, which I also love. There were robins, cardinals, hummingbirds, bluejays, and sparrows all enjoying the field of wildflowers that was the puzzle’s background. So colorful. I sat down and got to work.

The puzzle wasn’t easy. It took me lots of days to finish but while I was working on it, my backyard seemed to have its own bird puzzle. There were robins flocking on the birdbath out back looking for a drink. A bluejay flapped them away so it could take a bath. Crows piled onto the grass, cawing as they searched for seeds. I heard chirping as I put the pieces into their right places, which felt like the real birds were encouraging me to work on the puzzle.

I am letting the finished puzzle stay on my dining room table for a while where I can see it when I walk through the house. I appreciate getting the bird puzzle as well as Mother Nature’s actual variety of birds. Both are gifts that I value and enjoy.

Tulips on a Tree

 

I have always loved tulips. The flowers bring Spring to mind and they have a charming look to them. But I wasn’t aware that they could grow on trees until my sister asked me if I would like to have a tulip tree for my backyard. She said that while it was beautiful, it dropped flowers into her backyard pool.  

I was delighted. It was planted toward the back of my house and after a brief season of acclimating to its new yard, put out flowers each Spring. That was many years ago and the tree has been producing more and more flowers each year.

There are things to consider when planting a tulip tree, though. It grows TALL. It overlooks much of our backyard. And my sister was right; the beautiful flowers eventually lose their petals which spread far and wide over everything. Still, I am delighted to have it in our yard and am grateful that it comes abundantly back each Spring.

Tulip trees produce beautiful flowers:

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-tulip-trees-2132098

 

Bee-side Our Window

Last Spring we noticed that we had bees flying near our front door. They seemed interested in the bushes by our front windows. One bee in particular seemed to be the most aggressive – to other bees, not to us, thank goodness. I had even named it as I watched it flitter around. It was chasing away any other bees that came by.

Well, the bushes are beginning to flower again and Bebe is back! It seems to have even more energy than last year. It is there when I open the door but it isn’t threatening. It keeps its distance as I watch it discourage any other bees that seem interested in the bushes. The strange thing is that I don’t see any nest in the bushes. What is it protecting? Last year we checked the gutters but they were clean, as they are this year.

By now I expect to see Bebe greeting me in the morning. The buzz gets a smile as I open the front door – a delightful way to start the day!