I have found myself spending much more time outside the past few weeks.

Moving Trees

It all started as I began to study my backyard to figure out where I wanted to move a couple of apple trees to. They had to be moved or cut down. Now, where we live is not apple country and most years my two apple trees feed more insects and birds than people. The apples are usually small, very tart, and have trouble figuring out when to flower in our climate.

But…I love the blooms each spring. They become the subjects of some of my some of my earliest spring photos each year. I planted these two trees back when we first moved out here. So I decided it was a move that I would afford. So a week ago a very large truck with four huge spades arrived and we began to move trees like large pieces of furniture around the room that is our backyard. Standing on the spot that will become our new back porch I envisioned where each tree would be best seen while leaving room to add additional structures to the environment we will create.

I even moved the wisteria “bush” that I had moved the hard way almost a decade ago. This bush started out outside the dining room window. But due to shading it never bloomed…So I cut it down and moved a rooted cutting to a new location out by the apples a few years back. Now, like the apples, it was in the way of the construction to come. So, it moved out to a central position out back where it will bloom next spring with a backdrop of evergreens behind it.

Since I was playing, I decided to move a young oak from the edge of our woods into a prominent place on the western side of the yard for some additional afternoon shade in the years to come. All told four plants moved in two hours or so.

Eastern Bluebirds

The other thing that has had me outside is the discovery that the Eastern Bluebirds I saw earlier this spring had set up housekeeping in the upper branches of the oak just behind the house. They have been quietly raising a clutch of eggs. Eggs that have now hatched out and are requiring the constant effort of their parents to keep feed. So I have spent hours watching both parents work a circuit of hunting perches around the yard as they hunt for insects. Each trip back to the nest follows a round about path finished off with a round of cheeps as the nestlings beg for their share.

I am still somewhat amazed at the very presence of these birds. I think I’ll take it as a sign that our plans for this place  will be blessed with happiness…

Just to give you an idea of how uncommon bluebirds are in this neck of the woods… Every person I tell about these birds says “sure, I’ve had blue birds in my yard. I see bluejays regularly.” When I say no, I am talking about eastern bluebirds…you know, like you always saw in the cartoons when you where growing up…They look at me like I’m crazy.

I think I’ll wrap this up because it’s 57° out this morning and the male bluebird is sitting on the swing set outside my open door singing a song I wouldn’t even have recognized a couple of weeks ago…I’m taking my coffee and going outside…