We put our flowers out on the deck today. These are my Mother's Day flowers. Thanks, kids! I love them. Mal made the rustic chair. Thanks Mal. I love that too!
Three male finches came to our feeder. I'm sure they were attracted by the flowers because I haven't seen them before.
This is a female finch - not as colorful.
It was a beautiful day for the playground. The paparazzi were out in full force!
Our grandchildren were showing their natural giftings. Here we obviously have a drummer judging by the expression and the hand movements.
It didn't take Jack long to figure out the buttons on the stereo and he liked a steady supply of lively music.
All ready for a friend's wedding on Saturday.
Only days after putting up the birdhouse sparrows were checking it out. 
In no time they were inside and outside and all over. I even saw some nesting material.
However, on Wednesday morning the swallows arrived. Five or six swooped low over our house and deck right in front of our window. They checked out the birdhouse, and pretty soon there were a couple settling in. Then a sparrow came back, and there was a fight. The swallows attacked the sparrow and even hit it to the ground! The sparrow made a hasty escape, and the swallows stood guard for awhile. By afternoon they left and the sparrows returned.
Yesterday we had a drizzling rain, and then a heavy snowfall. The swallows didn't return, but the sparrow stood on the peak of the birdhouse through the rain. This morning he was there on top of the snow. I hate to say it, but I think he's earned his birdhouse rights!
The draining equipment is gone from our marsh. Maybe they've figured it out that you can't pump water out uphill!
The red-winged blackbirds are back in our marsh by the dozens. They've been very vocal with their beautiful songs. Apparently that means they're each staking out a territory for nesting.
However, we've got a new subdivision in the making, including their marsh. They've dug trenches throughout the area to collect the water and have brought in equipment to drain it. They started pumping it out about 2 weeks ago, but ran into difficulty because it seems the marsh was lower ground and the water started flowing back in. Then came our 8 days of snow, and now the blackbirds are getting ready to nest. The workers have not returned since the snowfall, and I'm wondering if they will disrupt the nests when they return, or will they wait until they're finished nesting?
Meanwhile, midst all the ugliness of trenches, equipment, and dirt piles, the blackbirds sing and enjoy spring.
