Tag: Robins

Beautiful

Many beautiful happenings are all around lately…to name just a few:

The program for the musical at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.

We went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. It was phenomenal, especially for those of us who grew up with her music. She was a prolific song writer, with over 118 top hits, written or co-written. We had a wonderful time.

Another beautiful event was seeing the northern lights…

I had told friends if they ever hear of the northern lights in the area to let me know…and one night, last week, she texted and said there was a good chance. I was in my nightgown, but threw on a jacket and shoes, and off I went (Gary was in bed already). I noticed several others out, along the way to my viewing spot. We were all hoping to see the northern lights.

We did, and they were beautiful. Basically there were streaks in the sky with a very faint tint of color, but when you took a picture the colors popped.

Looking out from our window down into the nest.

Blooming spring trees are blossoming all over town.  I noticed, in our very own crabapple tree, there is a robin’s nest with three “robin-blue” eggs in it.

Lovely blue Robin’s eggs.
Zoomed in on mama…

I say good morning to mama, every morning, and greet her several times during the day, as she sits in her nest in the tree right outside our bedroom window. It is a beautiful sight.

Foxes near their den.

There is a family of foxes in our neighborhood…two adults and 8 pups. I’ve seen 8 of the 10 foxes. It’s a short and easy walk to go watch these playful and beautiful creatures, so I try and go see them often.

This farm is on County Road 9. I always look for the “Dutch-belted cows”.

A farm scene in spring, with red barn and cattle and blue skies and spring greens is always beautiful.

So grateful for beauty that abounds.

The Front Porch

I always enjoy sitting on the front porch of my son’s home in North Carolina. His house is at the end of a cul-de-sac, next to a wooded lot, that in winter and without the leaves on the trees, you can see a sliver of Lake Wiley.

Even in the winter, when it’s about 45* here, I still like to grab some blankets and bundle up and sit out on the front porch with a cup of coffee.

Occasionally we can see deer, and always lots of birds. 

Yesterday I saw four deer and this morning I saw a red-headed woodpecker, my first robin of the season, a beautiful Eastern bluebird and, something new to me that I identified as, a Ruby-crown Kinglet. 

I enjoy seeing the birds and listening to their singing, and also watching the squirrels scampering to and fro. Squirrels are fun to watch in the woods (not at one’s bird-feeders!)

It’s a great way to start the day.

Signs of Spring

I saw my first robin on Sunday afternoon, along Jefferson Road. This is my first sighting this spring, and then I saw two more.

This photo was taken early spring, 2017, on Carleton Campus.

After an evening walk, not in the dark because of daylight savings time (another sign of spring), I saw two robins in our neighbor’s tree. I looked through our binoculars to confirm. They were a pair.

Other signs of spring on my walk: the snow is melting (and a lot more snow will melt this week when the sun comes out and the temperatures rise into 50*’s) and there was no ice on the paths. However, there were lots of puddles.

I heard many birds chirping, and I heard water gurgling… both wonderful sounds… and I saw a few ducks already enjoying the thawed portions of the pond.

Spring brings hope once again.

*I’m not sure foxes are a sign of spring but Saturday evening while it was dark, before daylight savings time began, we watched a fox walk down a city sidewalk and cross the street in front of us…I think he was lost.*

This was not the fox we saw in Northfield. This picture was taken summer 2017 in northern Minnesota. We didn’t think this fox looked too healthy, but it’s the only picture I have of a fox.