A Midwinter's Morning Walk In The Backyard

It is midwinter. The ground is hard from the cold temperatures we have had. Yet here on Long Island, as Rudy Migliore called it on his radio program last Saturday, the greatest Island in the world, there is no snow at all. We could get flurries over the next few days but the sun is shining brightly now.

I just came in from a little walk, checking out the beds and the pond, ending with playing fetch with Moe, my faithful companion and watch dog. I had fed the birds earlier. There was quite a number out there.

Speaking of the birds, that has been one of the interesting things this winter in the yard. The red winged black birds have remained this year. I was spotting Robins in the past month too. This year I have had nuthatches for the first time.

There are some definite signs of the coming spring among the botanical elements out back. The Star of Bethlehem has begun to sprout. There are crocuses that are up. There are day lilies that do dormant but remain green throughout winter's cold. There are also signs of growth among some of the tiger lilies and irises.

Inside some day lily seedlings are now up. The rest will go in soon. Then we will be on our way. The amaryllises are up now- one is actually about six inches. We are also trying for the first time to grow Kiffar Lilies, the official flower of Lucy's city in China, Changchun. We have three of them doing very well.

Even when it is winter outside and our garden is taking a midwinter's nap for the most part, inside it is summer and we have all kinds of activity happening. On the outside at the feeders there is something almost always happening. The other day I went to put food out a Chickadee came and waited for me to fill the homemade coconut feeder. He was only about 4 feet from me singing and excited that breakfast was being served. My dad and others have them literally eat out of their hands. Maybe this spring I'll try that. It would be cool. Oh yeah I have left the blue bird house up for the winter. It would go out next month anyway. I am hoping this year to get a family in there- if I can keep the weaver finches (house sparrows) out.

And that is how it is out back this morning.