I am not much of an early morning person, but today my schedule was booked pretty tight. Gare was here and needed to be up and ready to go at 8 a.m., and I had much to do before getting him ready. I was up before the sun and ready to kick a rooster I was so thrilled about it.

When I seen the first cast of light coming in the windows I was amazed to look out and see the fog covering the lake. Hate the power lines that always get in the way but I thought it was a neat photo none the less. A friend of mine posted that it reminded him of the movie "The Fog" and I have to agree. It was beautiful but a bit eerie.
Recently both of my main cameras went down. One is down completely, the other has issues and is very unpredictable. I do have a spare, a newer model, more megapixels, and better raw shooting. It's the next model up on the ladder from my two favorites but I have just never warmed up to it.

But now that my regular cameras are on the blink, I thought the morning might be the perfect time to "make friends" with the "other" camera.

I tried to catch my elusive blue bird momma jutting in and out of the bird house, but she manages to avoid my lens time and again. She's tiny, and gorgeous, and I am almost certain, the same female that nests in "Gary's" bird house in the front of my place every year. Gary Carns had a birdhouse just like this one in his back yard and although worn and weathered it teemed with life, full of the tiny little birds it attracted. The entrance is only about the size of a nickle disallowing entry by any larger, more aggressive birds.

I mentioned in passing that I loved the rustic look and enjoyed bird watching but the Woodpeckers had all but destroyed the birdhouses in my trees. The Cardinals and Blue Jays had taken up roost in the ones the Woodpeckers had finished with. Larger, more aggressive birds like that would never allow the tiny  birds the peace they needed to raise their families in any of those roosts.

The next time Gary and Lisa visited, Gary brought me this bird house he had made just for me.  I love it, and I have had tiny blue birds nesting in it every spring since.

The wood is so old and cured that even the biggest Woodpecker in the neighborhood can not drill out the opening to get to the nest inside. With an opening the size of a nickle, I am amazed watching the mother and father building the nest and then watching the mother jut in and out feeding her young. My tiny little birds are safe, to nest without fear of one of the bigger, badder birds in my yard coming after them.

And then there is is this fella.
I am not sure what he is, but he is loud, and abnoctious, and he keeps the blue birds from coming back to the roost. He sits on the high wire just above the birdhouse and calls and calls to an unseen mate. I have seen him make chase of the blue birds on more than one occasion. You can tell he means them harm.
While I am not good at identifying juvenile birds, I'm almost certain he's a young Blue Jay.

There was a frost this morning, so the first sun beams left the grass wet and my herb beds glistening. I don't have many places with good soil, but I keep my herb beds built up and healthy, and it shows.

Already masses of Sweet Basil fill the enclosure. I pulled out several handfuls a couple of weeks ago, to give to a friend, and already the voids have been filled. Like any mint, Basil will flourish anywhere the soil is well drained with plenty of moisture. I'll be thinning it again soon or it will completely take over the bed.
This is some of the most flavorful Basil I have ever grown. It is an heirloom variety and I have been raising now since 2003.

Oregano grows right along side of the basil and it's already up and bushing out. It never seems to die completely off during the winter so the early spring has gotten it going quite nicely. The frosts of the last couple of mornings have left it no worse for the wear. It makes my mouth water to think of the flavor it will add to so many tomato dishes this summer.
Then there is the heirloom sage...ahhhhhh, the aroma is fantastic.

I grow sage mainly for my mother, who makes a lot of dressing throughout the year. She doesn't like it "store bought" or powdered because the flavor is just not there. I cut mine last week and dried the winter growth for my next trip to Moms, but as you can see, it's already making its come back.

The greenery is popping up all over the yard and in pots from last year. The petunias that Garret gave to me for Mother's Day last year have sprouted and are about three inches in diameter. I was glad to see them come out this year. They have the most awesome aroma and deep purple flowers.

The catnip Joyce gave me a start of a couple of years ago is a precarious plant indeed. I had it in my herb bed and one container on the deck last year, and it's sprouted in both places already this year. Some starts are as much as 8 inches tall and going to be massive my mid summer. But the oddest thing, it also popped up in a variety of places throughout the yard and around my deck. Also in the mint family it thrives in the damp soil around my deck.

There are also a variety of plants around the yard that are not edible at all, but I enjoy them none the less.

I have tried for years to get something to grow under the west side of my deck, and fill the open void that's there. Finally, this year, three different plants have taken hold and are thriving in this area.

One of them is called Sedum (sp?), otherwise known by my sister as "Frog's Belly". It grows a thick rich colored leaf and mid summer shoots large compact flower heads about 5 inches in diameter and they are the the most gorgeous autumn-yellow colored flowers.

It now grows in several places throughout my yard. Some clumps are small while the one in the front is about 30 inches in diameter already.
My little blue bird friends never did appear. The geese on the lake on the other hand were all enjoying the rising, warming sun, and a pair out for a swim got close enough for me to capture them in an image.
I love my home and all that nature has to offer here.

But alas I had to get into the house and get Gare ready to hunt Easter eggs with his Momma.

I had a wonderful morning stroll in my yard though, and a little practice with the "other" camera.

I hope you are happy Gretchen. I shot them all in RAW! I am still struggling with the darkness of the RAW files but I think these shots came out ok. Just another learning curve, 'oy, like I need another.

~ Gila