Dan Antion

Signs of Spring – 1LinerWeds

March brought us more than a few days of disappointing weather, but April seems like it wants to be part of spring. It was 71°f (22°c) yesterday, and we will see similar temperatures in the days to come, despite a forecast including rain and showers through Thursday.

In addition to the warmth, things are beginning to bud and bloom, and I am beginning to pull myself away from my desk and reacquaint myself with our yard and my workshop. It won’t be long now.

On Monday, I installed a new weather station. The previous one had been experiencing intermittent problems and finally failed over the weekend.

“I’m wearing work boots, a knee brace, work gloves and I’m setting a ladder against the garage—it must be spring.”

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, and would like to join in on the fun, you can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

Getting back on a ladder is always a little daunting in the spring
The weather sensors are in the device on that post
Good as new
The Mourning Doves stay here through the winter. This one is looking for some of the food we spread in the yard.
Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but River wants a picture
One of Smokey’s cousins. He’s a little skittish
The Porta-potty is open for business
They put new banners up on the pole at Veterans Park. The pole has been bare all winter.
The bare branches are filling in
I don’t know what kind of flower this is (I planted a bag of mixed bulbs).
This might be a tulip. It might also be a snack for the bunny
The colorful sunrises are fading by the time I am up and out
“Are you coming outside? Can you bring some peanuts?”
Looks like the squirrels are sharing their space with Chippy
Smokey and a leaf
The flag returned to full staff yesterday but not until after my walk

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71 comments

  1. Hi Dan yes Spring has made an appearance here too at long last and our weather though no where near as warm as yours is definitely pleasant.
    Well I am glad you are wearing protection when going up ladders it makes sense!
    Fabulous photos of the wildlife and flora. Have a good day 💜

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  3. Hi Dan – presumably the reader for the weather station is in your house or on the phone? I think the blue-purpley one is probably a hyacinth … but the bulbs are obviously happy fodder for some! I’m so glad Spring is just about here … a little more warmth would be lovely – cheers Hilary

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    • The weather station readout is in the kitchen, Hilary. We like this unit. There are many available these days, but some have too many moving displays – very distracting. We like knowing what it’s like outside, but we don’t need to be entertained. I mean, we can open the door. About half the bulbs were eaten, probably by chipmunks, and most of the flowers get eaten by the bunnies. So, when I see a blossom, I snap a picture – it might be the last chance I get. I hope it warms up soon.

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    • I think the cars will be out of the garage in a week or two. I still don’t have doors to completely close off the shop (that’s one of my projects) so I have to move the cars before making a lot of dust. I noticed the first forsythia blossoms last night. Buds and blossoms – it won’t be long now.

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  6. Spring is definitely springing here too! Birds are chirping away again and weeds are already showing off how tough they are.

    How nice of Chippy to share his condo with other squatters! Wonderful close up of the Mourning Dove. I just love them.

    The banners are sad, but at the same time it’s nice to see these men and women honored.

    Old Glory glistening in the sun is a beautiful sight.
    Ginger

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    • I’m not sure the squirrels are as happy to see Chippy, Ginger. He’s probably stealing the peanuts they’ve stored. Then again, they all seem to get along better than humans, so maybe it’s one big happy. All I know is they’re all cute.

      I was very happy when they added to banner post to the park. It helps to remind people of the veterans for whom the park is named.

      Up and over to the second half of the week. I hope it’s a good one for you.

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  9. That is a great capture of the mourning dove! I like your sense of neighborhood: home repair, new flowers, veterans’ memorials, leafing trees and critters. Oh, and Porta-potty! Yes, a neighborhood, up-close and personal.

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    • It was very windy that day, and the dove was hunkering down in the grass. The other important sign (children playing in the park) will soon follow, Maureen. The porta-potties always arrive before we start drawing spectators to the park.

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  10. Wonderful to see signs of Spring, Dan! In the high desert of Prescott, AZ, we’re still on hold with temps in the 20s-40s. The close-up of the Mourning Dove tops your collection, though little Chippy warms the heart. Have a great day and say ‘hi’ to Spring for me. 😊

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    • I am always surprised to learn about your weather, Gwen. I just assumed Arizona was always warm. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll give spring your regards :-)

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  11. Spring is being heralded in here with snow flurries. It’s looking beautiful there with all the critters coming out for their treats at Dan’s house, new flowers, and new buds on the trees popping up! Oh yes, and you on the ladder. It must be Spring!! 😄

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    • I’ve tried to minimize the need for me to be on a ladder, Deborah, but this unit had to be replaced. It served us well for many years. I was lucky. My wife saw that the company had them on sale last year for a ridiculously low price. She bought one, just in case. It was great being able to use the same battery connection and to secure the new unit without drilling new holes in the post. I was only up there for a few minutes.

      Of course, once the squirrels see me on the ladder, they start lining up in the yard. I hope you get a real dose of spring soon.

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    • You’re right about the summer heat, Frank. It’s one reason I hope to take care of some jobs around the house early this year. I don’t like working out there when it’s 90+ The door you like is one I made to gain access to the storage area in the attic space of the garage. All three portions swing open when necessary.

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  14. Both flowers appear to be hyacinths…just not very filled out…maybe from smaller immature bulbs that were in the bag of bulbs. As the years go by, the bulbs should grow and produce fuller bloom stems.

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  15. The three days of hard frost we had here killed a lot of the shrubs in my backyard. Everything needed a good cutting-back, though, and I am almost finished. I have to laugh as I drive around the neighborhood. All of us who have (the misfortune to have) wisteria have all the dead limbs on the street ready for pickup. But wisteria grows so wildly, they all look like giant tumbleweeds on the road.
    The photo of chippy on the squirrel house is so cute–he looks tiny! The mourning dove photo is a beauty. I love those birds.

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    • I think that’s the best photo of a mourning dove I’ve ever taken. It was so windy that day, the dove was hunkered down in the yard. I was worried that our lilacs were going to bud out in February and then freeze to death, but they didn’t they are starting to grow now, but I think we’re beyond damaging frosts.

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  18. It looks like your menagerie is healthy. Mother nature is such a tease. Yesterday was cold, today is raining and tomorrow is supposed to be warm. A years worth of weather in a week. It snowed a little less than a week ago.

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    • I’ve had to wear a knee brace for years, Teagan. It adds a little stability to my right knee which seems to prevent some pain. It might be mental for all I know, but it works. Thanks.

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  21. We had a bit of a cool snap today with the rains that came here too. Hope it doesn’t stunt our garden. That dove picture is all I need to remind me of spring. Be careful on the ladder, you need a spotter ;)

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  27. We’ve had quite a weather week here in SE Michigan, which started out very cold, we had conditions ripe for not one but two tornadoes on Wednesday and now we are creeping to 83 through the course of the coming week. Spring zoomed into Summer it seems. I like all your Spring-y pics and of course those sweet squirrels. I have finally seen daffs, crocuses and hyacinths the last few days after seeing only snowdrops since February.

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  29. Happy spring, Dan. It’s good to see your workshop again. Thanks for displaying the Hometown Heroes banner. Today we start our yard clean-up, as temps will soar next week.

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