Big Red Truck..........

I didn't get out to take shots yesterday as it was cold and wet.  I tried to get photos from the windows and that wasn't too bad.  Notice the layers in this photo.  The birch tree limbs are in front, the red maple is next and the redbud shrub is third.   Beyond the street and the electric pole sits the red truck.  It has a low bed on it so that it carries big items like machines or heavy beams.  Sometimes the driver brings things home on it and he takes it out the next day. At 5:30 in the morning it is started to warm up the engine and then it leaves its docking station climbing out of the driveway.  It takes about three shifts of the gears to get it to go up the street.  When we first noticed that it was  even being parked there, we thought we were having a storm as it has a very low roaring sound when it is in idle.

Southern Transport.......to Iowa

My neighbor has a friend that lives in southern Texas in the winter.  One of the neighbors of Lillian,   in Texas, was going to toss a large planting of these so it was rescued and brought back to Iowa.  Three of us have taken parts of it and each have a nice specimen.  Mine is weathered a lot from being in the hot sun.  It was one of the oldest parts of the plant but I think it will brighten up with a little care, or lack of care.  The granite pan doesn't have drainage so I will have to keep it on the porch out of the rain.  I know nothing about this kind of plant but I am assuming someone can tell me or I will look it up someday.

Overnight Transformation........

I posted the green version on Saturday, the blog below, and I noticed when we returned home on Sunday that all the tulips are now yellow.  I really didn't know that they did mature all at the same time but these sure did.  It has been raining off and on for a couple of days and the strong winds were difficult.  We didn't have tornadoes but the winds are a part of those kind of weather patterns that put us in the watch area for most all of Sunday.

Sunday Storms.............

We need the rain but we really didn't like the continue huge winds for the entire night.  It isn't so strong to cause damage but it sure sounds like it could when you are inside the house.  It is nice to keep getting rain as we are still are considered in a moderate drought location. Things are really starting to green but trees are not quite out at this time.

The tulip above is an early blooming variety.  I will be sharing photos of it as soon as it shows one flower.  I don't specifically remember tulip colors and where they are planted.  I guess that is why the spring flowers are a surprise each year.

A Perfect Site..........

I have a robin's nest on my step ladder.  It is high enough that I really can't get a photo of the eggs but I will return to see it again when it isn't so cold outside. The step ladder was in my dad's garage stored in the rafters. It's original owner could be a construction company as my late brother probably, permanently borrowed it.  I brought it home as no one in the Osceola area really wanted it.  I didn't really want it but I thought it might come to use someday.  I can't put it in the shed as it is too tall so I hung it on the supports of the outside of the garden shed. It isn't pretty but it solved the storage problem so far.  I am going to paint the south side of my house this summer so I will be using it for sure.

While out taking pictures in the cold wind this morning I saw a robin fly away from the area and when I checked it out there was the nest.  It is filled with scrap plastic from the neighborhood, leaves and sticks.  I saw one robin the  other day pulling wet leaves out of my fish pond and I am sure it is sturdy being woven through with wet leaves.  I had robins try to build under the roof before but the ledge proved to be narrow under there as a sideways board is only 2 inches wide. I think that next fell off the ledge while it was being made.

Red-orange..........

When in doubt, show another hardy geranium.   I don't even know if I have posted it before but my picture file is low.  I hope to shoot some pictures over the weekend.

Best Buds.............

They look out for each other in their subtle ways.  One really doesn't notice but they are really side by side to keep each other company.  Button had to adjust to this big border collie who came to his house 11 years ago, bounding, bouncing and never sitting still. Button spent a few years trying not to be afraid of this intruder and stayed on the couch as much as possible.  He would ask us to carry him around rather than get down on the floor.  Now they go outside together each knowing the distance to keep so someone smaller doesn't get hurt.  Barney accidentally runs into Button but it isn't too often. You can see that Button keeps his radar on as he turns to see his location.