Allium and Bumblebees

My mother is the gardener of the family. Every year she plants new flowers and moves the old. Her backyard blooms in a series of colors. First, the yellows of forsythia and daffodils, just in time for the goldfinches. Next, the pinkish-orange blossoms of the early tulips and quince. Now, the yard is awash in shades of purple from the lilacs, allium and a late batch of tulips.

The bumblebees seem to be especially fond of the allium.

New Neighbors

A young robin couple took up residence on my downspout today. I find it hard to tell robins apart, but I think they are the same couple who've been exploring my backyard for over a month. Probably the ones who gave me a hard time when their pond froze. They worked throughout the day collecting dried leaves and long grasses which they draped over the downspout. After they had a pretty big pile the female used her body to pack them down, until they were formed into a snug little nest. The nest still looks wild and messy like something you'd expect to see after a ticker-tape parade, but it kept the female secure and dry during a sudden rainstorm.

Sandhill Cranes

On the way home from Holland last week, I stayed overnight at W.J.Hayes State Park. The park has some nice wetlands so I thought I would have a good chance to listen to frog and toad calls. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. I ended up hunkering down in my van, listening to my weather radio, while thunder clouds circled around me. The next morning on my way out, I noticed this pair of Sandhill Cranes grazing with a flock of Canada Geese.

Tulip Time

If you want to see flowers, you can't go wrong in Holland, Michigan during Tulip Time. Every year the city blooms with flowers from over 300,000 tulip bulbs which are planted in anticipation of their annual festival.

Although my mom's family was from Holland and she often spent summers there as a girl, I had never visited during Tulip Time. This year the Great Lakers Chapter of RVing Women was attending the festival, so I jumped at the chance to join in on the fun. We stayed at the pleasant and convenient Dutch Treat Campground in Zeeland, just a short drive from the sights.

At Veldheer's Tulip Farm, our first stop, we visited their gardens and wandered about their fields of flowers. I didn't see anyone tiptoeing through the tulips but there were a lot of people taking pictures and jotting down information about the bulbs they wanted to buy when they visited Veldheer's store. I was able to resist the tulip bulb and klompen (wooden shoe) buying opportunity, but broke down when offered cookie samples in the gift shop. I came home with banket (an almond-paste filled pastry), chocolate-dipped shortbread and my childhood favorite, windmill cookies.

After the farm, we went downtown where the flower-filled parks and streets were full of activity. The costumed dancers, crafters, trolleys, tourists and volunteers provided plenty of opportunities for entertainment and people watching.

www.rvingwomen.org

www.holland.org

www.dutchtreatcamping.com

www.veldheer.com

A Mother's Day Bouquet

Now, for everyone who has grown tired of hearing me rant about bad weather and other gloomy things, a change of pace...flower pictures! When you see my next post you'll really know what I'm talking about. Until then, the late arrival of spring nicely coincides with Mother's Day, so I'd like to dedicate this flowery page to my mother and all of the other mothers out there.

Happy Mother's Day!

The High Line

I took a quick trip to New York over the weekend to help a friend move. While there I had a chance to explore one of the items on my NYC to do list: The High Line. The High Line was originally built in the 1930's to raise freight trains off of the streets of Manhattan. As the growth of interstate trucking grew, rail traffic declined. The last train to travel on the High Line carried a load of frozen turkeys, in 1980.

After the High Line was abandoned by trains, nature started taking over, self-seeding itself with native plants along the unused rail tracks. When the High Line was threatened with demolition by land developers, local residents challenged the demolition in court. Ultimately, a mile and a half section was saved and is in the process of being converted to an elevated public park. The park, which runs through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen, features gardens which include many native species, similar to the wild "volunteer" plants which originally grew on the track. You'll also find wheel chair accessible paths, water features, viewing platforms, sundecks, gathering areas and local art displays, as well as great views of the city streets below and the Hudson River.

I found it to be the perfect place for "people watching" and the best location I've found in the city where I can pull out my camera without looking like a complete tourist.