Hello, friend! I hope you are doing well. We’ve had a stormy spring in Southwest Missouri. Matter of fact, last week we had SIX confirmed EF-0 tornadoes in and around our city and the region of the Ozarks! Several people had property damage in our area and many trees were uprooted causing road obstructions and damaging electrical lines. Clean up in our city is ongoing and some are still without power, though they expect it to be fixed in the next few days. Thankfully, we just had a few branches down and never lost electricity. Tornadoes are a fact of life here and it’s wise to have a healthy respect for them and a safety plan.
On the upside, we’ve had a lot of rain making the leafy forests of the Ozark Mountains look like a lush, green sea. My plants have been thriving with the joy of spring too.
My yarrow is coming back strong. Pincushion flower Last fall I cleared a small patch in the backyard and sowed several different native Missouri wildflower seeds. It’s been so exciting to see them take off 💚.
About three weeks ago I noticed a house finch with a yucky eye, a sign of a contagious infection among songbirds that can be passed easily at feeders. So, I took all the feeders down, disinfected everything, and raked the ground under them. I just put the feeders back up a couple of days ago, I sure missed my little friends and am so happy everyone looks healthy.
House Finch, male
House Finch, female Common Grackle The Chipping Sparrows are back for the summer, one of my favorites. Northern Cardinal, male Northern Cardinal, female
Though they don’t hang around long, it’s always exciting when the first red breasted grosbeaks arrive in the spring on their migration north. This is one of two females I’ve seen at the feeders, no males so far. A pair of robins nested in one of our evergreens in the landscaping near the front door. I had fun watching them grow up through my binoculars, their Mom and Dad were excellent parents. I saw one of the babies stretching its wings in the nest yesterday and thought they might be close to fledging soon. Sure enough, the nest is empty today!
I made my hubby’s favorite cake earlier in the week. I had put the cake pan on the counter, turned around to get some ingredients out of the fridge, turned back to put them down, and this is what I saw. 😸 (Don’t worry, I washed the pan and Frank got to hang out in the bedroom while I made the cake.)These three 😻!
Hello, Friend! It’s a balmy 11*F/-11*C in Southwest Missouri with about 8in/20cm of powdery snow on the ground. I’ve had a lot of birds at the feeders as well as many come by to eat the peanuts I threw out for them to enjoy. It’s been especially exciting birdwatching because I’ve had two firsts for me, a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 💛!
Yellow-rumped Warbler – a very inventive name 🤭This little guy is so cute all fluffed out against the cold He has been at the feeders a lot this week and made it easy for me to get some good shots.Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – This fella has been at the suet feeder many times the last few weeks but doesn’t seem to like the camera. Every time I saw him and got the camera ready, he somehow knew and flew off just as I was getting him into focus. He’s way cool, though and I love seeing him!A male Downy Woodpecker and the Yellow-rumped WarblerStarlings are nuisance birds, but when it’s this cold my heart goes out to them. All of God’s creatures have to eat. I love his green and purple splotches.This gorgeous male Red-bellied Woodpecker is a frequent visitor Look at that beak!A pair of House Finches – I particularly love House Finches, they are personable, friendly, beautiful, and always sing sweetly.A pair of Carolina Wrens – they like suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and berries Tufted Titmouse – always on my Top Five Favorite Birds listWhite-throated Sparrow – A winter bird in SW Missouri that summers in Canada and the northern USA. Their song sounds like “Oh Sweet Canada Canada Canada”
No Amy’s Axons post is complete without cats!
Clemmy Clementine is our female Cornish Rex. Hands down, Clemmy has the cutest little face I’ve ever seen AND is blessed with a sweet, loving, gentle disposition. She loves to make biscuits and snuggle in our arms or on our laps. Be glad you’re not her prey, though, because she’s a stone cold killer! She’s the fastest, highest jumping, most athletic, smartest cat I’ve ever had!This is Wally Cornwall, Clemmy’s brother. He is the most affectionate, sensitive, cuddliest, gentlest, funniest, hungriest (😂) cat you could ever hope to meet. Though he’s not quite as athletic as Clemmy, he’s no slouch and is always ready to play. He loves to lick our faces, purr in our ears, and be held non-stop. Wally is in a class by himself!And last, but by no means least, is FRANK! He is our five-month old kitten who wandered into our lives on Halloween night as a very sick, injured, 8-week old kitten. Oh, my, he almost defies description! Frank is extraordinarily curious and wants to be part of everything you do. I’ve never had a cat with such an insatiable appetite to play or jump or chase – and if you know anything about the Cornish Rex breed, you know that’s saying something! But, when he’s not playing or jumping or chasing, he’s sitting on one of our shoulders or lying in one of our arms. He is always happy and always follows us around. From the moment we rescued him and every moment since he has endeared himself to us. He has brought us unbelievable joy and he is a wonderful gift from God!The sunrise this morning over the snow we got yesterday was beautiful.
Amy's Axons 