Birds and the Bees

Okay, so this entry is likely not what you think, but I was at a loss for a better title. After all, this post is about nature! When we purchased this house one of the reasons I knew it was "the one" was that it had a nicely sized yard. Now, little did I know that we'd be bombarded with creatures! Well, perhaps "bombarded" is a bit strong of a word, but you'll see what I mean in a second.

First of all, I have done some landscaping work since we moved in. I have ripped out some dead bushes and planted both annuals and perennials. Unfortunately, the beautiful little flowers I planted all along my back landscaping (see image below) become an entrée for a resident bunny. I spied the little critter escaping under our fence into our neighbor's yard this evening. See those little flowers? Yep, neither do I. There are no flowers on those plants now, just a few leaves. So much for that. An entire flat has gone to Mr. Cottontail.

Also, we have a new neighbor that has decided to take up residence on our detached garage. That's right, thankfully "on" and not "in." I don't mind her, though. She's been good quiet company when I'm in the yard playing with the kids. In fact, I'm guessing she'll soon have her own little ones for us to adore. It's actually been a nice nature lesson for Anna on how the mommy and daddy work together to build their home. The daddy would fly away to grab twigs for the nest, return, hand them over to the mama, and then go off again. Repeat, and repeat. They don't even seem to mind that the kids' play fort is mere feet from their chosen habitat.

Now, you're probably wondering where the bees come in. Well, thankfully they don't as of yet. But, speaking of insects, the ants are coming out in force so I'm going to make it Matt's priority to put down insect killer on the whole yard this weekend. If there's anything I want to avoid, it's stepping in a fire ant pile. Done that one too many times.

Here's hoping all of you are soon blessed with some similar signs of spring!