Saturday, May 4, 2013

Waiting for Sunshine and Warm Weather

The good news is that it's stopped snowing.  (Oops, did I say that too loudly?)  The flip side is that it's been raining, drizzling, misting or otherwise making everything very wet for several days.  No sun which equals no warmth.  Our high temps are averaging in the 40s.  But we're so late into the season now that once we do get some sunshine and warmer temps, stand back because everything outside is going to ess-plode!

Early this past week a neighbor down the road a piece stopped by to chat.  Papa Pea was outside so they stood in the yard talking.  Then Chicken Mama coming after work to pick up Tucker joined them.  I was inside cooking dinner (or maybe I was just lying on the couch eating my pre-dinner bon-bons) so was keeping half an eye on the scene through the kitchen window.  Our neighbor left driving down the driveway and out of sight.  Only a couple of minutes later, he returned and handed Papa Pea and Chicken Mama this.


He said he found it in the middle of our drive and thought it might be injured as it wasn't able to walk very well.  The funny-looking little guy was checked over and seemed okay.  My two took him down to the pond where he immediately plopped into the water and began swimming around.


We think he was a Pied-billed Grebe.  They are like loons in that it's difficult for them to walk on land.  He was offered some grain but said he wasn't hungry.  (I think I read they are fish eaters like loons.)  No grebe was in evidence the next morning so we're hoping he took off and reunited with the rest of his kin.


I'll sign off with this picture.  You know you've had plenty of moisture when a seagull starts visiting your bird feeder.  (And, yes, that is still a good-sized drift of snow down at the end of the yard.)

14 comments:

Unknown said...

What a cute little grebe! Adorable.

Unknown said...

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/601833_514192005295197_1813948008_n.jpg[/img]

Mama Pea: Is this you????

DFW said...

And I only thought sea gulls were near the sea.

Lisa B said...

Sea gulls on the feeder , too funny. I laugh when I see them in Wendys' parking lot eating French fries, 20 mi from the water. lol

Mama Pea said...

nancy - He(?) truly was a cute little guy. Funny snubbed off tail end but that's the way they're built.

Mama Pea said...

Rosalea Hunter - Can you describe this picture? (I didn't want to click on the link, computer scaredy cat that I am.)

Mama Pea said...

DFW - Maybe we should start building the ark, do ya think?

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - Ah, seagulls after my own heart! I do love French fries. (Also know they aren't exactly nutritionally good food!)

Unknown said...

sorry Mama Pea. The picture made me think of you. It is of a lady in a flowered long skirt and blouse with a wide brimmed gardening hat on, out in her garden but... there is about a foot of snow on the ground, and the caption says..."screw it...I"m gardening!!!" My husband sent it to me with my name on it because I just love my garden. I thought of you with your never ending snow. take care.

Mama Pea said...

Rosalea - Really cute . . . plus very accurate for us up here this spring! It may come to that if we don't get some warm weather pretty darn soon. Good thing I made myself wait to start my seedlings until a little later than usual this year, huh? :o}

Cat Eye Cottage said...

How cute, I don't think I've ever seen one of those before.

Mama Pea said...

The Weekend Homesteader - We hadn't either. We were kinda sad to see him leave so soon, but then I wanted him to reunite with his "flock" also. Hope he did.

Carolyn said...

Was the gull using the bird feeder as a peach as there was no other dry place to land?!

I'd say I'd send you some sunshine, but alas, we have been raining/cloudy/"cold" here also.

Mama Pea said...

Carolyn - I was just glad he didn't come pecking on the windows hoping to score some fish! Those birdies are BIG!

We have some sunshine so far this morning which is mighty welcome, I gotta tell ya. Hope it continues all day long. (Squish, squish.)