There have been feathers and flowers in my life

I've been so remiss about posting.  I've certainly enjoyed everyone else's blogging but I've been missing in action. 

I did make my annual trip to the south Texas coast during the spring bird migration.  It took a while longer to get there because we drove through rain for about 90% of the trip.   I think we had thunderstorms every night of the week we were there and our house was rockin' and rollin'.  Since Hurricane Ike, all houses rebuilt on the Bolivar Peninsula are raised on pilings.    Days included some rain but we were able to be out and about most of the time.

Scissor-tail flycatcher

I did all the driving on this trip as we were on my vehicle, although my buddy Larry would have helped out had I asked.   The three of us have birded together so much that we all know how to move along or linger so that we're all happy.  We did trek through a lot of mud and puddles on some days.  My hiking shoes weren't the waterproof ones so my feet got wet.  I always wear wool socks with those shoes anyway so my feet didn't get cold.

Because I was driving and the drippy woods, I didn't take many pictures. 

Purple Gallinule 

Here on the homefront, I arranged for a local nursery to put in a new flower bed and a new raised bed.  Took for-ev-er to get it all done. 

New perennial bed newly planted

One month later

Of course, it looks differently now.  All in all, I'm pleased with it.  I thought there would be less weeds but I'm finding that we have to crawl up that hill every so often to pull grass or weeds.  Not fun, at least to me. 

The new raised bed at the end of the house is still a work in progress.  I have a few plants waiting to go in here and it'll need mulch once that's done.  

New raised bed

I can see this bed from my sewing room downstairs.  That was a primary reason for having it put in, so that I would be able to see flowers from there.  Although, I can see the other perennial bed through the side window.  I have a bird feeder out there and some days there are so many birds flitting around it looks like yellow snow.  Goldfinches.  And lots of other things too. 

Hope everybody has been well and is having a good summer, even with the weird weather all around. 

Y'all take care.