Word-light Wednesday: X Marks the Spot

X marks the spot where my heart sings! A little walk around the farm to show you some  wonderful spring things...

Peonies preparing to bloom, last year’s pampas grass preparing to fall, and flowering crabs in full glory.

Last year the crab apple trees had so few blooms I was afraid they were dying, but this year they are  smothered in blossoms.

So is the little cherry tree - I don't expect all these blossoms to become cherries, but just think if they did!

Serviceberries (aka Saskatoon berries, aka Juneberries) also blooming profusely.

The new orange beehive, with bees installed. I intended to paint art on the hive but the bees arrived a week early.

After 5 years of beekeeping I have finally mastered the art of  firing up the smoker.

The top bar hive now has hardware cloth over the openings to prevent the dang mice from getting inside.  For some reason it never occurred to me they could get up in there, but it turned into a perfect winter condominium for mice.

A peek at the top bar hive bees through the observation window.

SBF is now a member of the Xerces Society and we have a sign on the pollinator garden gate.

The yellow magnolia had one blossom!  I was just happy it survived the winter - the chickens had repeatedly scratched out all the mulch and soil, exposing the roots.

Tulips here and there.

Ever since we moved here I have dreamed of a sweep of Virginia Bluebells across the back yard.They are finally starting to multiply into a swath.

A 5 o’clock shadow of grass is now growing in most of the construction zones, including  around the new pond.

A few of the 150 daffodil bulbs that WWOOFer Elizabeth planted around the pond last November. They are all blooming despite having to push through heavy clay soil.

It is not very impressive yet, but I love the little pond and visit it several times a day. There are always fresh deer tracks. Once I discovered a pair of sandpipers exploring the edge.

The ducks are so happy we built them a real pond and spend all day every day swimming.

Now a pair of wild mallards are often swimming or sitting on the bank - perhaps nesting nearby?

One afternoon I heard loud singing and found toads mating - when I returned with my camera  there were strands of  pollywog eggs.
I have planted a few lily pads in the pond, released some native minnows (to hopefully consume any mosquito larvae), and planted native pond plants like marsh marigolds and blue flag iris along the edges. There are now water striders and water boatmen on the surface and will soon be pollywogs... it is so much  fun to see  this bare mud hole  transforming into a pond ecosystem!

 Columbine at the edge of the woods.

Volunteer squashes or pumpkins coming up everywhere along the path - seeds must have been in the compost they used to cover the septic construction area last fall.

Orange helping me take farm photos this morning.

The cows have now been feasting on fresh grass (and a few leaves if they can reach them) for a week and they are SO HAPPY.

I have not been milking LaFonda all winter, letting Splotch  nurse so I wouldn’t have to in the cold. But this morning she was complaining she was so full that I thought I would have to quick clean out the milking parlor (it has 100 folding chairs and my mosaic materials stored inside right now.)  Must be all that lush grass she is eating. But when I came back out to set up the milking parlor, Splotch was dutifully nursing, giving me a reprieve.
Time to get back to planting the veggie garden--photos of that coming soon.