Thursday, March 4, 2021

Hints of Spring?

 March has come in more like a lamb than a lion, for which I am most grateful!


At the ditch, the ice is going out and the ducks and geese can choose from swimming to sunning on the still-frozen sections. 


The Canada Geese have returned, co-existing peacefully with their fellow water fowl.


It's still nippy enough, though, that more than a few were huddled, head under wing.

These icicles looked beautiful hanging from the eaves, but were repeatedly knocked down to prevent pulling on them too much (or landing on someone's head. They melted in a day.


I've notice my squirrel and bird friends were crowding the feeders. Since the big melt, they are here a bit less.

 

We've enjoyed some tasty dinners recently, including this salmon recipe from the New York Times using a dill and ginger paste for the salmon. Served with tiny potatoes with fresh tarragon and thyme and roasted Roma tomatoes with fresh herbs and cheese, we were more than satisfied.


The salad was good, too, with orange, blueberries, avocado, spinach and a dressing made with the orange juice.


Our snow is melting, with a week or so scheduled to have forty-degree or higher weather. And in the garden? A sign of spring -- the first daffodil sprout.


No, we won't see these materialize until April or early May and no doubt will fall under snow again -- but it is a sign! 


But till then, I leave you with another view of my woodpecker! Have a great weekend!

Sharing with:    Saturday's Critters      /     Pink Saturday     

54 comments:

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

wonderful signs of spring to come - I miss croscus, daffodills, and all the flowering spring plants - ah, forsythia!

Divers and Sundry said...

That salad looks especially delicious. I enjoy fruit in salads. That little woodpecker is adorable :) I have buds on my patio but no blooms yet. Down here we won't be getting any more snow, and with highs in the 60s the flowers will be blooming soon.

Sakuranko said...

Oh so cute photos darling
xx

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Glad you are seeing signs of spring! Dinner looked good!

Valerie-Jael said...

Spring is in its way! Hugs, Valerie

Linda Sue said...

OH BEAUTY! A loaded post that has certainly made my day! (and made me hungry) Beautiful shots, Ms. Jeanie- hope of spring right around the corner! I do love your woodpecker.

Sandra Cox said...

As always,love the photos. The meal looks delicious.
Sorry I've been tardy. I was having internet problems. Sigh.

DUTA said...

The woodpecker in your last picture is so cute! Makes one ignore snow, ice, cold weather , and think ahead to Spring, warmth, growth, blooming.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love that little Downy and seeing the touches of Spring is nice. I love the sunshine today! Hugs!

Martha said...

Such beautiful signs of spring, enjoy!

Blondie's Journal said...

Oh goodness, did we get the snow or what? It's slowly melting but that's fine because I hate the mud the dogs bring in. Your birdie pictures make me smile. I have the never ending house sparrows building nests year round in my birdhouses. They chase away every other sort of bird. I'll have a better go of it at the lake. Hope to get up there Saturday as we have some repairs going on.

The recipes look delish. It's been a long time since I've actually made a salad from a recipe. We usually have a side salad every evening, just different types of greens and the basic cucumbers and tomatoes. Time to step it up Jane!!

Stay safe and big hugs,

Jane

Pom Pom said...

Hi Jeanie! Oh! The woodpecker is beeeeyoootiful! What a great shot!
Your dinners look and sound super yummy! Yay for spring! I'm ready!

gigi-hawaii said...

I love your spring. It is perpetual summer here in Hawaii. I love your salmon and all the trimmings. I want to replicate it. And your salad looks great, too.

mel said...

We've had a couple of false starts with spring as well...but the temperatures for next week look promising!! Yesterday afternoon I heard the first red-winged blackbird which is a definite sign that the season has shifted....now all I need is a robin sighting. xo

William Kendall said...

You have lots of bird company.

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Thank you for the link to the salmon recipe
Adding salmon brightens up the menu

anno said...

Wonderful to see your lovely woodpecker -- it's the model for my latest very rough sketch! And that salmon meal... looks fantastic! So many colors! So many exciting flavors! So nice to be feeling all the possibilities of spring again...

Barb said...

Your dinner and salad look yummy. I like making greens and fruit salads with fish. It's snowing hard here today after several days of spring-like weather. No daffodils for me!

Pamela said...

The birds and the dinner and the beginnings of a flower popping above ground - all things to be happy about. I love the little woodpecker!

Lowcarb team member said...

Both the salmon dish and the salad look delicious ...

Lovely photographs on your post.
Spring is getting nearer.

All the best Jan

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

The signs of spring and the food look great!

Prims By The Water said...

No signs of Spring yet on this side of the state. Not even a robin. What a wonderful dinner you had! Janice

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Such a darling male Downy, Jeanie. So glad you are seeing harbingers of Spring up your way. We have had a tease the last couple of days with our temps nearing 60 degrees. Tomorrow we will see the return of cooler days. Ah, but spring is not far now! Your salmon dinner looks wonderful. Such a good healthy fish.

Iris Flavia said...

Those are most wonder-and peaceful pics!
Sadly not a fish-fan but the salad looks yummy!
THAT is a woodpecker? I thought they were much larger.

Rustic Pumpkin said...

Drat, was going to get that recipe, for it sure looks delicious, but the NY Times won't let me access it. Sighs. Will have to play about with ingredients myself. It all looks so delicious and tempting.
Thank you for your lovely comments on my blog too!
Waving~~~Deb in Wales

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie,

Love the ducks and your sweet Woodpecker, great photos. The dinner looks delicious and I love the salad too. Our snow is melting, I am looking forward to warmer days and longer daylight.
Take care, have a happy day!

Tracy said...

Ooo...sooo lovely, Jeanie!! Can almost feel the sun sparkle-warmth through the screen! So good to see the signs of spring. Here March can be very fickle... one day a whiff of spring, the next winter is back full force. Not much green popping up yet, but hopefully soon! Delicious food--that salmon especially. So good to catch up with you & yours... Can Big Baby Grand be 4 already??!! WHAT??!! How could that happen so fast?! Those little boys are just tooo CUTE!! Glad Rick is Covid-negative after his travel recently. What's with no masks??!! I just. don't. get. it. :( It's one of the few easy ways to help keep things in check along this bumpy road to that Freedom from Covid! Y'all be keeping well & safe there! ((LOVE & HUGS))

Joanne Huffman said...

The dinner photos look delicious! The woodpecker looks charming. It's always so good when March lets you know winter won't last forever.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I think that little male Downy Woodpecker has become your personal buddy, Jeanie, and a finer friend no one could wish for. As for spring, it is manifesting itself here too. I always remember that at this early stage in March we may get another blast of snow, but it is generally short-lived and the flowers will soon appear, and Morning Cloaks will be flitting around. Any day now I expect to see my first Killdeer. It is a wonderful time of the year. Now if only we can get rid of this damn COVID.

shoreacres said...

I've suddenly been hearing woodpeckers all around, hammering away. I've spotted them three times, and they're on the palm trees. I didn't realize they'd like palms, but apparently in Florida they use them for nesting. Amazing. I enjoyed the photos of the geese on ice, too. When I start feeling too bad for our cold birds, I'll remember that they're a lot tougher than we realize; goose down is used in human jackets for a reason!

My name is Erika. said...

So nice to see your great photos Jeanie. You do have lots of signs of spring. Love seeing all the birds and how the water in the ditch is melting. Hurrah! Not so much at my house, except for mud, but as I drive closer to the cost there are more which means it is coming my way! Have a great end of your week. Hugs-Erika

La Table De Nana said...

Encouraging Jeanie!

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

It’s feeling springlike here, too! We are supposed to get up to 60 next week! I am so excited!! It has been nice and sunny and the snow is really melting. I am hoping we can go to the park this weekend. Paul really wanted to go last weekend but it was way too wet and messy with snow. That meal looks delicious!!

Sandra at Maison De Jardin said...

Good morning, Jeanie. I love your "hints of spring." And, I am very sure you are enjoying them. Your ditch photos are great. Every morning we hear and see a few geese fly over, our home is close to the river. I do enjoy hearing and seeing them.

Your recipes look wonderful and I may give them a try. We both love salmon.

It is a beautiful day here, but quite cold. At least we have blue skies and the daffodils will be blooming soon and we have had our first COVID shot. YEAH! Enjoy spring as she slowly unfolds.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

We were besieged by goldfinches this winter, but I've only seen a few since we had the freeze. I wonder if they will be on their way up to you.

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Hi Jeanie,
Such beautiful photos. The photos of dinner look so yummy!
I think you should paint that beautiful woodpecker.
Thank you so much for your kind words about Camelia.
blessings,
Penny

Anonymous said...

Jeanie, what a sweet looking little woodpecker and your dinner looks amazing. We might?? have some snow this weekend. I won't hold my breath..Stay well..xxoJudy

Polly said...

Lovely photos, and delicious food :-)

Mike@Bit About Britain said...

Wonderful hints of spring, Jeanie. Last week, we had wall-to-wall blue skies in our little part of the UK - back to trying not to be too dull now, though the daffs are on their way! Loved your great woodpecker - his transatlantic cousin perches on a tree outside our kitchen window.

Red Rose Alley said...

Looks like Spring is on its way, Jeanie. It's still very cold here, and I think Spring comes a bit later here in the mountains, but that's Ok, as I'm still enjoying the Winter. That little Woodpecker is so sweet. And that is a pretty picture of the geese. They have such funny long necks. I just saw a pair driving home from the creek the other day. Your meals always look so delicious.

Have a restful weekend, Jeanie.

~Sheri

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

So nice to see the signs of spring! You have a lot of ducks and geese in the little pond. Dinner looks delish and so healthy, too. Great icicle pic and sweet little woodpecker friend. Hopefully spring will come early this year. Hugs xo Karen

Tammie Lee said...

Your little woodpecker is so cute. It looks so tiny, like a downy woodpecker, but maybe it is larger than I can tell from the photo. I see them most days at the suet feeder. Sweet o hear and watch.

Your food looks so yummy. must be dinner time ;-)

Evi Erlinda said...

It is a beautiful woodpecker!
Salads, salmon and roasted tomatoes look so good!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I LOVE your eternal optimism, Jeanie. I also LOVE that meal you fixed. I could eat that salad all day long, and even the salmon looked good. Other than the salmon, it's a vegetarian's delight. As always, you take the most incredible photos.

The French Hutch said...

The first sign of spring is always a thrill for me. After all that ice and snow I am sure it is special for you. Lovely photos of the ditch with the ice melting but still looks so cold. We have had a lot of cool to cold weather this season, of course along with the very mild to hot days mixed in. Love the dinner, looks delicious and that salad! Great snap of the woodpecker. Now I feel the need for a walk to our ponds to see the ducks........Happy weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie,
Spring is near, next week we change the clocks. I like the longer daylight!
Your Geese and Woodpecker photos are wonderful. The snow and ice is melting here, slowly.
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your weekend! PS, thank you for visiting and leaving me a comment.

Anca said...

The woodpecker is so cute! I love your outdoor posts. With the lockdowns, we've been staying close to home, so no interesting walks for us, besides in the local cemetery, where is very quiet and rather lovely.

Karen said...

Whew! It came in like a lion here! Blizzard and cold.

Marilyn Miller said...

I love seeing that spring will return to your place too. Those little signs do wonders for my heart. You salmon and the salad both looks delicious. Those are some icicles and ice on the pond too. Welcome back to birds. Yes, our March came in rather like a lamb too. Hoping that it doesn't go out like a lion.

Shiju Sugunan said...

Beautiful photos on your post!

Victoria Zigler said...

I'm glad you're starting to see signs of Spring... I know you always look forward to the nicer weather showing up.

thepaintedapron.com said...

I'm glad you're seeing signs of Spring Jeanie! The woodpecker capture is wonderful~ we are supposed to have temps in the 70s all week with sunshine, so I'm a happy girl!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Delicious food and cute little birds to brighten your views!
Our Spring also came in like a lamb, but I'm not fooled as I know Colorado will see much more snow before Winter is done with us. We may actually get a big snowfall this upcoming weekend even though today it is 65 degrees!

crackercrumblife said...

Little woodpeckers! We have one that visits everyday and we love to listen for him in the morning. :)

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