Normally we welcome Friday with a toast…hey it is Friday after all, the gateway to fun weekends, but today it’s a twofer. Today we join our friends Rosy and her brothers (one of whom is celebrating the big s-e-v-e-n we might add) from LLB in Our Backyard with Nature Friday and also to celebrate World Parrot Day with our avian friend, Kismet, a curmudgeon blue Indian Ringneck parrot. Don’t forget to click on the links to see what all is shared from Blogville for these two special events.
Happy birthday, Arty. Seven never looked better and well, Kismet…you may be a curmudgeon, but hey, on you it looks good. We hope you both have a fun filled day full of treats and smiles. And yes, that does mean lots of sunflower seeds, Kismet.
To celebrate, we’re sharing a bouquet of purple taken earlier this morning. With Mother Nature bringing lots of moisture to the garden this May, the Lupines, Irises and other early perennials are showing why this time of year is a favorite around our ‘hood.
Another purplish-blue standout in our garden also happens to be the state flower, the Columbine. Growing up I didn’t realize Columbines were any other color than this beautiful purplish-blue though I now know there are other colors. Seeing the morning light shine through the delicate petals makes me realize why the blue version was chosen as our state flower.
When I first moved to the Mile High City, my son was given a cockatiel bird who lived with us for over twenty years. Guinevere was quite the character and I was surprised that I became pretty attached to her. I don’t have any digital images of her but hoped that Kismet will not be offended by this last photo homage from a few years ago after a family of squatters sparrows moved into a holiday garland near the back entrance of the house. It’s the closest thing I have in my digital library to honor her. Having neglected to remove the garland after the holidays (too wimpish because it was too cold, too snowy and probably too lazy as well), once I realized they’d built a nest, I didn’t want to disturb them and were delightfully entertained while they were residents. Which mostly translated to being dive bombed by the parents whenever I came out of the house or shrieked at by the babies for interrupting their meals. Birds aren’t the most affectionate of Mother Nature’s creatures, but still they sure are lovely and fascinating to watch.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s twofer, Nature Friday and World Parrot Day. Make it a great weekend and get out there to enjoy what Mother Nature shares with us every day. For those of you in the Midwest who have been pummeled with storms, we are thinking of you and sending oodles of poodles of thoughts and prayers. Be safe and keep smiling.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Your garden is wooftastic !
Birds are pawsitively not dogs but I know my huMom thinks they’re pawtacular.
I heard her say she loves to sit under the tree out back & listen in on their conversations.
💜none nudges 💜
Aww thank you. We’re big fans of our feathered friends too.
Your flowers are so pretty! We had a cockatiel that we raised from pre-feathers age. His name was jazz and he would talk and whistle the theme song from Andy Griffith. He was a cool but very loud pet.
Loud is a polite way of saying it. Sometimes the only way we could get Guinevere to chill out was by covering her cage. In the middle of the day! 🥰
Oh, lookie at those babies!!! Yes, they can be VERY messy too! and Ma thinks I’M messy! PFFFT!
You should see all the seeds and feathers and stuffs that come outta Ma’s Burdie’s cage! I would gets the side-eye If I did that! geesh.
Anyhu, your blooms are most lovely!!!! I likes all the purple hues.
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
Messy was an understatement, Ruby! A real understatement. 😊
Look at it their way. You’re usurping their house.
Then again, they ‘were’ trespassing. 🙂
We did enjoy your twofur! All the rain we have had lately has really greened everything up
hugs
Mabel
The rain has been great and we’ll be especially appreciative once the temps start to heat up.
I hope that noisy bird paid you handsomely for all that advertising! SQWAAAAK.
🤞🏻
Not sure if my comments are making it through … I hope so!
They are coming through. Think WP was somewhat slow in them showing up. Have a good weekend!
God certainly knew what He was doing when he created wonderful creatures and plants to accompany them!
God knew what he was doing when he created the creatures and plants to accompany them!
Indeed ‘she’ did. 😇
Arty thanks you so much for your birthday wishes and for showing us your beautimous flowers!!
Happy Parrot Day!
Thanks. An extra ear rub for the birthday boy. 🎉
You have a really beautiful garden. Hugs to Elsa and Sam.
Kosmo and Kristiina
Thank you, Kosmo and Kristiina. All the rain and snow brought out its best features. 😊
Beautiful yard, Monika. Lots of action with the birds I’ll bet.
More squirrels than birds though we manage a few interesting critters from time to time, i.e. raccoons, rabbits and before over development, foxes. Even deer have dropped in despite only being 3 miles from downtown Denver.
We have two mothers and three fawns. The twins are the cutest.
I can only imagine. All legs and cuteness suppose. 😊
Yup. Quick runs and then startled stops.
Your flowers are so beautiful! We love Lupines!
Thank you, Molly. They’re big favorites of mine too. I love it when it rains and droplets form in the leaves like little diamonds.
Such beautiful flowers. Have a great weekend.
Why thank you. Hope you have a wonderful weekend as well.
Love the garden. Beautiful.
♪♪Happy Birthday to you,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday to you,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday Dear Arty,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday to you.♪♪
Happy World Parrot Day to my buddy, Kismet.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥
I love how lupines seem to just pop out of the ground. And those columbines are daintily beautiful.
What? 20+ years and you have no pics? Oh, digital pics…nothing stops you from taking a digital pic of a paper pic 😉
I love that the family of birds lived in your garland. I definitely would not have disturbed them either, even if they did dive-bomb me.
There are boxes and boxes of negatives and prints that need tending to-it’s just such a daunting and overwhelming project. I know of one from a very hot summer day; not particularly flattering of me. The bird looked great though!
Yes, these lupines have a habit of sprouting in some of the most unexpected places.I’ve removed probably as many as are remaining because they’re in the wrong place. I need to start training them where to live. 😁
I can well imagine. I have it on my agenda to transfer slides and negs into digital. One day. And stop it. You are too hard on yourself.
They just self-seed willy-nilly, eh? They are like men. Don’t listen…
🤣 Now THAT was a funny thought. Love it!
Tee hee!
I once had a beautiful relationship with a parrot until the owner moved out of the area, Remarkable creatures,
They definitely like what (and who) they like and no amount of coaxing seems to make a difference. Guinevere positively despised my daughter but was most comfortable around my son and I. She would raze a ruckus if any of the dogs got around her too. Funny bird.
World parrot day is being celebrated here by a flock of them gorging on the jocote tree by the pool.
Well then, let the party begin!
oh the little birds… I’ve been watching them build nests, and mate, and chase off squirrels in our yard.
Sparrows are fierce little things, but I absolutely love them!
We just love your garden and you are just so lucky to have the sparrows make their home there. Happy World Parrot day Kismet. What a beauty! 😀
Thanks, Rambo. I hope the sparrows will return again some time in the future. They’re so much fun to watch.
I am sure they will. They’ve seen that your house is safe for them. Enjoy them. 😀
Gotta love the fact that there is a World Parrot Day. In my blogging past, I used to research and post all those celebrations. Cheers to your friends and their celebrations – and to those beautiful blooms. Cheers – It’s noon somewhere — Clink.
Now that’s the way to celebrate a twofer! Happy hour 🥂
🙂
What a wonderful garden! 🙂
Thanks, that’s very kind praise.
Happy World Parrot Day to Kismet and all our feathered friends! Your garden is looking fantastic!
Many thanks. Amazing what some rain and snow does for the yard.