I have many things to smile about this week and it’s only Tuesday morning!
First, of course, there’s Katie-girl who makes me smile most days even when she’s getting me up to go out into the pre-dawn morning. Which lately has been very cold to boot.
And I have what now appears to be multiple orioles at my feeder. Last night there was a series of orioles usurping each other, including the orchard oriole who I hadn’t seen for several days.
But the biggest smile today happened just moments ago. I was taking bed sheets off sensitive perennials in my garden, covered last night to protect them from frost and this morning’s snow. It was early, the rising sun was melting the last bits of snow and warming the air. As I pulled the sheets away from the tender shoots I caught a flash of yellow in my red crab apple tree.
Just a goldfinch I thought, but something wasn’t right about the shade of yellow, and I looked again.
A rounder shape, black and white stripes…he hopped along the branches of the crab apple, just a few feet from my head…then he popped out to the end of the branch and the sun lit up his yellow throat.
And me with no camera.
I stood still and we eyed each other. He tilted his head to get a better view of me. I whispered a “thank you sweetie,” to him. We stood that way for a long time and then he flew into the neighbor’s yard.
I’ve never seen this bird before and he’s not in my Michigan bird book. But I went online and found him.
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-throated-warbler
He was absolutely stunning, and he’s not supposed to be in Michigan. The site says it’s even unusual that he’d be in northern Ohio. I wish I’d had the camera, but probably if I’d lifted a camera to my eye he’d have been frightened off and I wouldn’t have had those long moments with him. So I’ll keep him in my memory and be grateful I saw him at all.
Oh, another smile, also early this morning:
It’s what’s left of the infamous flower super moon of earlier in the month. It’s not full but it’s still beautiful.
Two smiles in one day and it’s barely 9:30 in the morning. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the day has in store for me!
May 12, 2020 at 9:58 am
Now that’s what I call getting the day off to a good start.
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May 14, 2020 at 9:26 am
It was a good day!
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May 12, 2020 at 10:23 am
Very cool, and not just the weather… It is funny that it was stretching its range north during a time of record cold. Must make it want to go back south again 😉
Have a great day 🙂
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May 14, 2020 at 9:26 am
I know. I felt bad for him, and then we had two more nights of freeze warnings. I hope he’s ok.
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May 12, 2020 at 11:09 am
Wow! It’s a great day for sure! Smiles all around!
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May 14, 2020 at 9:26 am
Agree!
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May 12, 2020 at 11:12 am
those are some excellent things to smile about!!! Especially the yellow birdie!
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May 14, 2020 at 9:27 am
I know, he was soooo sweet!
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May 12, 2020 at 11:17 am
I don’t know what it is about Katie’s little paws, but I smile every time I see them. Must have to do with my cats’ paws being so cute, too. I’d be smiling with everything you saw. Slept right through the flower moon…..
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May 14, 2020 at 9:28 am
She has cute little feet, especially after she’s been to the groomer. I try to keep the fur in check there, only somewhat effectively. She gets ‘grinch’ feet, with long fur growing out of the tops of them if it’s not kept in check. Neither of my two previous shelties had feet that needed this much attention. She is, truly, a princess.
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May 12, 2020 at 11:18 am
Good for you!
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May 14, 2020 at 9:28 am
Thanks!
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May 12, 2020 at 11:46 am
Your day is off to a beautiful start, Dawn, and I’m so happy for you!
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May 14, 2020 at 9:29 am
It turned out to be a nice day all around! Yesterday was nice too. Even today, when it’s raining and going to rain all day, is pretty nice. Because rain means no moving mulch. Win/win.
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May 12, 2020 at 1:27 pm
I’ve never seen one of those warblers, and since they’re rare for these parts, I’m rather surprised you did. Still, what a blessing, to see something so beautiful, and how cool that you just enjoyed the moment and the memory (though I’d have liked seeing him, too!) Poor Princess looks cold, but I’ll bet she loves it!
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May 14, 2020 at 9:30 am
The Princess enjoyed all the cold, the freeze warnings, and the snow. Mama did not. I’m surprised about seeing the warbler too! I’m so glad I did though! And in a budding tree with the morning light on him. AMAZING!
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May 12, 2020 at 2:04 pm
That’s a beautiful photo of the moon. I like seeing the moon, so I’d be smiling too. It’s the small things that bring me the most joy.
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May 14, 2020 at 9:30 am
Me too. Like reading comments from people like you! 🙂
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May 12, 2020 at 4:45 pm
Sounds like a very good start to the day. Your warbler is beautiful. How lucky to have spotted him. He reminds me a little of the prairie warblers that hang out here. 🙂
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May 14, 2020 at 9:32 am
For years I had no idea we even had warblers….and then I was camping at the campground only a couple exits up the road, in the only really secluded site and this little yellow guy kept popping up and jumping around in the bushes. Yellow warbler. Who knew! I really only know the birds that come to my feeders. But there’s a whole lot more living in my backyard that don’t freeload off of me!
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May 13, 2020 at 7:52 am
Your warbler is a good friend; it eats mosquitoes, ants, scale insects, aphids & spiders. 🙂
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May 14, 2020 at 9:33 am
And it was pretty too! I’m pretty sure he was eating insects off the ground when I spotted him, then he went up into the tree and hopped around the branches, I think looking for insects there too. Was so fun to watch.
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May 14, 2020 at 9:06 am
Excellent smiles!! Such a beautiful morning you had! 😀🥰
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May 14, 2020 at 9:33 am
I sure did!
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Pingback: The Weekly Smile Recap for 5/11 – 5/17/2020 | Trent's World (the Blog)
May 18, 2020 at 8:16 am
I especially liked the photo of the bird, oriole, against the colors of he bird feeder.
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May 18, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Your dog is just too beautiful.
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