Spring

Spring Birds and Flowers

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Peach background. Photo of two house sparrows on a branch. Text, "Spring Birds & Flowers. Petticoats & Pistols Blog"

We made it through winter! You might live in a warm weather climate, but here in northwest Ohio, winter can linger for far too long. In April, it snowed. It rained. One day it was in the eighties. We had severe storms. And we had sunshine. Go figure. Thankfully, it’s time for spring birds and flowers.

My husband and I spent a weekend working in the yard. He thatched the lawn, and our son and I raked the grass. I learned I had muscles I wasn’t aware of. I was pretty sore for a few days! But we also bought flowers to plant in pots on our deck and porch.

I love flowers.

I took this picture right after planting them. By the end of the month, the planter will be full of pretty petunias. 🙂

 

Deck and pot with white, purple and pink flowers

Another thing I love about spring? All the birds and bunnies and squirrels scurry around our feeders and birdbath. I watch them every morning while I sip coffee. It’s a blessing. The squirrels are silly. We have two regulars. One of them gnawed through the side hole of a birdhouse-turned-feeder, and he squeezed his way inside. His fluffy tail was sticking out of the feed tray. I laughed! I tried to take a picture of it. You can see his tail sticking out in the picture below.

Squirrel in birdfeeder

 

We have beautiful parks in our area, so I stopped at one along the Maumee River. I saw this chubby guy at their feeders. I don’t usually see raccoons out during the day! I figured it might be a pregnant raccoon, filling up before she has her babies. Who knows? She was cute, though.

 

Racoon at birdfeeder

The only birds I don’t like to see in my backyard are the predators–hawks, especially. They eat the sparrows and mourning doves. I don’t like it. I’m feeding the birds so they can live, not so they can be snacks! I know the hawks have to eat, too, but do they have to pick off the sweet little birds and bunnies in my yard? Ugh.

The hawk below is on the smaller side, and I saw him at the same park as the raccoon.

 

Hawk in tree

Oh well. Such is life.

We have two robin nests in our yard–one in the front and one in the back–but I don’t believe we have a cardinal nest this year. There must be one nearby, though, because we have a mama and daddy cardinal flying around, stopping at the feeders, every day. I love them. They’re such bright birds. Oh, and we have goldfinches. If you’d like to try to identify birds, check out AllAboutBirds.org.

What kind spring birds and flowers do you have? Do you have favorites?

Enjoy your day!

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Lilac Bride Sale

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I don’t know about you, but I love it when the lilacs bloom. I mean, really LOVE it!

The flowers, from the deep purples, to the creamiest whites, make me so happy. They make me think of spring, and bring to mind memories of picking them for my mom for Mother’s Day, and gathering them from my grandpa’s garden.

Their scent isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I find that fragrance to be glorious.

A few years ago, I wrote a story about a bride-to-be who wanted a spring wedding filled with lilacs in memory of her mother.

 

Then it seemed like nature and everything else conspired against her getting the wedding of her dreams.

Just when it looks like it will all fall apart, some meddling octogenarians (like fairy godmothers who need cholesterol meds and Aspercreme) come to the rescue.

For a limited time, you can get Lilac Bride for just 99 cents. If you haven’t read it yet, I hope you’ll give it a whirl!

When wedding plans go awry, wily matchmakers come to the rescue . . .

Katherine Kelly has been dreaming of her wedding since she was old enough to cut pictures out of magazines and glue them into her bridal binder. When Kaden, the handsome cowboy who holds her heart, proposes on a snowy Christmas Eve, she couldn’t envision anything more perfect or romantic. The spring date is set, all the nuptial details have been meticulously arranged, and she only has six weeks to go before the big day. Then, in a blink, her carefully formed plans begin to rapidly unravel. A freak snowstorm, rampaging rodents, and a lost wedding gown are only the beginning of the troubles they face.

Cowboy entrepreneur Kaden Ford still can’t quite believe Katherine Kelly agreed to marry him. She’s beautiful, elegant, intelligent, and the woman who fills his heart with joy. He doesn’t care if they get married in a cathedral or a cabin in the woods. All he wants is to spend his life loving Kat. But when faced with one overwhelming challenge after another, will love be enough to hold them together?

Find out in this sweet, charming, small-town romance full of laughter, love, and scheming octogenarian matchmakers.

What is your favorite flower fragrance?

Spring Branding

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On the ranch, spring means new calves! It’s an exciting time to see all the babies that have to be vaccinated and marked for identification. Believe it or not, cattle rustling is still common, so the mark is a necessary measure to keep cattle with their rightful owner.

Today we do our best to handle our animals with the least amount of stress possible. We freeze brand instead of hot brand. The freeze brand kills the hair follicle and the new hair that comes in is white, so instead of a scar, the animal has white hair in the shape of the brand. The freeze is accomplished by mixing dry ice and alcohol. The special iron is soaked in this solution in a cooler, and when it comes out, it’s extremely cold. Getting a freeze brand can be compared to removing a wart with liquid nitrogen.

Here are some photos from last spring’s branding:

First the cattle are brought in and the calves sorted out.

The calves are moved through a chute and put onto a rotating table, which is eased onto its side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once on its side, the calf gets the necessary vaccinations and the mark is applied. The record keeper marks down the ear tag number and the sex, and any important notes about the animal. If the animal has any injuries or concerns, they are dealt with then.

After the calve is marked and innoculated, it is released to return to its mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Branding is an activity shared by family, friends and neighbors. Everyone pitches in and afterward there’s a big dinner. This gathering of neighbors and friends is very important in communities where ranches are often separated by many miles, and many hands are needed to accomplish an necessary task.

 

Spring Filly Fun – And a Giveaway!!!

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It’s springtime at the Junction, and it’s my favorite season of the year. The countryside is turning green, wildflowers are blooming, the Texas sun shines without the deadly summer heat, and blue skies lift my spirits. The signs of new life and fresh beginnings fill me with hope.

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By far, my favorite spring sightings in Texas are the bluebonnets. I start looking for them every year around this time. They don’t generally start blooming this far north until April, but sometimes I catch a glimpse of a few early ones peeking through the grass along the highway.

One of my other favorite things about spring is all the birthdays in my family. My husband’s birthday was March 9, my youngest son’s was March 22, and today is my mom’s birthday.

In honor of my mom, I’m going to give away a set of three books by the lovely Tracie Peterson. This is her Sapphire Brides series – and since sapphires are blue and bluebonnets are blue – it seemed fitting. (OK, that’s a bit of a stretch, but who cares? It’s free books!)

  • To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment describing your favorite element of spring.