The Violet Fern

April entered the ring like a lion – roaring , huffing and more than puffing. The winds were gale force of the likes of hurricanes, no exaggeration, 30+ mph! The rustic arbor that designates the Potager, a structure that has withstood blizzards and weather of all sorts for the past three years, even succumbed. My spirits crumpled at the sight.

The winds ravaged on for days. The back door needed to be latched at all times or else it was swinging big band time. More shingles hit the fan. Winter? Well, that was mild. I even considered moving, again! A nice zone 6 perhaps? A little bit of “seasoning” but none of this [beep] #*!.

Then, “A” sunny day. A little warmer temperatures. Another sunny day. A shower or two – this is April after all – but it was a long, trying-the-patience wait in line.

With my “contractor’s” help, we hauled up the arbor to standing. We can rebuild. We have the technology. We have the capability to build our first bionic arbor! And here it stands for another sunny day with vampire stakes to prevent any hurricane, gale force winds from knocking ‘er down again.

The birds are out in full force as well. Their chorus is so welcome. Birds I have hated in the past I now make my peace with – house sparrows, starlings, grackles. The house sparrows are building nests in our unfinished porch gables – okay for now but not next year little birdies. The starlings have kindly pointed out a rotten area in our workshop/garage and have set up house in what humorously appears to be the gutter. Thank you, we will be patching that up this Fall. I am actually enjoying the male’s evening rant – a run down of odd sounds including a duck quack. His sound mimics really are interesting, and entertaining. This is the first year I have observed grackles gathering nest materials and wonder if they do indeed have a nest nearby. They are very intolerant of the “three amigos” – a small band of crows that have taken advantage of the blue jays’ peanut bar.

A robin, a bird I have always been fond of, has decided to take the next ride in our canoe.

I am always excited when a new bird visits the Violet Fern garden. I looked out from the workshop while “bagging and tagging” – all part of the job, to see an Eastern Towhee! It made my day. Here is a short video (taken through the window) of the Towhee. He is beneath a bird feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed. (I watched him scratch up leaves in Towhee two-step style a little later in the day.) He is in a new part of the garden under construction, Hosta Row. It is also where our canoe is stored and the nesting robin … delays, delays.

And so this month of alternate personalities – March? April? – leaves us “like a lamb” – warm, mild and sunny.

The Mayapples a friend of mine dug up for me last year are just opening – we are back on track in May.