Nature and the Old Crabapple Tree

The old Crabapple tree laden with fruit in late summer... I would like to say Fall but Fall forgot to come this year... 

 snow came early and softened all that wonderful fruit... 

 yesterday and today the Cedar Waxwings came... a huge flock, chittering and tweeteling, having a feast of the little apples... they were very hard to see without a closer look, but then I saw them everywhere in amongst the branches...

as they ate being very sociable and sharing with each other, I saw and heard bits and parts of the apples falling to the ground, landing on the snow... it was littered with mushy red apple pieces.... 

 wasn't long before the deer knew about it and joined in... different size groups came and went ... sometimes 5... sometimes 7... sometimes just a mother and a baby...

 Snow began falling again this afternoon and looked so pretty... each apple with a little snow cap...

Nature...

 it was beautiful to see this ecosystem happening before me and I am thankful for it.

The Garden Went In and It Progressed

And it all seemed to happen so fast... 

It's Green... and Summer is Here..... at long last

The land has its' green finery on.  Wow I love this time of year!

 Everything feels fresh and new.  

We took a walk down the road and had a gaze across a section of the Saint John River valley stretching west.

 ...on the way there, we went through this green glade.

I never tire of the floral gifts that nature offers.

Hosta just new for this year from a root from my younger sister.. such a hardy plant.

oh so excited!!!  Lots of new perennials for the new little old house, to be set into the garden ... can't wait to see them become their full selves.

an invitation to have tea under the oak that is hard to resist.

 chives.. they have a medieval charm to me

and the precious old fashioned bleeding hearts and bachelor's buttons.

so pretty... Lupins appearing anywhere they want

I don't know this flower that was growing by the roadside

wild grapes above and fragrant yellow lilies below

Giant Ichneumon Wasp, he's a good guy.. sat on this leaf for several hours resting

check that tail piece out! part of it's reproduction apparatus.

Yellow Spotted Salamander, he's a good guy too. He can live to be 20-30 years old can you believe it!

 he was about 4-5" long.. so gentle and quiet.. hardly moved at all....

 found him in the garden and took him back to be my garden helper.. he likes slugs..

 that is a good friend to have!!

 ...kind of has a little seal face, don't you think?

Now take a deep breath and make a wish... have a fabulous summer.. 

Time for me to plant flowers and make more jewelry . 

cheerio!!