canada mayflower, rhodies, bleeding heart green beans, hummingbirds

Right next to the entry way of our house, at the base of a pale lilac rhododendron, the previous owners and/or nature sprites planted a whole mess of Canada mayflower. On May 18th, they were at this stage:

Just starting to open up.

They’re at this stage now – slightly faded, not yet Obviously Magnificently Preggers.

The scrawny kind of bleeding heart – I don’t know the official name – is likewise just starting to fade. Here’s one with a just-opening rhodie behind it...

I’m more partial to wildflowers, in theory, but it’s hard to resist the show being put on all around the house. I mean, what’s not to love about a humongous rhododendron right at your own front steps? It’s like being in the woods in West Virginia.

I’m not the only fan.

Those bleeding hearts make long green bean pods.

We also have the fat white kind. I’m new to them, more-or-less – still trying to figure out the order of events.

This might be the last of the bunch to get going. Oh crap, this is out of focus. Oops.

Eventually the bottoms go sproinnnngg...

OK, now I’m just geeking out and documenting the process, even though this isn’t the best shot...

Around the south side of the house, a batch of fat pink ones are the furthest along.

Also on the south side of the house, we have purple fireworks. I think they’re in the chive/onion realm.

At one point, a family of cardinals got all up in my grill. Or maybe Maggie’s grill. They were upset about something.

Note: a macro lens might not be the best choice on a bird. Speaking of which, the hummingbirds are eating us out of house and home. Seriously. They go through 2.5 cups of sweetened water in about five days.

Sir H. There are at least three or four couples right around here. I spy on them from the kitchen. They hesitate when they see me and often work their way around to the one hole opposite the feeder from my vantage point at the sink. But I’ve managed to get a few shots, mostly of females, who are slightly not-as-wary. Perhaps they recognize a kindred spirit in me.

I’m awfully fond of them.