Turkey Strut In The Front Yard

We looked out our front window the other day and saw this spring display.

Wild turkeys roam our neighborhood and our pastures below the house. We have a large front yard and sometimes they congregate there and just mosey around. No cows bother them here.

Today though, they are in full turkey strut. I took these photos through the front window because going outside would have probably scared them off. 

According to NWTF, the strut of a wild turkey consists of five activities.

1. They drop their wings and allow them to touch the ground.

2. They fan their tails.

3. Their heads turn blue, or sometimes red and the crown is usually pure white.

4. They poof out their breast feathers to make themselves look larger.

5. They will position their necks into an S shape.

One more thing...during a strut they usually take a few steps and shake, then utter a spitting sound and/or a deep drumming sound.

Next time they strut in my yard I will sneak outside to try to hear that, because I didn't from inside the house. I did see them shake though.

Strutting, is, of course, a courtship display. It usually occurs in an open field with plenty of sunlight, where they can fan out and show off their fine feathers to the hens. I don't know if males fight each other, but I did see them getting up in each others faces a time or two. 

So interesting I had to share it with you. Here is the link to read more about the Turkey Strut. NWTFhttp://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/why-the-strut

2018 Early Spring In the Pacific Northwest

Simply Gorgeous Weather

Sometimes in February here in the Pacific Northwest, we have lovely spring weather that makes us feel so glad and happy that spring is here Temperatures run in the high 50's and even mid to low 60's. It can be absolutely hot on our south facing porch. We eat our lunch there and then we do gardening chores like pruning roses and blueberries. We boast to each other that we live in Gods Country. Aren't we so very lucky ?!?  Aren't we so favored?!?  We won't even Think about March, however. We just won't even go there....because we very well know about the term.....False Spring. But we will enjoy it while we can. Sigh....

Because, right now, the birds are singing and playing in the yard. Big ones and little ones.

I saw an early bee. A lovely little honey bee sipping nectar from my Andromeda bush that is just now beginning to bloom.

An early daffodil and many more to come.

I love hellebore, sometimes called Lenten Rose.  I grew this plant from seed many years ago. It never fails to give us a nice show. The blooms start out like this one, a drooping bell and then they open wide and go to a lovely shade of mauve when older. Hellebore's usually have long lives and start their blooms in early spring. The blooms last a long time and seem to go on forever.  You just can't ask for more from a plant. 

I must not forget to add these adorable, sweet smelling violets that grow wild in my yard. I can always count on them in Feb. no matter the weather. They are not only adorable and sweet smelling, these little harbingers of spring are also edible and medicinal. They can make a very effective cough syrup. They make darling little bouquets in tiny vases for my kitchen window sill. Or, decorate a cake top with pretty purple blooms.

And, now...here is a shot of the geraniums in my cool maritime greenhouse, accompanied by frogs. See the pair peeking out of the green planter?

Happy Valentines Day.