Most of the apple blossoms have fallen off the trees with the wind and the lilacs have been tattered by rain but for a few days they flashed their colors in the sunshine.
Lilacs Catching the Sun
I startled two deer on my lawn this evening when I went outside to put more strings out for the orioles. I can’t seem to keep enough jelly or strings out to satisfy them but when I see the females taking three strings at a time, it is no wonder I can’t cut enough. And of course it is the female oriole doing all the working building the nest and collecting the strings and grass to build it. At least the males could haul the materials to the nest if the female does all the building. It is interesting to spot the red and white strings in the nests.
Strings in Oriole Nest
Watch the Orioles taking strings for building nests.
I imagine there are some wet, cold and soggy campers today, especially if in a tent. The water was running high in ditches from all the rain and the air had a bite to it with temperatures in the low forties. Soldiers in the 1800s probably appreciated a roof over their heads too rather than a leaking tent. These buildings were part of Fort Wilkins which were established in 1844.
Old Fort Buildings
This tree branch has fallen and has been weathered for a few years. With the storms today, there are more trees down as tornadoes touched down in several spots. One tornado hit a mobile home area, which left one confirmed dead and more than two dozen injured, as it wiped out numerous homes. No one can control Mother Nature but at least I only had rain and some little hail.
Weathered Limb