Return of the Hummingbirds! / Enchanted Spring

Don't blame it on me; blame it on my wild heart. . . .

Last week, after reading reports online that the hummingbirds had reached Pennsylvania, I cleaned, filled, and hung our first feeder from the clothes line over the deck. I've been waiting impatiently, if you must know, jumping at every reference: they're in Philly, they're in Harrisburg, they're in Stormstown. And finally, I am happy to report: THEY ARE HERE!!!

Around 5:45 p.m. on this day, I looked out onto our deck to spot the arrival of our very first bird, a tiny male ruby throat hummingbird. He looked to be about twice the size of a bumblebee, small and fat and round. He was instantly chased away by a second, somewhat larger hummingbird.

I pulled up a chair by the kitchen table, got out my camera and my monopod, and waited for some shots, which I did finally get. This was the first bird I was able to get pictures of, but it is not the first bird I saw, which was much smaller than this. I will try to get us a photo of the spunky little guy some other day, assuming he sticks around. The gorget (throat) looks black in this light; at other angles, it appears a shiny, spectacular, ruby red.

Some of the first birds through are just travelers, not stayers; they are still on their journey, and they welcome the hospitality of our feeders, which help get them through during times when the flowers are still a bit sparse on the landscape. The best mix is just water and sugar, 4:1 ratio, no red dye.

In other news, my husband wanted to go for a jog, and so he jogged and I walked over on the closed road by the Scotia Barrens shooting range. The range itself was closed on this day (according to a big sign posted at the entrance), not sure why. You'd think that would have stopped people from driving back the dusty road but it did not. We did hear gunshots, and the ranger then escorted the interlopers right back OUT. Closed is closed!

The biggest news from there was that as we were standing in the parking lot by the car stretching, my husband turned and spotted a huge eastern rat snake, which was making its way across the path. 

I love snakes, and I welcome any opportunity to photograph them, and so of course, I was running TOWARD the snake at top speed, meanwhile my husband was shouting "Careful! Careful! Careful!" and the poor sneaky-snake itself was probably shouting (quietly, in sneaky-snake talk): "No! No! No!" at my swift approach. 

I got some decent shots but I know a lot of people are triggered by snakes, so while it's tempting, I guess I'll skip posting a shot. The snurp itself was healthy and large, and several to many feet long. Gorgeous snake!

A bit of happy news I have not shared is that I am widening and deepening my obsession with Stevie Nicks by acquiring more of her music. I recently purchased the deluxe editions of Bella Donna (1981) and The Wild Heart (1983) in digital format. Yeah, I already owned the regular versions, but what the hey. I felt I needed MORE.

Anyhow, my last Amazon order included a copy of Stevie's three-CD set, Enchanted (released in 1998), which arrived on the day of the lunch date and the cake. It includes some rare B-sides, demos, soundtrack songs, and unreleased recordings. Why, yes, that WAS a VERY good day! 

I instantly digitized all three CDs the same day they arrived, and put them on my tunes box. So guess what I was listening to on this day: some Stevie Nicks I'd never heard before! My husband jogs as far as he wants (yes, I took a ton of photos of him - all in red - against the green landscape), and I walk out to a set of rocks I like, and sit there and relax in the sun.

The spring buds are very colorful and dreamy this time of year, and it was just gorgeous out: a QUITE warm and sunny day, a page stolen from summer's playbook, with highs in the low 80s. (Also a great laundry day, but I digress.)

Just for fun, I've included in the extras a shot of the truly enchanting buds. I sat on the rock in the center with the sun on my face, listening to Enchanted, and simply smiled, deep in my heart, deep in my soul. And when the spirit moved me, I got up and danced! (So sue me!)

I've got two photos so here are two songs. First, for my two male hummingbirds that have returned, I've got a stunning LIVE version of Thin Lizzy, with The Boys Are Back in Town. 

And for my photo of the enchanted buds, I must have some Stevie Nicks. This is not the version that is on any recording you can buy, not even Enchanted, but it is by far my favorite Stevie Nicks performance and video, ever. It captures her absolute joy of performance, and every time that phone rings (around 2:41), in harmony with her, of course (how dare it do otherwise?), when SHE grins, *I* grin. Here is Stevie Nicks, with an impromptu performance of Wild Heart. Enjoy!

P.S. The hummingbirds typically arrive around the 20-something week of April, and leave in late September. The hummingbirds left us the week my parents walked into Heaven, hand-in-hand, and so the whole thing always makes me emotional: both the sorrow and wistfulness of their departure, and then the joy of their return. <3 <3