Happy Friday to All.  It’s been a busy month for blogging and for being out and about.  Was able to get a first bike ride in, went to Meijer Gardens a few times, out to a movie with friends, to dream group, out for lunch with friends, out to an open mike night to listen to friends, and a bunch of other things that have been both energizing and sapping.  

I’ve mentioned it a few times in comments, but I’m going on blogging hiatus starting in May.  Even on other breaks, I’ve dropped in for a few weekly prompts, but not this time.  I need to make space for a bit.  Lots of real life things have been put on the back burner and they are piling up.  

OK onward!

On 4/11 older son and I went out on a bike ride at the Spoonville Trail, starting in Nunica, which is really the current trailhead for the North Bank Trail.

Finally got a chance to go into the garage to check on the birdhouse gourds.  They look so icky!  But they are dried out as I can hear the seeds inside.  IIRC the flaking skin has to be sanded off.  Younger son has a dremel (sp?) to drill the holes in them.  One of them collapsed, but it’s still intact.

Update on dawn redwoods:  I gave two of them away, one to Cari, my fitness guru, and one to her mother, who gave the seeds to me in the first place.  The water table here is so high, I fear a very large tree will topple over at some point, so I gave them to these very good stewards who I know will watch over them.  I’ve got two bigger ones left and will share pics of them once I get them planted, out near the road where tall trees seem to do well.  I did get pics from Cari’s mom of the mother dawn redwood and the lady whose property it is on (with her head edited out.)

Next are a couple of pics of Mlady and Dotty.  The one of Mlady in the cat bed makes her look huge.  She’s not small but her fur is over 3″ long so it makes her look bigger.  With Dotty, her fur is losing its luster, which is a tell-tale sign of a cat in poor health.  She’s still eating, drinking, eliminating, and breathing as normal.  Sometimes she snores.  The 2 lumps don’t seem to be getting any bigger, but they feel like they are hardening and they seem to be tender to her as she adjusts the way she lays now.  I cherish every day we have left.  She’s my best buddy at night when I’m watching TV.  

There are many spring flowers out at fmg.  I caught some cool pics of a turtle on a rock in one of the ponds, where the reflections in the water give them a sort of spacy look.  I got a couple of the wisteria trellis, showing the wisteria before it has budded out.  

This last section is all about the cranes!  Sandhill cranes.  On our bike ride on the 11th we heard them first and saw them in the corn field.  The next day I looked out of the window and there were two very close to the house.  Luckily I captured them.  The video at the end is from bike ride day.