Tuesday the crab apple was nearly at full bloom

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of peak bloom. Between my working hours and house sparrows attacking the blooms, I didn't even get a chance to see it. I don't know why the birds were attacking the blooms, but I watched a flock doing so the evening the pictures were taken. It seems unlikely that there were that many bugs and the birds continued to worry at petals that had fallen on the ground, so maybe it was a nectar/pollen thing for them (which I don't see in any book). One thing that kind of amuses me is the crab apple is done blooming and the lilacs just started blooming a couple of days ago.

A couple of weekends ago I did a thorough cleaning of the basement pellet stove, covered up the exhaust and put it to bed until next fall. However, the P43 has seen intermittent use - and has run several times since Friday night, so it probably won't be cleaned until some time in June. I am almost determined not to open another bag of pellets and haven't opened any for 3 weeks. I scooped out almost a bag of pellets from the basement stove hopper for the P43 to burn. It will be a race to the finish of burning since I have nearly gone thru that.

I have mowed my yard twice, and the neighbor's once. Not that the neighbor's yard couldn't use a second mowing, just I've been doing my during the week and his during the weekend. It has been rainy all this weekend, so it will have to be let go until we get some dryness. Unfortunately, I know I will be at work until 6-7 pm all this week (getting there at 5 am), so next weekend will have to do.

Remember my mentioning a bumper crop of maple helicopters last fall? Here is a sampling of the seedlings that have cropped up in the back yard (before mowing)

While mowing, I noticed that one iris planted last year has a bud on it. Surprising since they usually take a couple of years after transplant, but a pleasant surprise

Wish us luck on passing our AS9100D audit.

Comments

[Cop Car]

I had lost track, thinking your audit was earlier. All sorts of luck, Bogie! That would mean that you would be able to work shorter hours, I'm thinking.

Your crabapple is gorgeous. I miss ours; but, it had to go. Your crabapple looks like a large crepe myrtle.

Your plants (including maple seedlings) are looking hale and hearty. Well done! (So far, I don't think we've had seedlings from our sugar maple in front; but, we do get seedlings from the box elder maples in the woods.)

[Ruth]

House Sparrows.....nesting materials maybe? I know they're partial to feathers and the like.

Good luck with the audit!