Cardinals, screaming scarlet males with dark markings watching over the
hens. We counted at least seven pairs of them. Even in the cold, the hens
were beautiful with their buff and soft rose reds.

I absolutely love cardinals my favorite birds. In the 27 years I've
lived here I've only seen one
male cardinal. We have blue jays, cow bird egrets, snowy egrets, 4 or 5
kinds of cranes, ibis,
red tailed hawks, several other kinds of hawk, little fat chickadees (I
think), grackles, blackbirds,
doves and vireoles. The squirrels have finally discovered the new fence and
are using it like a super-highway.

My mostly wild rose is trying to bloom again, three of the 4 buds have
opened. The chrysantemum I thought was dead is coming back and the
bougainvillea has new leaf buds all over it. I bought one of those plastic
birdbaths that look like stone and I want to train the bougainvillea around
it.

I was shocked that the cobweb hens and chicks I'd bought in the cactus
section of work were actually thriving. Just a little bit of frozen damage
to the outer leaves was the only sign of stress, but tucked inside that
was
green and viable tight leaves waiting for true warmth.

I have a package of hen and chicks seeds to plant in an old terra cotta
baking dish I got at the local thrift shop. The lid will make a great
planter too. I've lost a few plants to the dry heat in the house (my mom
refuses to let it get down lower than 72 in the house and my sinuses are
paying for it along with the Stanhopea occulara that bit the dust) My
Christmas rose is dong great as are the Meyer lemons and iris. Snails have
attacked the amaryllis and I've seen huge black wolly catterpillars near the
amaryllis too.


Shell