Birds and flowers

  

   Spring is still springing here and the blooms are a sight to see. So much color and the sweet scent in the air is just delightful. I am not a fan of Spring it is my least favorite season but there are a few things about it that I do enjoy and the flowers are one of them. They seem to be brighter and taller and somehow more whimsical in the damp coolness of spring. 

   The aroma some flowers have that floats lightly in the air and gently catches you by surprise is always a welcome pleasure. I am not a Spring fan but small pleasures like these make the season bearable.

   Birds, I love birds and spring time is the best when it comes to birds. 

  They are every where. You can hear them, see them without even trying. Spotting birds you have never seen before or rarely see is most likely to happen in the spring. Normally I would be out hiking and looking everywhere for birds, birds to hear, birds to watch and birds to picture. This year or so far this spring I have been extremely busy, and the season has been overly wet, wet enough that flooding has happened and trails aren't in the best shape to be hiking. Those aren't the only reasons I haven't been chasing birds, a Robin gave me the gift of all gifts, she put her nest on my front porch, right out the front door. I did my best to stay away from the nest. If taking at least one photo a day is staying away is doing my best, then I did my best. Most photos are poor quality but I love them and the story they tell. 

Only a day left and this wouldn't be a test anymore

Baby just seconds before he flew

Momma the first day on her nest

Peeking out

1st day after the shells came off

day1

Testing the wings

One last feeding before they flew

  As of tonight there is only one baby left in the nest. I was standing right there taking a picture of the biggest baby sitting up like Momma would sit on the top of the nest when the baby just up and flew right past my head. I hollered the baby is flying, and so were Mom and Dad, they were squawking like no ones business. I am pretty sure they were as surprised as me when the baby took off. I saw baby #2 take a few steps to the nest edge but I never saw it go. In fact it wasn't until I looked at a photo I had taken that I realized there was only 2 birds getting feed. Then when I looked again there was only one and Momma seemed to be settling in for the night. 

 With all the pictures I took of the growing babies, I didn't ignore Momma. While they were eggs, it was only Momma and she just sat, except when she would go to eat. 

   Once the babies were out of their shells, Momma got help and she was away from the nest more often and I took advantage of her sitting around watching her babies from the distance or when she would be waiting to go into the nest with a mouth full of worms and such.

This was my last photo of Momma after the babies left the nest

I think I have enough photos of both Momma and Dad to start a gallery. Momma got so comfortable with us that at night she didn't even leave the nest if we walked by or opened the door.

  The Dad however was a nervous Nelly all the time and a loud one at that.

  Whats For Dinner:

  Hash Brown Casserole. 

 I make this often. Not weekly but every month or so, if I see a bag of frozen hash browns in the freezer or I just happen to get a craving, I add it to the weeks menu. 

  I first had this dish at Cracker Barrel. I was so not happy when I got it. Not because it wasn't good but because there wasn't enough. I misunderstood the menu and ordered what I thought would be a small casserole dish only to find out I had ordered a small side order. I always ordered extra after that.

   I tried at least 6 different recipes claiming to be the copy cat of the restaurant dish, and finally I came across this one and with a few changes I had at last managed to recreate my favorite dish on the entire Cracker Barrel menu.

Hash brown Casserole

This is a nice change from the normal potato dishes we serve with dinner. I have tried cutting the recipe in half, but even with the pairing down there will be enough left over to use all week, and fortunately it reheats very well. I haven't tried freezing it but I suspect it will be perfect for a from freezer to oven to table dish.

  I made the casserole on Sunday and we finished it yesterday, and I didn't manage to take one photo, but I promise you it was picture perfect as well as delicious. 

   Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come again!

   PS,

  I wrote this post days ago, I was having a hard time picking the pictures and finally just walked away for a minute. My choices didn't get easier I just took more pictures.