Spring Has Sprung, Summer's Begun

Contrary to my former belief, the fantail pigeons did indeed begin raising babies this spring:

And what big, plump babies they were:

A friend had mailed me four Snowball Bush cuttings last year and I planted them in composted cow manure. They not only lived through our long, cold winter, they're already blooming this year:

The old-fashioned Bleeding Heart bloomed profusely. It's growing on the edge of rock pile, so one of these days, I'll have to move it:

Apple and Lilac blossoms framed the side view of the house and barn. The flowers are all gone already, and I miss them. Our spring was late, intense and brief:

The chickens began laying fewer eggs and I suspected they had an outdoor nest which I just hadn't yet found. They did indeed, for I discovered it one day at the base of the Mock Orange bush:

One of the chickens' favorite spots is the lawn beneath the apple trees:

The Prairie Rose flowering crab burst into bloom. That's the tree whose buds look so much like pink rosebuds:

They still look like roses after they open, but are a lighter pink:

Lilacs grow almost wild here and drop seeds which sprout all over the place. They too bloomed their hearts out this spring. It often seems as if they try extra hard after a rugged winter. I should add, however, that our sudden arrival of spring also seemed to suddenly turn into summer. Our apple blossom and lilac season was short and sweet:

I closed up the pigeon room one evening and prepared to secure them for the evening. Then I discovered that I had two less birds than I should. I opened up their window again and went outside to search for them:

Fantails are most certainly not designed for flight, but these two had made it to the top of the barn and seemed to be having a great time. I came back a half hour later and they were back indoors. Then I closed them up safely for the night.