Spring Plantings

Ah, spring. I couldn't resist buying a small pot of a variety of lettuces (is that a word?) the other day. I was browsing the garden section of a big box store and was the only one there which was nice. Beating the soon-to-be rush for plants and flowers, I spent some time just looking over things.

I decided to plant my little lettuce plants in the crock I have sitting on my front porch every year, which usually is bright with impatiens. The crock doesn't have a drainage hole (I know, not good) but flowers seem to do OK in it. Where it sits is usually covered by the porch roof so a lot of rain misses this particular pot. And I am careful not to over water it throughout the summer.

It's hard to find flat sunny spots in our yard where I could put in a garden. The back deck, where I have tried to grow things, gets morning sun but not enough to really grow robust veggies.
But this spot on the front porch does get a lot of afternoon sun so I'm hopeful we will be noshing on lettuce throughout the summer. Wouldn't that be nice?

Tales from the Bird Feeder -- March 2012

My bird feeder has been busy lately, with the regular suspects coming to visit and some newbies too. I saw a goldfinch in all its glory this week. I know they stay around for the winter here, but mine didn't so it was good to see his bright yellow feathers. I also spotted what I think is a house finch, which is also new to the feeder.

I took a class this month on hummingbirds and Baltimore Orioles to learn more about attracting them to our yard. We did have luck with two or three steady hummers last year, but Orioles have been elusive (as are bluebirds which I think may totally be out of my range. Too bad.) Jan Bronder, who owns the Songbird Sanctuary in Blawnox, PA said to look for these two species of birds here in the Northeast beginning around tax day, April 15. I don't know if the warmer weather this year means they will come back earlier, but I will be ready with nectar for both just to be sure.

I have noticed the birdsong much more this spring and I hope you have too. Who needs iPods to listen to while walking when you can hear the lovely birds welcoming spring? So beautiful. I am trying to get better at identifying birds from their songs because even though the leaves haven't come out on the trees yet, it is still hard to find a singing bird on the branches.

Spring has Arrived!

In the previous post here at Boom This!, dated March 6, I wrote about how spring had not quite happened. But today, there's no doubt that a change in the seasons has been made.

It's 70 degrees out and my crocuses are blooming. They wouldn't come out if it wasn't spring, now would they?

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful day wherever you are.

Not (quite) Spring yet

I pass this local farm stand several times a week. We always laugh at how bare the welcome sign gets the closer we are to winter and bad weather. Signs advertisng corn, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins and more give way to winter's offerings: eggs and cabbage and maybe straw. Soon, the signs will be advertising more items once again, but it's hard to be patient since snow came our way this week. But in keeping with March's unpredictability, the weather is supposed to be warm (50s and 60s) the rest of the week and snow will soon be a memory.

A Walk of 1,000 Miles

I just finished reading a book about one woman's walk around Lake Michigan. Yes, the entire lake, quite an undertaking which turnd into quite the adventure.

Loreen Niewenhuis, the author of A 1000 Mile Walk on the Beach: One Woman's Trek of the Perimeter of Lake Michigan, set out to do something big when she turned 45. So she gave it a little thought as to how she could challenge herself and decided to walk the lake. She planned her hike to leave from Chicago and finishing there, stopping at B and Bs or hotels along the way; taking some time off between segments and enjoying the company of her two sons and friends along certain parts of the walk.

Through her writing, the author provides good information about the lake and its current condition, and her love for this body of water shines through every chapter.

You will have to pick up a copy to find out what exactly Loreen learned from her adventure and how she overcame sore muscles and blisters to find the courage to keep going. Not one to sit around idly, Loreen is planning to do another 1,000 mile walk this year, this time touching upon all five Great Lakes.

For more information, visit her website.

Nursing Home Honored

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR NAMED TO US NEWS & WORLD REPORT HONOR ROLL 2012 FOR BEST NURSING HOMES


After my Dad died in 2001, my sister and I took some of his medical equipment to a local nursing home because we knew the items would be put to good use. The Little Sisters of the Poor Home's reputation in the Pittsburgh area is stellar. So it was with no surprise that I read the following news release and decided to post it to my blog:

The Little Sisters of the Poor, who are celebrating their 140th year of serving Pittsburgh, received another reason to celebrate this week: Their Home in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood was named to the 2012 Honor Roll for Best Nursing Homes by U.S. News and World Report. The Home was one of only 39 Homes in the nation named to the list out of more than 15,500 that U.S. News reviewed. Achieving this honor was a result of the Little Sisters’ Home receiving four straight quarters of perfect five-star ratings from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in all three areas including health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care.

Sister Judith Meredith, Administrator of the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Pittsburgh, was pleased to hear the news. “I am so proud that our Home has received this achievement. Everyone involved in the care of our residents from the staff and volunteers, to the benefactors who help us carry out our ministry should be thanked for helping our Home attain this special recognition.”

The Pittsburgh community invited the Little Sisters of the Poor to establish a home for the elderly poor in 1872. Over the years the Sisters have cared for more than 12,000 aged poor regardless of race or religion. Their Home on Benton Avenue provides personal care, nursing care, and independent living apartments for low income seniors.

For more information, visit the Little Sisters of the Poor website.

Count Birds This Week

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

Looking for something to do on these snowy winter days? Here's some info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on a winter event that's fun for all ages:

The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up beginning February 17 and running through February 20, and you’re invited to join one of the largest, most enjoyable citizen-science projects on the planet. This year should be especially interesting because of the warmer temperatures and lack of snowfall in so many parts of North America. And how far south will the Snowy Owls roam? We're in the middle of a massive irruption that's dazzling bird watchers across the lower 48 states!

To participate, just count birds anywhere you wish for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the GBBC. Then, report the highest number of each species seen together at one time on the GBBC website: http://www.birdcount.org/ Everything you need to know is on the website along with an instructional video and downloadable instructions.

You can upload a photo for consideration in the GBBC photo contest. Explore data on the website using maps and charts that show what everyone is reporting. Anyone who participates also has a chance to win great prizes! Tweet about the birds you’re seeing and include the #gbbc tag to have your message show up in the Twitter widget on the GBBC home page. Become a fan on the GBBC Facebook page. The GBBC is hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society along with Canadian partner, Bird Studies Canada. Join us for the Great Backyard Bird Count and help set a new checklist record!