Springtime surprises

Two weekends ago When I was clearing the yard I noticed that a bunch of the dead flowers had been removed from the planter out front on our steps.

Last weekend we spotted four eggs in the planter:


On Monday I spotted a mallard couple wandering around in our front yard, and this morning I was able to spy through the sidelight on our front door and actually see the hen, sitting in our planter. Now there are 7 eggs.

These waddling squatters are a welcome addition to our yard, especially after what happened last year. In the mean time, the planter can wait.

Another pleasant surprise this spring were the hostas that I transplanted from my parent's place last summer. Out of the middle of one of the plants sprung up four royal purple tulips, which had obviously mingled into the hosta's root system and been transported unwittingly by me. So mom has been gone for a year and a half but she is still sending me surprises.