Pollinator Season Begins

Bumblebees seem to be active later in recent years. Some years I've seen them in February. This year,  the first queen appeared in March and it took me weeks to get a photo. The large black and yellow bumblebees are very active, rarely sitting on a flower. They are aggressive if I get too close. They around and around,bumping me until I move.

Possibly Bombus vosnesenskii on red-flowering currant

Possibly a flower fly on piers

This little fly is well behaved compared to the bumblebee. It actually perched for a few moments.

Footprints in the Snow- Look Who's Been Passing Through the Yard

It doesn't snow much in Seattle. Some years it doesn't snow at all and then it's usually less than a foot. We had snow on Christmas Eve, which is just what you would want. 

This light amount is perfect for catching animal trails.  By the time I took these photos, the snow was already melting.

The neighborhood cats walk through our front and backyards. Our kitty Blanche aka PoodleCat flies at the window, scratching away, when they saunter down the front porch. I go out and chase them away.

Another neighborhood visitor, a raccoon. I also saw rabbit prints going into the cemetery up the street. They were too melted for a good photo.

I've seen coyotes in the cemetery but not in our yard. Yet.

In the Bleak Midwinter

Strange, prehistoric plants? No, aptly-named dinosaur kale. It is four feet tall. I wonder if the leaves are too tough to eat.

Camellia is a reliable early flower.

Indian plum is supposed to be the early bloomer around here but red-flowering currant beats it every year.

The birds haven't stripped the cotoneaster yet.

I fully admit that the Pacific Northwest has a comparatively mild winter. But the gray season lasts a long time and it requires mental tricks to survive.

Yes, it is the middle of winter even though some people are chirping merrily about spring. I adhere strictly to the calendar seasons because it help me to last through that seven months stretch until summer arrives.

Winter can be beautiful but spring in the Pacific Northwest lasts entirely too long. It starts in February and stretches until July 4th. Nevertheless, one must go out and stay active even on cold, gray days.