Spring Forward, What FUN Thing Do You Love?

[Steff]

With "Spring Forward"/Daylight Savings beginning here in most of the US states, many people start considering coming out of their cozy homes more (at least where I live).  By Sunday, it is supposed to be 55 degrees here and it gets me thinking about what I need to do around the house this Spring.  Although I hate 'losing" the hour of sleep in the morning (I work at 6am, so the morning comes early for me), I really enjoy the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day and I am particularly enjoying the fact that I no longer have to use a flashlight to get the mail when I finally make it home from work!

So, my question for you is - What FUN thing do you like to do with the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day -or- What FUN thing do you like to do at the beginning of Spring?  

For me, my FUN thing to do is to start thinking about what flowers I am going to plant in my large flower pots.  Since there is often still snow on the ground at this time of the year or at least a heavy frost every night, I have to limit my FUN to just thoughts.  But in a few weeks when the garden section of Home Depot opens, I will be ready!

[Tom Galli]

Steff,

I welcome spring by placing hummingbird feeders around the house.  Like Washington State, Texas is on the hummingbird migration route and I saw my first this morning.  I think we get our birds earlier than Washington State, but the 2018 sighting plot shows Rufous species already in Central Washington.  Here is the 2018 plot.

Putting out feeders early sometimes causes migrating birds to nest in the local area.  When they raise young birds, hummingbirds turn into voracious mosquito predators and there are definite advantages having them in the neighborhood allowing one to enjoy evening hours outside in the summer.

Tom    

[Steff]

WOW! I absolutely love hummingbirds! I had a feeder at our last apartment and we would get a few here and there.  The map you attached it very cool!  I am going to put up my feeder this weekend!  Do you have any tips?  I basically live in the desert - very dry and hot in the summer, surrounded by sage brush and tumbleweeds.  Cotton tails and coyotes like the area, but that's about it!  And we do have our fair share of mosquitoes, the hummingbirds would be welcomed predators!! 

[BridgetO]

First, I have to grouse about Daylight Savings Time. It annoys me to have to reset clocks and my internal clock twice a year. I've heard it said that DST makes as much sense as cutting a foot off the end of a blanket and sewing it on the other end in order to make the blanket longer. I agree? Bah Humbug! Now that I've said my piece on that, what will I do with the alleged "extra hour" of daylight. 

I will walk later in the evening and (maybe) get more exercise. I'm happy to live in a good walking neighborhood.  I 'll also do some weeding in my front yard. I'm completely NOT a gardener-- I look at it as "yardwork" rather than "gardening." But we had our small front yard re-landscaped last summer to create a rain garden. Steff, you probably don't have or need those in the desert, but here in Portland we do. Our yard was shaded out by 2 trees  Nothing was growing except moss and weeds. It  became a swamp whenever it rained. Now we have some litlle hills and valleys and rock lined area for the water to go until it drains. Also one of the trees was removed so we have some sunlight. The yard is planted with native plants and looks great! But unfortunately it still has some weeds!  So, as soon as it stops raining ( which is often only for short periods at this time of year), I'll get at it. I'm hoping for a few  tiny berries from the wild strawberry plants this year. 

Bridget O

[Steff]

Bridget - I despise the resetting of clocks as well.  The first few weeks of "spring forward" is tough getting up in the morning until I can get my internal clock adjusted a bit.  My mom is personally looking forward to it only because her dog's internal clock never changed from "fall back", so the dog begins bothering my mom at 4pm to be fed dinner!

I personally don't see myself as a gardener either.  I have to be in the mood for "yardwork", in order for it not to be considered "work".  Historically, I have only had potted plants outside.  Now that we have a house (our first), there is lots of room to plant and it's basically a blank canvas because everything had died off during the home's foreclosure.  I would love a rain garden! They are so pretty, but with our severe lack of rain here in Soap Lake, WA, I think it might just be considered a rock garden!

[Tom Galli]

Steff & Bridget,

Well I'm also not a gardener.  I don't have the patients to deal with slow growing plants.

Yes, the desert in Eastern Washington is ideal hummingbird habitat. Here is how I'd attract them to the feeder.  I'd get a very inexpensive feeder that takes about 1 cup of liquid.  The liquid is 1 part sugar (the white granular type) and 4 parts water.  Change the fluid weekly if you are not successful attracting new birds. To help with the attracting, buy some 3/4" to 1" wide ribbon and cut it into 8" to 10" lengths.  Dangle in something close to the feeder.  A bright red color works well.  OBTW - coloring the feeding fluid is a waste of time and if you are successful in attracting birds, you'll likely need a quart sized feeder and that will be exhausted in one day!  You'll have a blast watching the birds jostle one another lining up for a drink!  Hummingbirds have no predators, including domestic cats.  They are too nimble! 

[eric byrne]

Good Morning Everyone,

We moved into our new home in Lanark Friday last,getting things into order,well Internet and TV up and running so everything else is no problem.We have lots of plans for re-decoration so it will take a few weeks to complete.I enjoyed reading about your wildlife in the USA,hummingbirds,beautiful creatures,never seen them "live" would love to have them in Scotland.When I did my 7 week Amtrak tour of the USA, I saw so many interesting animals,the red cardinals were as common as sparrows in Scotland,they were just beautiful,I saw mountain goats in Montana ,on  a tour bus trip on the road to the sun in Glacier Park a bear crossed the road right in front of the bus,I was so stunned ,searching for my camera it was gone before I could click,as it crossed the road it gave us a backward glance then dispeared into the forest.We do have some super wildlife here such as capercallie which is the largest member of the grouse family,they are becoming rarer now, but fun to watch.So many other animals fun to watch,otters and red deer etc,do visit Scotland and see for yourselves.I am off to relax in Albir Spain next Sunday the weather should be in the sixties which is an improvement to what I have been having here at home.

Bye for now.

Eric.

[Steff]

Although I really loved the "extra" hour of light yesterday evening and it was a gorgeous day to boot, the reality of day light savings hit this morning - I got into my truck in which I had not re-set my clock and it said 4:30am; ouch!  Then when I got to my office all of the clocks said 5am, ouch, ouch! So now I am diligently climbing on chairs and changing the 5 clocks throughout my office.  Really, who needs that many clocks anyway??!!!

Have a happy Monday everyone! 

[Lisa66]

I am an early bird so I like the change. I like to get my veggitable garden ready for planting. It is tricky here in North Carolina, weather wise. I have to be patient and wait for the second or maybe third winter to leave so that I can plant. I also enjoy the hummingbirds.

Eric I love Montana!!! Glacier National Park is beautiful.