Livin' in the trees

Maybe it was the unusually cold winter, or maybe it's just me, feeling better than I have in years; whatever it is, I think this is one of the most beautiful springs ever in our woods. The azaleas we put in two years ago have finally settled enough to bust out in full glory this year, and everywhere you look there's something just exuberantly budding or blooming, in a million luminous shades of green.
Yesterday I spent a good portion of the day outside in my new observation chair with Pop-pop's binoculars, looking over the back of the property where it falls away into the Santa Fe flood plain. It's a lovely, long view across an open space populated by devil's walking stick and elderberries, then over the seasonally flooded swamp, through a stand of old pines (old enough some still wear the marks of the turpentine harvest, that petered out in the forties), and out into a rolling cow pasture that eventually meets the Santa Fe, about three quarters of a mile north, as the crow flies.
The chickens come by to check on me periodically, and Audrey- -the first (surviving) hen actually hatched and raised by our flock --even hangs out for a while, napping in a sunny spot next to Peanut, the cat. The woods are positively vibrating with activity: during the afternoon we hear or see red tailed hawks, a turkey gobbler, pileated woodpeckers, cardinals, and plenty of lbbs (little brown birds) I can't get a good look at. Not to mention at least three different frog calls, from back in the cypress pond. I can see the bee hive from my chair, and they are rockin', sucking down two quarts of syrup a day, now, and busy, busy.
When I wasn't chilling in the chair, I spent a little time planting some herbs and watering. This year I moved a bunch of gladiolas and daylilies to the back of the house, where it's a little more sunny. They seem to be doing well, so far. I dug the glads from a hill adjacent to a highway, a couple years ago, just before new road construction destroyed the area, so I think if I find the right spot they will naturalize and flourish.
When I stopped at Earth Pets for a fresh bag of layer feed last week, I couldn't resist picking out two new peeps: second generation organic Rhode Island Reds. If I chose well and they're both hens, that will make eleven hens, three of whom (Sparkle, Darkle, and Buffy)are too old to lay, and one of whom (Squeak) is too canny to let me find her eggs. Right now we have six hens who are laying almost daily: Natasha, Ghostface Killer, Audrey, Copper, Starboard ( a possum took her twin, Port, last fall), and Black-headed chicken (she deserves a better name, I know...). And of course, there is Pinky, our gentlemanly rooster and one of the nicest chickens I've ever met, now going on four years old and quite the impressive specimen.
It's a bit late now, but I'm feeling a strong urge to get a garden started. I'm going to try a couple tomatoes and peppers along with the usual tropical pumpkin, out back by the hive, and see what happens. Hopefully Jordan will be up for a trip to the hardware store for some supplies today--he's the brawn of the operation.