We don't see Orioles around here until July~ish. He's a chubby one, S.! :-) No Hummers seen until then either when the Mimosas are in bloom. Nice series of photos, Bonnie. Spooky is right! The Wisnolia scent *is* amazing! Half the Magnolia has died a natural death. Rather than cut it down or trim it back my Mom wanted some kinda vine to grow over it. She always wanted a Wisteria so that's what we planted in 1999. The plant was 5 years old then. It first bloomed two years later with just a few hints of what was to come. Now this creation has lovely Magnolia flowers in early spring before the Wisteria sends out its leaves. As the Magnolia flowers fade they are replaced by the Wisteria leaves and shortly afterwards the beautiful flowers. The flowering succession could not be timed any better! We discovered that a pair of Downy WPs have made a home in a natural hole of one of the leaders. The Wisteria is a monster though. There's vines going across the patio, across the lawn, everywhere if allowed to go unchecked! We've threatened to cut it down many times but see all the birds safely nesting inside. The dense cover of the Wisteria also protects them from rain very well! So well the ground beneath stays dry even after a thunderstorm. We need to water the plants underneath with a hose !

Those are pretty. But the weather up there sounds ugly! I heard it's cold and windy! JoanMN/FL

I love your pictures! One of these days I am going to show up on your doorstep, begging you to show me around your area.

Georgeous!!! I love beautiful sunsets, and you have the spot to watch that rivals most. Where in MN do you live? My sister lives in Minneapolis but she and her husband just bought a condo here in Phoenix for winters. Her husband grew up in Minne but we were raised in St. Louis and we both moved to Phoenix for jobs (a few years apart) until she met and married, then she moved to Minne with him. The only time we have been there was a few years ago for New Year's eve, the high got up to -2 degrees!!! She can work from home and likes to take walks, she comments on how beautiful they are, but I have never seen a pic! Thanks for posting!