Welcome to May. Beltane. The position on the wheel of the year that marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. A time to frolic like a randy squirrel.

Before the festivities begin, let’s take a look back through April and recount the days gone by.

Day 1: A Brown Creeper spent a little time scouting out insects in the bark of my oak tree.

Day 2: The American Goldfinches started molting.

Day 3: I repaired a portion of my walkway.

Day 4: A female Goldeneye, a type of diving duck, spent some time demonstrating her diving abilities.

Day 5: A pair of Wood Ducks enjoyed some cracked corn.

Day 6: I met Shannon and St. John, the breeding pair of Mallards who chose my yard as their nesting territory. They’re named after the main character’s in my newest book, Breaking the Rules. 

Day 7: While I worked in my gardens, Shannon would come up to me and quack softly for her afternoon feeding.

Day 8: The American Goldfinches continued to molt.

Day 9: Since my health had returned, yay, I was able to finish the hummingbird garden expansion.

Then

Now

Day 10: Harlee investigated the mulch delivery.

Day 11: A female Northern Cardinal posed for a picture.

Day 12: More Wood Ducks arrived.

Day 13: A wild turkey investigated the side yard.

Day 14: The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrived in Massachusetts. I haven’t seen one yet but my feeders are up and ready.

Day 15: The Downy Woodpecker pretended she’s a hummingbird.

Day 16: St. John kept a watchful eye while Shannon ate so her chicks will be fat and healthy.

Day 17: A couple of Hooded Mergansers visited for a bit.

Day 18: I finished adding mulch to both enlarged gardens.

Day 19: Yup, you guessed it; more molting American Goldfinches.

Day 20: Shannon continued her daily visits for lunch.

Day 21: My fourth book went live on Amazon.

Day 22: A Spring Peeper started singing at night in the marsh across from my house.

Day 23: The Forsythia bush I planted last summer returned in a blaze of yellow.

Day 24: Rain, rain, rain, and my neighbor’s yard flooded.

Day 25: The American Goldfinches almost finished molting.

Day 26: The river rose from the continued rain and flooded my side yard. Shannon and St. John loved that they had a private pond to swim in.

Day 27: The Trout Lily bloomed. She’s getting bigger every year.

Day 28: Harlee and I took a nap that lasted the entire afternoon. In my defense, I’m one little, old lady who’s just gotten over a mysterious illness that turned out to be not so mysterious and I’ve been doing a ton of yard work. Garden’s don’t mulch themselves, you know.

Day 29: My YouTube channel reached 500 subscribers. Have you subscribed? https://youtube.com/c/TinthiaClemant

Day 30: The Great Blue Heron returned from her winter vacation.

Thirty days of wonder, enchantment, and delight.

Blessed Beltane. Blessed be. :}