The moderate temperature and sunshine led me to sit out on our patio today and read a recent book selection from the local library, ‘The Rising Tide, A Vera Stanhope Novel’ by Ann Cleaves. The author has really got her Vera character down pat. Her mannerisms and humor clearly illustrated. It is very comforting to read mysteries that you know will be solved by the end of the book.
I thought while sitting outside that I don’t spend enough time enjoying our yard. I have missed out on what is going on out there. There are hummingbirds who fly under our lounge chair and peck around. I wonder if they’re gathering cobwebs for their nests like I saw the Say’s Phoebes do.
There is a bird nest in one of the citrus trees. It looks a bit messy. I am not sure if this is intentional or if the nest has been disheveled by the wind. The birds have not had a lot of success with nest building in our yard.
We have a low flow sprinkler system on our property. Around a fruit tree in the yard is a small tree irrigation ditch. When the sprinklers are on it fills up with water that is slowly absorbed into the ground. I recently noticed a group of finches making good use of the little pond. They were taking sips of water and jumping in to splash around. It was fun to watch them from behind my patio door. This morning there was a white-crowned sparrow in there.
We have been harvesting some of the grapefruit. Not as many as last year but still enough to share with neighbors.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.
Featured image is a ‘Lesser Goldfinch’ by Andy Reago and Chrissy Mc on Flickr.com
Notes Tied On The Sagebrush 
I LOVE grapefruit! You’re so lucky to get it that fresh! I look forward to being able to rest outside in a few months. It wad 28 this afternoon. Which is pretty warm for January.
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It gets cold like that in California, but in the mountains. It is nice to have our own grapefruit. My husband really enjoys it.
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Grapefruit looks good!
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They are good, sweet. 🙂
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The cut grapefruit looks perfect. How lovely to have more grapefruit ready to pick and birds to watch in your yard. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
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Thank you, Natalie.
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Thanks for the serenity.
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You are welcome. 🙂
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The yellow/golden finches are a delight to see. They usually stop by our yard when the dandelines are in bloom & have a feast. We have robins that build nests around on our property. I enjoy peeking in the nests when they have been built down low enough to tiptoe to see inside. Kevin built birdhouses & put them up all around for the different bird types. There is a birdfeeder put up for the community bird watchers & counters. One of the watchers keeps the feeder filled up. The feeder is just around the corner in our trees just barely out of site to be able to be seen from our kitchen window. #Weekendcoffeeshare
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All the bird watching you are able to do sounds wonderful. I am always happy to see birds.
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I was thinking about my yard the other day and I realized I don’t spend enough time in the yard. I think what has deterred me is the fact that it has rained so much this past month. Thank you for reminding me!
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The weather can keep us inside. But there can some great things to see even in our backyard.
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I wish I liked grapefruit, but I’m afraid the only way I’d enjoy it is loaded with sugar…lol, though I’ve often wondered if I actually had a fresh off the tree one, if I’d think differently. Love the birds.
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This pink grapefruit is not sour but mildly sweet. The birds are always great to see.
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Your yard looks lovely! I keep saying I need to get some patio furniture so I can read outside in the sun, but I never seem to do it.
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Thank you, Janet. I don’t use our lounge chairs enough. 😉
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