The Triumphant Return of LadyG

"All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well."
- Dame Julian of Norwich (whose feast day was a few days ago)

My husband saw them first. He was outdoors in our yard last Monday morning around 9 am and was buzzed by a hummingbird. I often work at home on Mondays. So he shared the news, and within minutes, I had a freshly filled hummingbird feeder placed and waiting in the butterfly garden.

But it was on this day that I finally saw the first hummingbird myself. I was doing some weeding and clean-up around the butterfly garden. The monarda (bee balm) is really taking over things, so I pulled a bunch of them. I planted about two dozen of the extra monarda plants in the middle of the meadow, where they will spread. And I tucked lots more into a clean blue garbage can to take in to work to give away this week.

I got into the shed a few days ago and got out some of my favorite summer yard things. And so this day was to be a day of clean-up but also a day of decoration. I like to keep a pretty yard where it is delightful to sit. It is something I always dreamed of having, and now it is a wish come true. (Do not give up on your dreams, my friends; it may take a while, but if you work hard at it, they just may come true.)

The big lilac bush is even blooming this year; I had almost given up on it, but there it is. You can see a pink/purple bloom in the background to the left. It is one of many. My husband whacked the bush back one fall really hard, and I was upset when he did it (for you are supposed to prune lilacs just after the blooms fade in springtime), but it may have been just what the bush needed, because now it's blooming like crazy.

Another hummingbird showed up first, a male ruby throat. And then, SHE arrived: Lady Greensleeves (or Lady G, or sometimes LadyG), my favorite hummingbird. She was looking mighty slim. She drank and drank. It must have been a long, hard trip. I was standing nearby when she arrived and I spoke to her quietly and lovingly. And I felt . . . happy. Just deeply and quietly . . . happy. When the green jewel of my yard is safely home, all is well. (And all manner of thing shall be well . . . )

I had a fine view myself. However, the two Dancing Girls had the best seat in the house. As soon as they heard the rumor that there might be hummingbirds about, they climbed up to the top of the feeder and sat up there holding hands and watching the show. Definitely BFFs; maybe even sisters, too; just two little pink gals sitting atop the feeder watching the tiny birds flit about (and listening to them squeak!) on a fine spring day.

The song to accompany this photo is a celebration of homecoming. It's a song I've loved since the mid-1980s that was an MTV favorite. The song is Eddie Money, featuring Ronnie Spector, with Take Me Home Tonight. 

P.S. Did you know that Eddie Money was once Eddie Mahoney? He was in training to become an NYPD cop but then he left all of that behind, changed his name, and pursued a music career.

Bonus link: 25 fun and unusual facts about hummingbirds.