SoCS – Picture This

I guess Linda meant it when she talked about changing behavior. Who thought we would have a photo type prompt today! Visit Linda’s blog to get all the SoCS rules then join in on the SoCS fun!

Today’s prompt is as follows:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a picture from wherever.” When you sit down to write your post, find a picture, whether in a magazine, newspaper, or even product packaging. Write whatever thought or emotion the picture provokes. Enjoy!

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Cover of Prairie Moon Nursery Catalog

In the spring we always go on the hunt for native plants. Even our best local nurseries sell a lot of non-native ornamental plants. It is perhaps a small effort for our local environment but an important one. I think we often discount the beauty of our natives species for the showy colors of plants imported from other places.

I was struck by the hummingbird on the photo. Our flowering season was so short this year. We had only one or two hummingbirds and sadly they seem to have disappeared. The hummingbirds are my favorite sign of spring. So many of these beautiful birds are dying because of poorly maintained feeders. We put out hummingbird feeders but we are very careful to keep the feeders clean and refreshed – this will be especially important during the predicted heat wave coming next week.

I am sad to see our native dogwoods choked out by non native wisteria. We have about 3 acres of land, most of which is woodland. In the spring we walk it before it becomes too overgrown and every year more and more nandina bushes appear. Their red toxicberries are a threat to the birds and wildlife. I see more and more Bradford pear trees dotting our landscape and integrated into our woodland environment. People forget the wind and the birds and animals spread these seeds far and wide. We have to do our part to minimize this danger.

And that leaves us with the pizzly bear. Have you heard of it? It is a cross between grizzly bear and a polar bear thought to be a result of polar bears moving further south to find new food sourced due to global warming.