Roses and Bird Feeders

Today is Mother's Day, or it was still an hour ago.  I got a beautiful surprise yesterday from the neighbors across the street from me.  They are a cute 80-ish year old couple, the wife of which was my roommate when I was in rehab after my second knee replacement surgery.  Yesterday the husband of said couple knocked on my door for the first time since I got home from that surgery and in his hands he had a bouquet of freshly cut long stem pink roses.  They are gorgeous!  It's been years since anyone gave me a bouquet of roses and never have I had any fresh cut from someone's yard.  The funny thing about it was that I was occupied when he knocked on the door and by the time I got there, he was about to leave.  He didn't have the roses in his hand immediately.  He said "Oh, just a minute," and he went into the apartment next to mine.  I could hear him talking to the lady there.  She's probably in her 80's as well.  What I heard was, "I'm going to have to be an Indian-giver..." and then he was back with the roses for me.  Her family was visiting her at the time so I let it pass.  I guess he thought if I wasn't home he would just give them to her instead, but when he saw I was home, went and retrieved them for me.    It made me laugh, smile, and wonder at the same time...did he have more and split the bouquet so she could have some too?  I hope so.  I'd hate to be the one who got roses and had them taken away in the same instant.

My daughter and grandson got me a bird feeder for my yard.  Since they got me my dog I have been outside a lot more and they helped me plant a lot of flower seeds this spring.  I thought a bird feeder or two (or three?) would be a nice touch.  I mean if I can't get out to see nature for my photography, let me bring nature to my own yard.  So they got me my first ever bird feeder.  I figured they would get me one since they asked me what I wanted.  But I didn't figure it would be such a nice one!  I don't have a shepherd's hook yet to hang it on so for now it hangs in the cluster of small maple trees in my back yard.  Eventually I may move it, or I may just try to get at least one more to put in the front flower garden so the neighbor (yes the one who had the roses taken away) can see and enjoy the birds too.  I told her about all the flowers that we planted in the flower beds and she seemed pretty happy about that.  The flower beds have been needing attention for the past couple of years.  I can't do much about it and neither can she.  Maybe at least the places the new flowers will be growing will help it looks better.  My mom loved feeding and watching birds in the years after she retired and she got me interested in it too.  Hopefully this summer I will have some photos of both the flowers we planted and the new birds attracted to the yard.