This Is Us

  We have had tulips growing in our front yard since we moved to this house in 2011 (they didn’t bloom until spring 2012). There were only red and yellow. We’ve added a lot more, although some only bloomed once, which is weird. Did you know: There are over 150 species with over 3,000 different varieties. The flower buds are almost perfectly symmetrical. Most of them only have one flower, but there are a few varieties with 2-4 flowers. They only bloom for 3-7 days in the springs. They are part of the Lilly family. They come in almost every color. They are native to Central Asia. They became popular after reaching The Netherlands. It’s the symbol for The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. They used to be the most expensive flower. In the 1600’s in the Netherlands they cost 10 times the average salary, which made them more expensive than some houses. From 1634-1637, when it was most expensive, this time was known as “Tulip Mania”. Their petals are edible and can be used in place of onion...

 All Bulb flowers; like gladiolus, lilies, tulips, daffodils, etc.; can’t be cut or get broken or they won’t come back.  These flowers send all that they have, nutrients and energy, into growing flowers. So, if you cut them or they break off, the flowers take everything with them. Leaving nothing for the bulbs. In order for them to get it back, the flowers have to die while still connected to the bulb, which sends everything back into the bulb so they can grow flowers for many years. We wait until the flowers have turned brown, hard, and are easy to pull out.

  In our neighborhood we have some houses that have huge properties.  In one of them they have turkey vultures.  In the spring we get to watch them circle the sky.  It's so fun to watch. Here are some facts about these amazing birds: Turkey Vultures They are the most widespread vultures in North America They are unique among vultures because they find carrion (decaying flesh of animals) by smell as well as by sight. They defend themselves by vomiting strong stomach acids. They can travel up to 200 miles in one day. They are related to storks, not to any birds of prey. They poop on their own legs and feet to keep them cool. Their wingspan is 63-72 inches. They have the largest olfactory (smelling) system of all birds. They are partial migrants. What this means is the ones that live in the Northern part of North America will migrate south.  The ones who live in the Southern part of North America don't migrate.  And actually the ones in the North leap frog ove...