The Forsythia and the Cornus mas (above) are both out in full bloom

We were visited by several Myrtle Warblers. They were right outside the kitchen window at the suet feeder. Maybe “Myrtle Warbler” no longer exists as a name, but if you look at an old bird field guide, you’ll find it. I think it has been renamed the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). I may sound like “a broken record” but the birds have just been amazing this spring.

It turned out that I wasn’t quite done planting for the year. I found spots for two more apples: a Hunt Russet and what may be Monroe Sweet. Hunt originated in Concord, MA well before the Revolution. It was one of the first named North American cultivars and is a child of two of the most iconic European apples: Reinette des Carmes x Drap d'Or de Bretagne. I should have planted one years ago. The second apple is one I was introduced to by Pam and Wayne Sweetser in Presque Isle. It may be the true Hayford Sweet or it may be one of the Monroe Sweets. I say “one of” as there may have been multiple different apples with that name. This one is a true sweet and worth saving.