Weekend Snapshot and Nature Notes - A little bit of this and a little bit of that

The oak catkins or pollen bombs are not something I've paid much attention to beyond dreading sinus headaches. However, I started to realize how elegant they are against the sky.
The shot above was taken Friday and the shot below was taken when the catkins were beginning to form ten or so days ago. Some of the other oaks in my yard have already dropped the catkins and formed leaves.
The shot below shows my red azaleas against the oak leaves on my tree that has already dropped its catkins and leafed out. I love the diversity this time of year where some trees and plants are just starting to bud and bloom and others are finished blooming and leafing out. So much variety.
The way the light played around the canadian goose reminded me of the old Disney Films where you knew magic was happening by the twinkling lights.
I've noticed the ducks and geese spend more time in the protected areas around the lakes and streams this time of year. Later in the spring they get very loud when I am too close to their protected spots. I assume that is when the new babies are starting to arrive.My azalea wall below, which provides privacy for one section of my secret garden, is always among the last azaleas to bloom. It is funny to me how it's blooming from the bottom up. Still lots of buds not even close to opening near the top.
My hostas below opened over night going from the tightly coiled spikes jutting out of the ground to the full leaves which will then have spikes of flowers in May sometime.
I also love to watch the ferns unfurl their leaves, almost in slow motion. If I walk outside each morning and put together those memories I can see them unfurl before my very eyes.The variegated periwinkle below was started in part from clippings someone gave me at a party years ago. I admired it and they said, take some but be careful, it will take over. I don't mind it taking over under my oak trees, to a large extent.
I took the shot below at Sertoma Park which is above Shelley Lake where I shot the geese. I like the way there are trees at the very beginning of forming new leaves and then behind them are trees that have completely leafed out.
Since there is a path very near my house which leads through the woods and then around Shelley Lake, I rarely drive to Sertoma Park and take the paths which lead down to the lake from the opposite side to where I live. Because I haven't been in my walking groove, I decided to drive to the park. I was glad I did because the path from the park to the lake has its own charm. That path is shown below.
To wrap up these long meandering nature notes, my Pecan tree is beginning to leaf out as shown below.
The last shot is a closeup of the new pecan leaves. They will get much longer and have a different look when mature but I like the way the new, smaller leaves look.For other participants, please visit the home of nature notes, and/or Weekend Snapshot.