What's blooming: around the oak tree

The bed around our oak tree is starting to look filled in, how we envision our whole backyard someday. Right now the columbine, blue phlox, and golden ragwort are all blooming at once.

Outside our kitchen window

April 11: We looked out the kitchen window to discover that some mourning doves were building their nest on a piece of fence right next to our clothesline. Hm, we thought, that's an oddly exposed place to build a nest. But it was fun to watch: one bird would sit on the nest while the other would fly in with materials and tuck them into place.
April 15: with eggs in the nest, one of the birds sits through a chilly downpour with nothing to shield her from the rain. April 17: Matt comes home to find broken eggs and scattered feathers. Somewhere a mourning dove is mourning his partner.