Peony

I love springtime! Especially when I have plants and flowers that actually bloom and get all pretty! I've been watching my peony plant like a hawk all week. Just the other day it had a few little leaves sprouting up, and then two days later, we've got this:

I'm hoping that it is the stems of what will be the peony flower coming up and not just weeds. J thinks it may just be weeds, so I'm going to send this pic to my favorite flower and plant consultant for her review (and keep my fingers crossed)...

In sad news, I think that the nest that I have been also keeping an eye on has been ransacked!!! I looked out today and it looks all disheveled... see....

Poor little nest! I even started researching birds and nests and learned (pbs.org) that the male works and works to construct the nest and doesn't rest until the female bird is satisfied with the construction. I feel so bad for the male bird because I watched him construct part of it and I know that he worked so hard! Maybe the nest is just disguised a little and I can still hold out hope that I will come outside one day and see eggs in there!
It is a dreary day here - cold and cloudy, a big change from the past few days where it has felt like summertime that's for sure! I'm laying low today doing laundry and relaxing. Then tomorrow morning I have to take my car into the shop (found a great guy here who seems to know our make/model of car which is fabulous) to get the oil changed and (hopefully) the AC fixed. We had been having trouble w/ the AC for a while but it was still manageable but the driving home from work earlier this week I went to turn it on and nothing came out of the vents! So sad to say it appears to be totally busted. But I have high hopes (after J had a very involved convo w/ the mechanic) that it can be fixed and not cost a small fortune. We shall see. I'll be at the shop at 7:30 tomorrow morning :)
Looking forward to my parents coming to visit next weekend! Been a long countdown and we're finally down to single digits! YAY!