Unexpected Wonders

When I first moved to this street, this house did not have the stairs going up to the front or this front porch.  Nor was it green.  This house was one of the worst looking houses on the street.  It was blue.  Not a pale robin's egg blue, or deep blue velvet blue, but maybe more a shocky peacocky kind of blue.  On the front was some kind of home-made blue painted wood enclosed anti-room covering the entry which I believe faced the side.

During the housing boom in the early 90's, someone bought the house and had it lifted off its foundation on gigantic steal beams.  I watched the progress each day, thinking they were maybe going to ride the shambles of this house on one of those WIDE LOAD trailers you see from time to time on the highway.  Whoever moved away perhaps loved their homemade creation so much, they were going to take it with them, as incredible at that seems.

But no, the house stayed lifted and was then slowly replaced.  The blue wood anti-room came off and some major cosmetic surgery took place.  In the end, unexpectedly, this house came into being.
I wonder if they have a before and after picture?

Have a look at this little guy:

Here is the unexpected place I saw him, right here growing out of the wall.

 I took a few pictures of these horn like flowers because they attract hummingbirds, whose appearance this time of year I love.  They zip up quick with a buzz of wings, dip into these flowers, and zoom away.

I also startled up a Cooper's Hawk again in my yard.  His wingspan is probably more than two feet across.  He's a huge bird.  Unfortunately, I have no picture of him yet.  He keeps swooping by without warning, startling me with his agility and predatory beauty.