Just Stuff--

I caught her!! YEP the female house finch with the eye infection!  I was able to just sneak up on her while she was on the bird feeder-- reached out and grabbed her! SHE was not too happy..but she will be happy in a few more days when HER sight is returned to her!  Look at the poor thing the first day...and then with Only ONE day of treatment--

I was off work today for one reason or another and we spent the entire morning bleach cleaning all our feeders, water stations, and suet holders too...Although I dont think the problem is here...They just appear suddenly like that! The poor Goldfinch was only passing through he was here for One day only wish I had been able to catch him...
Meanwhile Check out this very bug-eyed butterfly who enjoyed some of my potted plants on the deck..

                                                                Palamedes Swallowtail


THE heat is still on...all of us are panting as we go about our Daily Chores in the outdoors....

AND NOW I know what's happening to my Hosta Plants!! THIS freeloader has outstayed his welcome!!

                                                                        CHEWED UP!


AND I have to give a PLUG to SNAPFISH if you enjoy producing your OWN cards and photobooks, (Like I do) try Snapfish! They also make prints and they run some very cool specials too...(like 99 prints for 99c) I ordered these greeting cards made from some of my favorite photos--I always put a cool message inside each card and the back is marked with MY own Logo! The only complaint I have is I wish there was an easier way to order from my saved projects,....you have to order each one separetely...they cost 1.99 each and that includes an envelope..they do combine the order and you pay  only a very small shipping fee---

HEY you cant get a "Designer" card for that price... a good Hallmark Card is $3.50.  Before you order google up a Coupon Code and you can probably find one for a discount or free shipping or something like that...i found one that gave me a $5.95 discount on my order.  Get on their mailing list and they will email you all kinds of special deals...Like now they have buy one 8 x 11 photo book get 2 free!! WHAT a deal eh? Great for scrapers.

Here's my cards..I laid these out on my bed so you can seee how cool vibrant the color is Each one is Perfect!! ....I've used Snapfish before for photobooks, notecards, and greeting cards, and am very pleased with the price and the quality for the buck! These cards are 5 x 7 and printed on nice heavy glossy cardstock--

For the curious these were taken on my travels the past couple of yrs.
left to right

1. The White Foal ( Navajo Lands, AZ)
2. Monument Valley, AZ
3. Lake Powell, AZ
4. Monument Valley, AZ
5. Maroon Bells, CO
6. Betatakin Ruins, Navajo National Monument, AZ
7. Sheep in the Road, AZ
8. Canyonlands NP, Utah
9. Antelope in Utah
10. Mt Sopris, Carbondale, CO
11. the Delicate Arch, Arches NP, Utah
12. A Vintage Shoppe in Basalt, CO

Hope your week has been good THE heat is REALLY on for us this weekend..SO I'll probably be laying low in the AC..AGAIN!

PEACE

Extreme

Theres not much new in my life to blog about it gets old talking about how its EXTREMELY HOT it is right now at over 100 degrees every single dayyyyyYYYY...and how that makes the time Im off work extremely BORING--I feel like I'm doing Hard Time....cause its way too hot to get out and ramble around in nature!! SO I have to keep trying to draw nature to me!! I found this caterpillar--its extremely fuzzy n white and it has the look of soft hair, I dont have a clue what it is so if any of you do-- please id it for me..I have placed it in BugNet.com hoping for an ID along with one I found last fall that has me stumped.

                                         

This  Skink came rushing out from under last years leaf cover to scare the H outta me...he may not look it but he's extremely longggg at LEAST 8 INCHES ...practically a snake~~o:<

AND I know ya'll are probably sick of my humm'N birds but this female ruby throated was resting up in an oak tree and its kinda fun to see her size compared to this acorn shell...she is extremely small

Did you know Coleus is so extremely easy to grow from seed or to start from cuttings?  I grew these from seed and in the winter I will take cuttings place them in an old jar half filled with pebbles and water.  I pinch off the lower leaves and submerge at least one of those leaf buds below the water, and soon roots appear...keep them in a south facing window and you will have seedlings to plant directly in your pots or flower beds after frost danger is over..THIS way you dont have to keep buying bedding plants! They look beautiful planted near caladiums (lucky for us if we mulch caladium well it will come back yr after yr) impatients like the shade with the coleus and caladiums some more color in the yard now is from the extremely BIG Frying Pan sized  Hibiscus--the bud's before and after opening are a work of art!!

 

Some kind of pest made this extremely lacy pattern out of the leaf I kinda liked it.  Lace bug?

...Well I can only wait and hope for better weather. Cant travel out of it cause its EVERYWHERE within driving distance of me right now...So just have to wait it out, and realize our weather can change at any given time...Right now Ive got some extreme thinking going on...better--stay cool where ever you are!!

PEACE



WBW 35-Reality Show

NOT a lot of birding going on in my life right now...so only  birds that come to me are being enjoyed at this point..hopefully as the weather cools (whenever it does) I will find something more interesting but until then these are a few of the birds I see right here in my yard... 

WE have a bumper crop of hummers here this yr.  This is the ruby throated male to the left and the female above, we've had 4 females and 2 males - regulars at the feeder so much fun watching them as they zip zap around and bombard each other to try and keep the feeder under their control...Then they rest---take a snooze then back at it again in 15 minutes!!  They are drinking a bottle a day almost.

And this brilliant American Goldfinch came by for a visit... then I noticed he had a problem...see the eye? He has conjunctivitis and he will go blind without treatment...which I can offer if I could only catch him..BUT he can hear me and the other birds tipped him off so he flew away..there is also a female house finch with the same infliction in the yard and I failed to catch her too...so Im kinda bummed out about it~;o(

He is such a beautiful bird...

here's a very healthy female House Finch..thank goodness.

We had a rare treat in the yard this week..no photo to share but a Northern  Bobwhite Quail came streaking through the yard!  We haven't had one around in many years--so that was exciting...HE seemed to be a lone bird and no second sightings so far. And when I went to photograph a grave for a requester I found this pretty tattered Variegated Fritillary  in the cemetery on some wild verbena.  Saw three rabbits and a deer out in the field today!! So wildlife is on the move looking for water I presume and the tender shoots where ever they can find it.

HOPE YOUR WEEK IS A GOOD ONE--

VISIT OTHER WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY BLOGS BY CLICKING HERE

PEACE

Slow Grow?

Did you ever get one of those weekends where its all work and no play? Well thats what this one ended up as-LOTS of grass to cut, stuff to move, plants needing attention, housework, All that Have to--Stuff-yuk...but finally I'm relaxing now!! Noticed a few things...out in the garden...

Last yr this shot (left) of my basil crop was taken in mid to late June, The plants were not big but they bloomed assuring my seed for next yr. This yr I planted the basil EARLY started it indoors..
Its growing
But its not
blooming yet
AND I didnt save Seeds for next yr!!!

The tomatoes are getting big but taking so long to get ripe!

and my pepper plants

have plenty of leaf,

bloom, and yet only little pea sized peppers!

THE CUCUMBER
IS SMALL

THE DILL WENT
TO SEED

                                THE ONIONS?

THE STRAWBERRIES
DRIED UP ON THE
STEM

AND THE FIG TREE
all seem to be growing at a slower pace..I didnt do anything differently than I normally do..Last yr this fig tree was eaten by deer so it didnt quite recover--

This was amusing...one of the new female hummers feeding on the other side of the bottle...can you see her?

And look who is up to his old tricks..Watching me do all the work while he does all the relaxing!! He really has the life of Riley!!

And this Female American Goldfinch stopped to pay us a visit this weekend...In summer we dont generally get these finches but I guess she was passing through...and needed a drink of water!

How's your summer going so far?
 

PEACE

WBW 33-On Their Own

This video is a short (2:09 m)  hope you will enjoy watching it

 NOW its time for all of us who enjoy birds to share with the rest of the world...Click this Icon and go over to Springman's blog to share and enjoy what others are sharing...

PEACE



Happy Birthday!

 JULY 4th and the GIRLZ have a birthday...they turned 3 today..SO yesterday we had a sort of party for them...and here is what we did! Hope you all had a good 4th ---

                                                                               ANNIE 

                                                                               FLOSS

                                                                            Birthday lake dip

                                                     And what's the 4th without WATERMELON?

Three Beautiful Ladies!! My best friends. 

PEACE