Friday, June 18, 2021

What's Stirring on the Homestead


This week has been a little less rain but still hot...I was able to get my outside chairs painted for another season of use...but honestly I rarely use them.  Sitting is not one of my hobbies, unless Im not feeling well.  This week I had a few days when I was LOW as could be...Getting outside is the only thing that  helps me keep close to the sanity line.  


I used the left over paint from the deck painting earlier this year... chair resides in front of my container garden...on the old shed slab


I painted the 2 chairs and the bench...SO who knows if I decide to sit down I will have a place to do it...I can't leave my cushions out or the squirrels will destroy them.  So I keep them stashed in the shed.  

Walking around the yard taking care of my plants some things caught my eye...like this Thread Waist Wasp on the wild flower I was able to get established in one area..


                 Deer will nibble the tops if they get a chance...but they are pretty east to keep otherwise.

I have butternut squash on the vine...hope the squirrels don't find these....I'm trying to keep the little gourds hidden...


I had an Eggplant on the stem but look what happend to it..


And they didn't even eat it, just stripped it off the plant   GRRRR
 A couple more blooms are forming, So I put the plant in a wire cage hope it doesn't get attacked again. 

Some California Poppies did open...they only last a day or two but more buds are there.. 


And I love to grow pepper so I have several plants and they are doing good so far...I over winter  peppers in the sunny utility room.  They come back  really good when once they go into the yard I also over winter the Bell Peppers.  


Jalapeno 

I eat them raw, I cook them, I freeze them and I pickle them!  They are easy to grow and easy to preserve.  I also grow Banana and Bell Pepper.  

Last night for dinner homegrown Courgette, or Zucchini as we call it. With a pepper on the side...oh it was soooo good.   I am also growing onion, cilantro, parsley, green beans, yellow squash and I have 2 pumpkin vines so far only bloom and no pumpkin, tomato, and Asparagus keeps giving me a stem every now and then. 


Up in the trees are the new Eastern Bluebirds, looking gorgeous at this point..If you recall the nest box blew down and I had to reset it for them....that was before the eggs were laid.  


And this large member of the Tyrannidae family
the Great Crested Flycatcher, they breed here and it's always fun to watch them catching food to feed their family.  They are cavity nesters and they like to nest in my fake gourds. 


The beak size is amazing eh?  


One of the many Carolina Wrens that make my yard home...


The sweetest bushes in the yard are in bloom now, the Gardenia

Just walk outside and you can catch the sweet aroma..

A Blue Darner? Not sure..



Hard to get a shot of the Ruby Throated Hummers, this is a female, a young one.   Thru the window of course...




I don't have to go far to see all kinds of wonderful things...just walk out the back door. And even at Night...



Crescent on the 15th 


What's stirring in your world?


PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.

16 comments:

  1. You have a lovely nature reserve right outside your door. We are the same with outside chairs and tables as we very rarely use them. Does your son still live next door?
    I dont if you read about it but an Egyptian Vulture was spotted off the southern coast , on the Scilly Isles this week. The first sighting for 150 years and apparently blown off course by the winds
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-57483562
    All the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WOW I just checked the link you provided amazing bird, I hope everyone who goes gets a chance to see it, 150 yrs, just goes to show anything is possible!! Yes my son is still next door but our relationship has reached an all time low I am hopeful that too will change. All the best to you Dave.

      Delete
    2. I hope things improve for you Sondra, family is so important and very often the young dont see it the same way as we do as we get older.

      Delete
    3. I'm not giving up just giving some space...sometimes you realize it's not up to you and that is the hard part to accept.

      Delete
  2. Hello,

    The chair looks nice, Looks like a great reading spot. If not not buggy! The zucchini meal looks yummy, I would love to have the fresh grown veggies. Great bird photo, pretty Bluebird and Flycatcher and a cute Wren. I wish the gardenia grew in my planting zone, it is pretty. Great sky and moon photos. Have a happy day and great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Eileen, thank you for the kind words, so far not buggy we had a dry spring so we don't have much water sitting around for skeeters yet at least. I wish I did sit out on the bench for a while today after I got off the lawn mower to cool off a bit and watched a few birds at the feeders....its hard to learn how to relax when you been a 'doer' all your life. BUT I have had to take things slower I have no choice as I get older. Have a Good Juneteenth!

      Delete
  3. Your garden looks amazing! Not much left in mine as the temps just burned them up no matter how much I watered them and moved them out of the direct sun. Walking out the door is like putting you head in 500 degree over. Your veggies look so good and what you were making in the skillet made my mouth water. Enjoy your yard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jo, I have been hearing about the heat wave my family in CO are under it too...and they are over 5,000ft elevation! If I could grow a zucchini a day I could live off my garden, for the summer at least, the thing is I can't grown lettuce past April it's too hot by then and the humidity gets to it causes disease etc and slugs...ugh. It has to be a major challenge to try and grow in the dry heat you have. Enjoy our weekend!

      Delete
  4. Righteous License Plates - Spooky Sunset - Happy Moon - Great Post

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Travis, I love my License Plate collection, it's give me a thrill! Have an excellent day tomorrow.

      Delete
  5. Awesome job on the chairs! Love the color. Jealous of the flycatcher. Great bird pics. You are the best cook ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HaHa thanks Sis, The flycatchers have been sitting in the tree by deck...so good to see them up close. Big HUGS

      Delete
  6. Your yard is full of good stuff, not just the produce (the peppers look great!)! The wasp is quite fascinating i've not seen one like that before. We do get some odd shaped ones here but i've yet to find one. The chair looks good, i'm not one for sitting either but i'd be happy sat in that :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pam, I enjoy trying to grow a little food, and eating it when its ready...I love peppers and our climate is just right for growing them. I see all sorts of weird flying insects dont always have my camera ready I have a really strange one to share in my next post. Have a great week!

      Delete
  7. Garden crops look wonderful, yard is good, birds are even better! We bought new cushions for our patio chairs, but like you, I hardly ever sit on them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sallie I just caught up on your first trip report, sounds like you had a great time...the yard is so much work when I go out to sit all I see is the chores that need my attention, I do more sitting in the fall than any other time in yard. AND I have a screen porch which means I can sit under a ceiling fan so that's my preferred outdoor sitting but occasionally a fire in the pit is fun on a summer night. TC

      Delete

Comments are appreciated, and reciprocated!
However I delete comments that contain links or instructions to visit a site unless it directly relates to content of the blog it is posted on. In other words DONT SPAM MY COMMENTS SECTION!!