Summer on notice...

Monday I did began to feel the cold ease up some, talking about the cold in my HEAD...it's been dragging on a while now.  So I got out my yard blower and did some pine needle clean up on the old brick patio...felt I could do a little more so I opened up the mower garage pulled it out and rode it around the yard.  I must add that on that morning the humidity was a tolerable 44% and there was actually a breeze.  

One thing I like about riding the mower around is I feel content, it's a time to just go on auto pilot and circle around as if I'm in a labyrinth, it def has healing power. A little noisy tho! 

the Moon wants more Zen sounds

The Male hummingbirds left on July 30th.  The females are not as eager to leave  and some extra ones showed up as well...I saw 5 at one time dive bombing and a couple times they did share.  Soon the feeder will be taken apart for the last bleaching and stored away for another year. 

Wednesday I went out and found  one of the wren chicks on  the ground, the other two not in the nest, I picked him up put him in the nest little bugger jumped right back out so I guess it was time... the adult was calling this is one reason I wish they had not nested so close to the house...I could have spooked them walking around,,,the pot was only 4 ft from my porch door.

Has it been 10-14 days?  I think this is a little early but it's not up to me...

The parents  were rounding them up when I gave up and went inside I was doing more harm than good at that point,,, 

Mom

  I found this click bug in one of my empty watering containers he found himself in a place he couldn't escape but I heard him making clicking so I turned him out on a fence post top,,,,

He hugged his legs in tight and went into play dead mode...sort of like a turtle, his head is hinged and even it is clamped down tight. 

So I rolled him over and I was surprised to see he is actually covered in a stiff bristle of hair..

The flower pots and beds are slowly coming of age and the Red Sedum is about to open, to me  it is the last of the summer bloomers and then the fall bloomers begin to make a bud...

Sedum on the far left

Im about to pick my Butternut Squash and another flower or two are trying  a last ditch effort but I don't think there is any hope for more fruit this year.  The eggplant is giving it one more try also...

I did enjoy the one I got to eat! The Squirrel took the other 5!!

And this out of control indeterminate tomato  bush finally has some tennis  ball sized fruit...

I tied mesh around them after taking this photo because I found one on the ground chewed up but not eaten...Squirrel AGAIN!

she is keeping her eyes alert for an attack from a sister hummer...

 it rained and the little hummers got wet...just another day in life to them...

 We take a walk around the yard on  good days Floss finds a cool spot to watch from under the spice bush

Annie and I  found this feather it's about 4 inches long Hawk, Owl? I really don't know 

Im not a big Parsley fan, so I saved this for any Monarch Caterpillars, so far none have shown up..

Here's the butternut one more is on the vine it needs to get a little bigger so I will leave it for now..

I will be sure to save the seeds for next year. 

Another cycle is about to complete.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Bumpy Week

This has been a weird week....Like a black cloud hanging around...
Annie had to go to the vet with an anal sac abscess.  It scared me since she had a tumor removed from that area in 2016.  She is on Meds for 20 days...and she is doing well so far. 

nothing better than a roll in the grass..

 Before that I took them swimming and Flossie got stuck in Quick Mud...and was really lame for a few days; more lame than usual.  I had to get myself stuck in order to get her out and  destroyed my favorite flip flops in the process,  ah dang!

Tuesday we had a really strong storm lots of wind took out our electric and one of my tall bird houses,  Blue Birds had a nest build going on, so I put it back up on Wednesday morning  and  they are trying to get it fixed up again...felt sorry for all the hard work they did.  I was able to save most of their nest work...but it was a little topsy-turvy

 they worked sooo hard all day. 


So not a good way to begin the week...but it got a little better..

went one day with the bike, and that was the best day of this week...

The red line is my track out and back...and this photo below was taken in the area at the tip of the lake

Riding and birding too...I find that  birds don't flush away as fast as when Im on foot or in my van...so that is cool.  

A buckeye butterfly 

A Solitary Sandpiper poked around in the mud by the lake edge...and later I found a second one...

The Dutch Iris at Martin's Lake

Tree Swallows seem to be interested in this Wood Duck Box..

The Spotted Sandpiper was there also 

Up in the trees an Eastern Phoebe waits for me to pass by..

And the Red Eyed Vireo tries to hide up in the shadows...

A Great Blue Heron stands tall at the back of the lake...

I rode along the road from the photo blind parking down the road and to the lake making stops at key spots along the way and that worked out really great. 

An Acadian Flycatcher posed for me quickly...

And the Yellow Rump's are so beautiful in their breeding plumage

Back at the homestead, the mother's day cactus is doing her thing...our friend Nettie, who passed last year, gave this plant to me years ago, So happy Mother's Day Mom and Nettie,

And I put the Knock Out Roses in the ground they are doing good so far

the Carolina Wren was in the front yard.

And these two Downy Woodpeckers had some sort of stand off going on...

And this was the lightest moment of the week, a male who pulled out all the stops to try and impress the love of his life...

House Finch's Love Dance

I think she handled it like a mature lady...lol. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Busy Week

So this week I decided Im ready to take the bike beyond the yard.  

Safety First

I went to Sandhills, it's quiet, no cars, or rarely and there is Paved  dirt and gravel roads to practice on as well so my first day ended up being like a 10 mile day!  But I didn't like pedal to metal do 10 miles, I did it in 4 different section rides including 2 dirt/gravel roads...I did about 5 miles of each. 

I absolutely need a new front gear shifter.  I tried to buy one on Amazon, but they insist on putting Amazon Prime in my shopping cart so I dumped the whole damn thing right there in the virtual aisle.  WTH, that should be illegal.  Lately Im just grumpy and my patience has worn not thin...but out.  So I went to Walmart.com bought the thing free shipping and no dirty tricks. 

IT was so good to be moving through the air with the only sound is the gentle click of the wheels I really enjoyed it and I want to do that again.  

Red Headed Woodpecker

Brown Headed Cowbird

I took a muddy hike to see the Pitcher Plants up close they are in bloom now.  These ones get quite tall and they love this boggy hillside.  

This Wood Duck pair had 2 ducklings, so very cute..

And the Geese had some Goslings  from the opposite side of the pond.

The Orchard Orioles have arrived and I added a new FOY bird...

Another day I went to Bramblewood and took a nice long walk around...The Clover is in bloom and it's so pretty.  

It attracts some cool insects, 

And the big mature hardwoods bring in some migrants.  

The Painted Bunting, 

The Prothonotary Warbler, 

The greens along the edge of the river soooo inviting. 

Red Winged Blackbird 

And around the yard some good going's on...

Floss "show your surprised face." 

A new Guard at the door, 

The Myrtle Yellow Rump in the trees, 

Along with a singing Black and White Warbler 

 

And a brilliant Prairie Warbler

The Red Breasted Nuthatch still in the yard...a pair actually.

And a new Rose Bush Inspector...

And my latest project is UP in the Air! 

Barn Owl Box!!

That was a full week we have a cold front passing through then some rain we actually need it even tho we had a rainy winter the air is very dry right now...AND one more the lady RB Nuthatch 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

RIP Little Bunnies 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.