I know, I know

It’s been forever. (Or at least a month)

I have no real excuse. (Except work, chores, a vacation, life in general)

Summer lasted for a long time, but this weekend fall will appear.  However not quite far enough for me to harvest green tomatoes.  That’s nice, because there have not been nearly enough ripe ones for me to be sated this year.  I believe next year I may have to plant them somewhere else.

Not enough sun ripening time where they currently are.

It appears this post will be about the yard so there is this.

I have written before of Wonderful Guy’s efforts in feeding the birds, and his frustration at the hummingbird’s preference of my flowers to his feeders.  Last year I had one or two volunteer sunflowers come up, and this year so many that I thinned them.

These were common sunflowers, all spindly and unenchanting to the Guy, causing a rowdy effect to the garden and the walk.  For a few weeks, I cut blooms and brought a bouquet to the kitchen table where the happy faces of the sunflowers truly lit up the room.  Then dropped pollen all over the placemats.

Ah well…the price of cheeriness.

Then, one evening, sitting at the table, Wonderful Guy found my attention straying from the conversation.  The sunflowers were bobbing in the breeze.  Except there was no breeze.  I saw that wrens and finches were resting among the plants and wasn’t that fun!

And then we noticed the birds were just not hanging out in the sunflowers, but were taking their dinner there as well.

Birdfeeder, full of premium birdseed, not 4 feet away, and here our feathered friends are, snacking away on my spindly, common, everyday, volunteer sunflowers!

I bet next year I have even more of these sunflowers.

(don't forget to click for big on the photos...)

Backyard Buddies, Part Second

Speaking of the hummers, we have one (or three) hanging around this year. And mostly, he (or she) has been pointedly ignoring (again) the designated feeder.

I say one (or three) because occasionally ours regularly takes time from his (or her) posing to chase off (or court) another.

Back to my efforts to capture the antics of Mr. (or Ms.) Speedy Bird. After noticing the hummingbirds, I put the telephoto on the camera.

And got the photos of the finches.

The hummer pretty much left the scene that evening. I sat and sat and sat, until I feared I might contract West Nile from the mosquitoes I was attracting. A few evenings later, there was a reappearance while I was out photographing…oh I don’t know, probably flowers in my yard? I popped off a few shots that weren’t great, but the best I could do with the light and the lens.

He likes Monarda.

Perhaps Mr. Speedy Bird thought to hide from the paparazzi in the lilac bush…

After vacation, my yard needed attending. What nine days without that routine walking around and checking and tending to will leave in its stead! Plants done blooming, new ones coming on, and weeds fully a foot tall where none had been before. I was glad to see this blooming, which I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s called. Maybe a penstemon? But I have it in 3 places in my yard, because 1) it’s orange, 2) it blooms in August, and 3) hummers like it.

Again, sometimes I just get lucky!

(notice those tee tiny feet...)

Mr. Speedy Bird is sometimes Mr. Hanging Out At The Tomato Cages Bird.

He also like the delphinium which, interestingly, has a white bloom. I was under the apparently incorrectly impression that they were only attracted to shades of red.

And sweet peas are favorite, too.

(As always, if one wants, clicky for biggy)

Backyard Buddies, First Part

The Cat Who Is Queen is rather senior, and no longer brings us 'gifts'.  Therefore we are free to feed the birds without the trepidation of luring our feathered friends to sure and certain death.

And feed the birds we do.  And the squirrels sometimes, but Best Dog Ever does her best to guard the yard from the chattery tail-flippers. It's her mission.  From Dog.

We have had had a couple hummingbird feeders in the past.  Last year the squirrel got to those.  We found the little flower spigots on the ground and the feeders drained.  Then we found all the other feeders knocked about and empty, and several on the ground.

The squirrels got hopped up on hummer juice and went bonkers, I imagined.  I also imagined after stuffing themselves, hitting a carb wall and crashing...on their backs...with round and bloated tummies, sprawled on some spruce limb, cutting zzzz's.

Anyway, Wonderful Guy was peeved.  Said 'That does it!'  Brought all the feeders in.  He. Had. Had. IT!

And that's the way it stayed.  Until that evening at dinner, when, sitting at the kitchen table, we looked out to the back fence, and saw we were being watched.

By doves, pigeons, wrens, and finches.  Just sitting there.  Watching.  Waiting.  Wondering where their supper was.

Wonderful Guy couldn't take it.  The feeders were filled back up, and brought back out.  But nailed to the fence, tied down to their hangers, and otherwise firmly affixed to thwart those furry, pesky, but sort of cute, thieving, rascally squirrels.

His madness has worked pretty well.  No more feeders on the ground, at least, and the one hummer feeder we keep now hangs on the pergola, out of bounds for the squirrellish.  However, the hummers?  They don't relish the feeder as much as my flowers, which sort of chaps the Guy.

Hee hee hee.

Also...Happiest birthdays ever, to Grandbebe Two (yesterday) and Eldest Daughter (today)!  Love you both lots and lots!

Our First Hummingbirds…

…showed up last night.

A couple years ago, Wonderful Guy, who is only slightly less enchanted with hummingbirds than with me, thought we needed a hummingbird feeder to add to the collection of bird feeders we already have around the yard. We found a nice one, researching the best way to do the food and migratory habits, etc.

I also have planted several perennials that are known to attract hummingbirds over the years. We usually have a few pairs each year, and they are so much fun to watch. The last couple of years, we have even seen them rest on the tomato cages. Still, and unmoving, for several minutes at a time. Very remarkable.

Unfortunately, and much to Wonderful Guy’s chagrin, the hummers like my plants more than the feeder! Apparently, our hummer pairs are of the organic persuasion.

I think Wonderful Guy feels a bit insulted by it all.