Bugs and blooms: yay SPRING!

We've a situation under the lower deck. It is a great place to relax. 😉😜  Aside from bugs and bees! Fred has dug a hole under it, but seems to have moved out. Here is JB relaxing there. I went down to sit with him and a big bumble bee came at us. Then there were three. I am sure they have chased out dear Fred the groundhog. He's been absent a couple of days.

Both of us now have blackfly bites. They are horrid. At least they don't come in the house. This heat will hopefully dry up the running water they rely on in order to reproduce. I thought of this time of year while in the depths of winter!

Fred has redug a hole he made here↓ under the woodpile in 2022. (I'd filled it in.) I still have to stack my wood from our tree branch clean up. I'll have to avoid 'fencing him in!' I worry that the wood will fall on him!

I woke at dawn on Tuesday, and decided to go for it. Donning hat with bug spray on the top, pants and gloves, I dug some dirt, and dumped it into the holes. I caught myself on the camera! 

It's best to work on them in the dark, when the bees are in bed, and it was cold, only 10˚ C., having had a high of 32˚ C. the day before. 

I'll leave this here and see what happens. I have plans B, and C ready in my head. 

So far, no sign of the bees. I think I won! 

I've been having fun on the upper back deck. Most of my house plants are out there. I repotted the orchid, as it was falling over, and was pot bound. Dear JB bought me a new pot and cactus soil. I rearranged my display, as the direct sun is a bad thing. Tying the orchid to the metal tree ornament (it was a gift!), it'll prevent it from falling over in a wind. I've been rearranging. The trick is to avoid having the sun on them, as they are likely to get burned.

They have the most beautiful faces. I'd bet other bloggers could take exquisite photos of them, mine are adequate.

This wasn't a too bad photo, at 5 a.m., as the sun rises. You can see the mosquito hawk on the blossom.

The petunias are delightful.

BTW, we need rain. I watered the front garden Monday night. It is very dry this month. Our average is 78 mm in May, although 2017 was an outlier. 

My serviceberry shrub, bought as a teeny plant, is thriving. I'd bought about a dozen from our Civitan Club, selling them as a fundraiser. They are blossoming! Soon we will have bright red berries, when the serviceberries and huckleberries bear fruit.

The hops vine is up to the upper deck! The white bleeding hearts look lovely.

Visiting cat Pepper has been here. I caught him on Fred's trailcam!

 

Pepper May 27 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I call him Silverback Coyote. He has a lighter mark which reflects the camera light.

 

Silverback coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The deer have been scarce. They should be having fawns anytime. They tend to disappear in May, returning to feast on my hostas. I am ready! The only deer I've seen has been on the frogpond trailcam. He is growing his new antlers! 

 

young buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Have a wonderful day. Yes, the news is awful. We have to find joy where we can. Bear witness, if you can, protect yourself if you need some self-care.