Are you smarter than a 5th grader?!

I am. For sure. I taught gr. 5 for many years, from JK to gr. 8 all told. I am not smarter than Fred Groundhog, though. 

 What did I expect? Petunias are the flower of choice! This is a wooden planter, and Fred can climb. The flowers have been eaten, including the pansies. I put an upside down tomato cage, wrapped in chicken wire. Weighed down by rocks! Fingers crossed. I have to laugh. They provide much entertainment. 

 

I am hoping I've barricaded my zucchini plant. Fred has nibbled 3 blossoms. Don't tell them, but there is another plant on the other side of the sidewalk. Shhhhh! 

 

I have an antique school bell. I managed to refit it with a new stand. It's an old bed post. Perfect size to fit into the cement brick stand. I have a chain on it! The grandies used to ring it.

My hops vine has worn it self out. It used to host Eastern Comma and Question mark butterflies. This was July, 2023. Well, a lot of us are past our prime. As Joe said in the grocery store, to a fellow shopper, "The first 60 years were easy!"

July 2023

It's a shady spot. I'll have to figure out what to put here. The vine climbed up and it was pretty. I pulled it all out as it was rotten. There are lots of Bleeding Hearts self seeding. 

The frog pond! 

I ventured down to check out Barry Beaver's spot. I think he has moved back into the wetland, but still working here to deepen the little canals. I heard a Veery here. The trills were wonderful. 

Back out front, the Cedar Waxwings are eating bugs from the Spruce Tree! You can hear the goldfinch singing in the chestnut tree beside it. Our little Cedar Waxwing squadron is happily waiting for the Serviceberries to ripen.

Have a great week, all! You know what I'll be doing...

Hops Vine, Raptor

Cinnamon and I headed down to the forest on Sunday. After collecting the memory cards, I noticed a broken tree.

I'm wondering if Papa Bear chased Booboo bear up the tree. I think Booboo bear climbed it. You can hear the bullfrogs in the frog pond. 

broken tree trunk from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The katydids are out! Katy was sitting on the Basil, beside the Russian Basil.

🐛 I think these are Eastern Comma caterpillars. 

The Hops Vine has another guest. I noticed them, and each night they'd eat a section and move on as a group.

I was videotaping a helicopter, just for fun. I heard it coming over the treetops. You can see something below it. After the helicopter moved on, the other object came towards me. It was our local hawk, with what looked like a snake in its talons. 

 

 

helicopter from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The helicopter looks like a toy!

Don't ask which kind of raptor, they fly by all the time REALLY, REALLY fast! They seldom land. I have to be lucky and ready. This little one visited us in August, 2023.

The cats are doing their indoor duty. 

Beryl dumped a ton of rain on us. It is hard to fathom, this massive storm rolling up the continent carrying so much rain. More rain today. Floors are washed. Let's see what I can get up to today!

Basil and bugs!

 JB continues to improve and took a walk. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, a deerfly nailed him right in the temple. Three times. It dove under his cap. sigh. The anti-itch goop works well.

I had wine bottles to take to the beer store, which recycles them. The thing is, the clerks I meet tend to be abrasive, and tell me reorganize the bottles and group them. With my social anxiety I just walk away. I've often just given them to the person in line in behind me. 

During COVID I'd put them in the recycle box, but the township sent a memo out that residents should stop doing this. I wasn't the only one! Usually, JB does this for me. I've had to step up, put on my big girl pants, and go. This I couldn't do last week. I set them out at the end of the driveway, and they were gone within 24 hours. Problem solved.

My beautiful Basil, out front in the basket, has been attacked. This is an overhead view! The petunias are coming along.

I put some insecticidal soap on it and will hope for the best. 

I had fun trying to get a photo of it. It scootches under the leaf. It is a green colour, but looked beige in the sun on Friday. Saturday was a cloudy day and it photographed better.

I should point the Orchid Spider in the Basil plant's direction! 

The Question Mark butterfly has been laying eggs like mad. They have several Instars, first as an egg, then when they molt (at least 3 times), and grow another size. They get into that 'J' shape after several days. 

I've been watching the Eastern Question Mark butterflies, but they are flighty. I cannot confirm if they are that species or the Eastern Commas. Can you see the difference?

When their wings unfold, they are so brightly coloured, otherwise the underwings look like a dead leaf.

Comma left, Question Mark right↓.

He she is on the Hops Vine laying eggs.

Eastern Comma butterfly from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

June is looking promising

 It is a new week. It is June. We've enjoyed 🎾 tennis being played in Paris, although half the battle with the rainouts is to figure out when, where, or if they are being broadcast. 

I am happy to start a new month. The Mother's Day basket from Caitlin is so beautiful. This is a glorious season, when we have enough rain and sun. 

Those of you in our latitude will appreciate how much the spring means to have the brilliant colours. All we need now is a balance of sun and rain for the summer. 

As discussed with a couple of bloggers, you put on bug spray (or netting), do your work, and shower. It is necessary. JB uses a anti-bug hat.

I have to remove the moss and encroaching twitch grass and weeds. It's tricky with the phoebes coming and going. I don't want to disturb them too much. There are various methods, other than hand pulling them. If I can't get the roots I'll use vinegar water from dill pickles, etc., or sprinkle salt. 

Our growing season is relatively short. The Hops Vine is growing very fast. Here is May 17. Growing like mad underneath, and not up to the railing. I took this photo to show Fred on the lower deck, but it shows my rain gauge, and the railing.

May 31st I figured I ought to put up the green twine supports. The vine is up over the top of the railing, kind of swinging in the breeze as it searches for something to wind around.

Out front, the clematis is blossoming. I reached up over my deer fence to grab this. Now, at 5'4", it is tricky!

After working on the lawn tractor I finally managed to have a full tank and a full battery. I worked on Oliver's Lot. I just create a path for walking. The wildflowers can grow on either side. The Field Hawkweed is wonderful. Mind you, this is a spot where the soil is less than shallow!