Did I tell you how bad the bugs are?!

OK, the bugs are REALLY bad this year! Here's JB in his walking outfit. Cinnamon gave him a bit of a glare. He tensed for fight or flight, and I told him who it was, so he calmed down! 

It's a long weekend here, Monday. What difference this makes, I don't know. We're still supposed to be in lockdown. 

March 4th, I had a real haircut. By May it was shaggy! My hair has bugged me. I went at it!!! 

The horse chestnut tree is in bloom, as well as lilacs. I love seeing the bumble bees around the blossoms. 

If you look closely, you can see the caterpillar webs of the gypsy moth larvae, on the top of the spruce tree.

Also, on the stuff I have hanging.

The bleeding hearts are in bloom, too.

Down in the forest, this little evergreen has been chewed by the deer and isn't all green anymore.

We've ants coming in the corner here. I'm not sure what to put in there. It's a teeny hole. We are usually invaded by ants in the spring, and I just spray some Raid outside, or behind the dishwasher, and into the outlets. Maybe just some tape?

I have little teeny cherry tomatoes! The leaves don't look very good. I think I overwatered it. I shall hold back.

I saw a great blue heron fly over the yard.

I've been watering. We anticipated rain Saturday, but only 0.76 mm fell from the skies.

The pop of colour is heartwarming! I'll leave you with these! 

Butch, fairy lights, backyard tails

 I was sitting on the back deck, and watched Blond Butch go by. Butch May 16 

I am slowly weaning the birds off the feeders. If I take them down suddenly, the birds go after my hanging planters, searching for food. I put the penultimate feeder on the tree, just to have the birds scrape it clean.  There is one feeder remaining, which I put out in the morning and take in at night. Then, there is hungry lactating Blond Butch. 

I took photos and had fun putting them into a video. This is what she was after! Butch 

She noticed me, and took off up the tree.

 The nests are doing well. The ones that I can find. We've song sparrows, tree sparrows, the crows. 

I spotted the crows in the backyard May 16th📹. 

Phoebe laid the 5th egg May 7th, and they are due to hatch May 22. JB helped me, and I checked the nest out when phoebe was off feeding. nesting critters  

The cats have noticed the robins, peering between the boards at them, but they cannot get to them. The good news is the lilacs are blooming. I walked by the bush, and was surprised by the amazing smell. 

The back deck is buggy. It usually isn't so.  The bugs are really bad this year. Remembering my thoughts from a month ago, April was like May, I wondered about the bugs with the early spring and tried to live in the moment. I briefly spotted a summer tanager, the bug eaters are here, at least. 

I've been struggling with my fairy lights. Going to bed early, as I get up early, I kept forgetting the check them.

 I looked at them in the day and couldn't find an on/off switch. I bought these at an auction last year. I had forgotten to check if they were working in the dark.

I finally remembered by putting my camera on my bed after dinner, figuring it would trigger me to go check them in the dark. That worked, and NONE of them were on. Taking off the top, the silver collar, I found that the rechargeable batteries were corroded. That was an easy fix, I replaced them all. Now, I have 4/6 working. I may have to clean the last two out a bit, as the contacts aren't good.

It's good having gardening and outdoor chores. The ferns are looking amazing. We could use rain. 

I'm not sure if deer go after rhododendrons.  I took a photo, just in case! It looks as if I finally figured out a location for them. We've two, and haven't been able to get them to bloom since buying them. Cross your fingers!

Taking a breather on the lower deck on the swing bench, I saw something moving. Gray tree frog. 

I thought I was being watched! I put a hummingbird feeder on the back deck, she was eyeing me to see if she was safe. hummingbird  

Regarding new fish, It's the problem with the supply chain, methinks. I've had the goldfish reproduce in past years, Yam, with the common goldfish, but they never survived in the fish tank. I brought some in and gave Caitlin a dozen one year and they all died. 

I put on bug spray, to check on the lady slippers in the wetland. It is a must. From there, I went searching for my dowels. I found one yesterday. Not the nail file, though! 

June in bloom

I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have made it to June. It felt like a long winter. That said, it's been pretty chilly.

In Ottawa, they had a tornado go through on Sunday. Meanwhile, they are still cleaning up the horrific flooding. There are many great stories about people helping people.

A Renfrew man who moved out to Calgary 10 years ago has come back to the Ottawa Valley to help vacuum up flood-waters in Constance Bay. Terry Rawn's Hydrovac can move 10 cubic metres of water in 5 minutes. pic.twitter.com/5DemH3PAp6

— CBCOttawaMorning (@OttawaMorning) June 3, 2019

June 2nd was a pretty wet day. It was chilly in the morning. Hooper got into his little house. He is happier outside at night.
You have to picture me, standing in the bay window, having climbed over the back of the couch, with Annabelle assisting, trying to get his photo! JB sat in his chair, watching tennis, and laughed at us.



At the sale in Fallbrook they gave me some free clover seeds! They were just the thing.

I went to the store and bought myself 15 bags of top soil. My mistake? Putting all 15 bags of dirt on the wagon prior to checking the tires. I had to pump them up. Even so, I could hardly drag the wagon to the backyard.


I don't water the grass. We're on well water and it's not a good idea to waste water that way. We lost all this grass last year.


NO helpers, but then, it was raining... The next day Hooper thought he'd try it out. He's a Lanark boy, doing his thing outdoors.


It was good exercise, in the rain, with the mosquitoes.

My bean plant is doing well.


Zucchini and pumpkins have survived. The squash is still hiding.


I bought myself a new Rhododendron. Wish me luck!

I have news about the robins. They are on brood #2. For the whole nest saga, visit this page: 🐣Robin red-breast.

June 3rd

I was working out in the basement, when I spotted him 'doing' her, in the pouring rain! I checked the nest awhile later, and there she was.
 Robin in the rain

I nearly forgot about Maggie! She is well-wrapped with chicken wire and fencing. She's dates from 2012: Mother's Day is overrated, at my age.

And the gerbera!

I went into town for a haircut. This stunning woman got out of her car. As I sat having my hair done, the Pride Parade made its way down the street. There were several professional drag queens in the parade, so says my hairdresser. I couldn't see as I was in the chair being done. I'm sorry I missed it.



My new haircut! Short for summer.

I had my summer pedicure, too. Sadly, I've already ruined one big toe!