More chores, et al

Note the droop of the dashcam cord in the car. I figured out how to fix it. (This is from our trip to Canoe Lake Road.) I put a large straw between the cord and the opening. Voila!

The garden crew is here.

The orchid cactus will have lots of offshoots. The leaves are sitting in water to root.

The thistle is so pretty, with the seeds blowing in the wind.

The topper is off the swing, put away for winter.  The pillows are handy, just in case we want to sit out. It's been lovely and sunny, and we don't need the shade.

'The Point' is quite grown over. you can see where there used to be deep water. It's all evaporated, and the bulrushes grown over.

Goodbye Veggie Garden

This was a chore. I've been whittling away at it. I simply cannot dig up the weeds anymore. I borrowed the kids' churny thing but it was too much for it. I have given up. The critters eat all my plants, anyway. The groundhog ripped the plants out, or maybe Butch raccoon?

JB sanded it and painted it in May, 2012, done in July [in the garden and pond]. Even then, the wood was rotting.

All gone!

This little evergreen should grow leaves back, it was attacked by those dratted LDD worms. I transplanted it from the forest.

 JB found a baby snapping turtle on his walk in town, beside the river.

🐻SNUGGLE Bears

Monday, Sept. 20th – we had a federal election. There was a voter's list, a list of candidates, as well.

Rain, butterflies, grasshopper, apples, happy gardens!

What a relief... rain! Our total, over three days, 27mm!  A gentle rain falls today, and it is much-welcomed. This morning we had 17mm (0.68"), and the garden is happy.

The yucca plant has produced three flower stems this year. I'm so happy. There were none last year, although I did prune the old, dead roots a bit. The woodpeckers like to take the seeds out, once the seed pods are dried.


From the safety of my deck, I spotted two Eastern butterflies making whoopie in the tree!
Then, the teeniest grasshopper I have ever seen on my laptop tray!
 

Then there are the lovely cedar waxwings! Not great photos, but it was the action I loved. They are everywhere around the house, in the trees. I seldom see them this near the ground, just beyond the apple tree.


With the rain, we have happy plants. I have two apple trees, one has several wee apples!


Veggie garden, which I've watered in the drought. Lots of snow peas to come, cherry and regular tomatoes, zuccinni and cukes are on their way! The Milkweed Tussock caterpillars do not seem to mind the rain.


Lots of milkweed. Pretty wilted - up until this week. The raspberries seem inured to the drought. We will have a ton of them!



Daisy found a mouse I'd seen, but not ID'd before. A Woodland Jumping Mouse. Annabelle was inspecting it for her, Daise was in snatching a snack, just before I walked down the drive to get the newspaper.
Sadly, Annie killed it, but I do think it was wounded. They are nocturnal, and hop. A long tail, and large back legs.

What a lazy day –except for weeding the garden!

Bambi

Yes. I played around on the internet. Finally visiting some of my blog buddies. Book reviews to do.

"Butch"

 I was pretty lazy. Too hot to do much outdoors, and the deerflies are merciless.

I began by putting a new deerfly patch on the back of my cap.
They really do work. Not perfectly, but enough for one to get some work done.
I'd offer some to Bambi, but they don't seem inclined or too much bothered.

Fred groundhog

My veggie garden I've had limited success with, so far. Butch raccoon, Labbit, or Fred groundhog have been terrible. One or the other, or all three, have been in the garden. I really must put up some chicken wire, but the picket fence is charming.

They don't just nibble, although they do that, too. They pull up the entire plant, roots and all. That makes me think it is Butch, with her opposable thumbs.  Next, it will be the split-leaf beetles laying eggs.

This after 20 minutes weeding...
They suggest they last a week.

Daisy, my faithful helper

The peas I covered with chicken wire after last year's debacle. Somebody is nibbling it right up to the wire.

I had helpers, despite the bugs. Daisy follows me all day.

 I staked and put up barriers from the critters. Probably it won't do me any good. We shall see.

Milkweed and weeds

I am easily distracted by the flowers and bugs!

Species: Cercyonis pegala Common Wood-Nymph
Verified on BAMONA

Happy dragonfly
hugging the flower