It is so frustrating to see a bird on my feeders and I’m unable to match it to my charts and books!!
Is it a young Cardinal?? However, Cardinals do not visit the Bluebird mealworm feeder!
Early this morning, I was in my yard. (Early… before the heat of the day.) I planted/transplanted six plants into planters. The Bee Baum, Petunias and Begonias were “mark downs” from Lowe’s–but had been neglected (by me) for a couple of weeks. “Get it done, Lorraine, before the bargain investment ends up in the trash!!” ~~ I “got it done” and did not take a single picture.
God forgive me!! I opened Pandora’s Box and, and, and (stammer) I’m speechless. At our noon meal, at the CARE Center, residents were talking about phone calls from their children. I listened…, I didn’t comment. I came home and began to search Facebook* to see if I could find my sons and my grandchildren. “Yes,” I found most of them (but didn’t ask them to be friends. After all, if they wanted to contact me they could phone, or email, or read my blog messages.)
I’m “big” about aphorisms (from my mother and my grandmother) and here is another one: “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” ~~ I’m going to take comfort in the arms of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and try to put Facebook messages out of my mind!! ~~ A parting remark: I love Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Repeat: I love Hummingbirds!! However, I never expected to see one as a tattoo on my granddaughter.
*I’m new to Facebook because I want to help promote the CARE Center. Our page is less than one month young.
With a borrowed ladder, I determined to clean the dirty windows!! All that Winter grime!! Wow, what an improvement!! (Yes, lots of exclamation marks.) I successfully took pictures of Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadee, etc., through the glass but the new view is spectacular. Look at the fourth from last picture. Would you believe that was taken through the glass window?? My neighbors are working in their yards, too.
See other pictures–through a dirty window.
Yes, I have better things to do with my time. It would seem that I am always “watching the clock.”Even with A/C, the heat and humidity rob all my energy!!
The air was only slightly cooler. I was anxious to complete a project in the garden. I moved the new tomato planter. All by myself!! Very heavy!! The planter had been moved under the shelter of the front of the trailer–prior to Tropical Storm Bill (a volunteer helped me move it). Recently, I’ve been eyeing the areas that get the most sunshine and changed-my-mind about the future home for the tomato plant.
Only time will tell if this is the ideal location: Filtered morning sunshine and shade later. Too much sunshine in the previous site–and it didn’t “look good” there. I’m all about Feng shui.
The Maintenance Manager was spraying Roundup on the weeds in the neighboring (unoccupied) yard. I rushed over to ask him if “at his convenience” he would help me put the awning out. He suggested we do it then. He had it out is ten-seconds-flat!! (“It’s a guy thing.”) He suggests I contact a repair man for the awning.
The limbs had not been trimmed (contrary to my plan). I borrowed a ladder…, moved the planters…, nipped the branches…, trashed the cuttings. 
Then cleanup of the area before returning the planters to their original location. Eventually, I’ll bleach the cement because ugly brown stains from the Chinese Tallow tree. Eventually… but the nuisance dirty things are still falling.
The ladder is set up so I can wash the window before moving the lawn chairs under awning.
All the hard work, sweat and disappointment is worthwhile when I see the first Butterfly* on the Butterfly bush. Simultaneously, I see three Bluebirds at the feeder. Oh joy!! ~~ Love my garden!!
*Adult female eastern black swallowtail
“Air you can wear” was the expression–by Houston NBC TV-news meteorologist–for Livingston’s “feels like” 97 degrees (at 5:15 PM). ~~ Then–at 6:15–“feels like” 98.
In my small garden, I’ve battled “too much rain“ and extreme heat. Bugs are one villain I haven’t complained about. If I am going to save my tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and zucchini, I want a natural pest control.
Three Quarters & Counting 