“Sabotage” of my garden!!

Time to recognize the futility of my labor!! A veggie garden isn’t going to survive in Texas heat. I haven’t approached the project “haphazard“; I check the moisture, I provide fertilizer, I “pamper” my garden. Correction: A veggie garden in containers isn’t going to survive in my yard. This makes me very sad; I really hoped for my own home-grown organic veggies.

As I publish this–at 4:20 PM–the Houston TV meteorologist said “feels like 104 in Livingston.”

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Livingston, TX
Wednesday 4:00 PM
Mostly Sunny
90°F | °C
Precipitation: 0%
Humidity: 59%
Wind: 2 mph
Temperature Precipitation Wind

Cooler than yesterday at this time. ~~ “Hot” outdoors; I’m dripping wet with sweat!! Time to shower and apply my time to an indoor project!!

Reluctantly, I closed the shades on the East side of the trailer (early this morning). The heat, through the glass, was unbearable!!

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Houston TV-news meteorologist said (at 4:15) “97 degrees in Livingston.” My thermometer registers 91 degrees, and Internet weather says 92 degrees. Although not expressed as such, I’d say the “feels like” temperature is 97.

Livingston, TX
Tuesday 4:00 PM
Partly Cloudy
92°F | °C
Precipitation: 20%
Humidity: 47%
Wind: 3 mph

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Postscript, Wed., June 10, 3:00 AM: I awakened at 2:05–in a pool of perspiration–and could not go back to sleep. Decided to get up and read email messages. I’m running a fan all night (in the living room) but insufficient for the challenge. I despise the thought that I might need to run the A/C all night!! I almost have a heart attack thinking about the electric bill!! I’ve been conservative so far: No A/C until I enter the trailer after mornings spent in the garden (yesterday, 11:00 AM). Long hot summer stretches ahead!!

Postscript to the postscript: 🙂  While reading email, etc., etc., the small thermometer was resting on my pillow. (Inquiring minds want to know!!) Eighty degrees!! IMHO, too hot for comfortable sleeping!!

Absolutely nothing of merit accomplished this morning!!!!!! The ritual visit in the garden followed by preparation of Cooper’s Hawk visitor blog. ~~ I’m delighted to see new growth on the Christmas Cactus. I absconded with it–from the CARE dining room. It has been languishing for twenty months: No growth, no blooms. I had great success–in North Carolina–with Christmas Cactus’ and want to coax this one to bloom. It’s hanging from a branch, in the shade, near the picnic table. ~~ Actually, 92 degrees outdoors (at one o’clock) in deep shade but the meteorologist said factor in another five degrees for heat index. ~~ My poor thermometer was registering 112 degrees in the sun!!!! ~~ One o’clock and I’m finally going to fix brunch. I’d rather garden, and blog, then eat!!

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Postscript, 6:18 PM: The Houston TV meteorologist just said (6:17) “Livingston ‘feels like’ 101 degrees.”

Confession: I’m discouraged!! It’s 7:00 pm and I just watered most of my plants. They were fine this morning but a wilted sad sight this evening. It isn’t officially “summer” and I fear my garden may not survive!!

SINCERE THANKS to the folks who responded to my blog Unknown bird visitor.

Question #1: How’s a gal supposed to identify the Coopers Hawk when it is not listed in Birding in Polk County, Shipley’s Backyard Birds of Eastern Texas, or The Joy of Birding, A Beginner’s Guide?? Those are the books I have. I unsuccessfully searched the Internet. Gratefully, interested individuals read my blog and responded.

Question #2: In twenty months, why make an appearance now and “pose” for me?? ~~ “Yes,” I have been a novice bird watcher since moving to Livingston, Polk County, Texas.

Top two pictures from the Internet. See my visitor below Internet pictures.

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Postscript, Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 6:30 AM: An answer arrived via email–from eBird–and I share it here.

**Lorraine – The bird in your photos looks like a Cooper’s Hawk. They are very localized breeding birds in your area and you may not run across them unless you are looking for them, or, as in this case, it visits your back yard. My guess is that either you had some water it was looking for or perhaps something that attracted a prey item (rodents, small birds, etc). Feel free to update your eBird submission as you see fit. Roadside Hawk is extremely rare in the US with only a handful of sightings. –Eric**

Comment: Yes, the fountain with fresh water was nearby. Yes, there are rodents and small birds in my yard.

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Thrill, thrill!! S/he came back at 7:25 PM, Tuesday, June 9th. Well maybe I shouldn’t get too excited?! It might be dining on some of my little birds?!

…lonesome no more!! (Remember George Gobel–from the 1950’s?? If I remember correctly, he was referred to as “Lonesome George.”)

I  have a bird I named “Lonesome George.” I think he is a House Sparrow. For about two months, he has spent most of his time on the roof of the Bluebird house. He has a loud noisy voice and he is chirping constantly. Because he was “camped” on the Bluebird house, I thought he had a spouse and babies inside. Finally, I dragged the ladder over… and opened the door. No wife, no babies. The nest had been occupied; I could see droppings. So I speculated that a predator somehow got into the nest and devoured the babies (and Mama?).

I’ve been sympathetic for Lonesome George. He was grieving for his family? (Maybe birds have feelings.) Then it occurred to me that he might be saying “I’m looking for a wife; I have a fine high-rise apartment. There’s a smorgusbord of food at my doorstep.” Whatever his message, he was persistent!!

On June 7th, I saw a female at the Bluebird house with him. No more loud chirping!!

Reviewing my pictures (so they are in chronological order), I found this (the first documentation) and it appears that the House Sparrow has a companion. Did they have babies in the nest and a predator broke up the family?? (Click on each picture to enlarge, for better viewing.)

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Up-to-date pictures… with pictures of the offspring at a later date.

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Hours and hours of time are spent researching topics on the Internet. What a wonderful educational tool!! I’m curious about the birds that visit my yard. ~~ Do birds have emotions? Do they spread the word that an old lady serves up a feast at her house?

Conquering clutter in 1979.

Once a “hoarder,” always a “hoarder”???? I have “too much stuff”!!!!!! Furthermore, rather than seriously approach “downsizing.” I spend time working in the garden or preparing blog messages. Re-reading the message prepared in 2009, regarding the experience in 1979, I must reaffirm that I do **not** want to leave a mess for someone else to clean up.

Time to leave the garden and come into the air-conditioned trailer?!  The thermometer said 95 degrees in the sunshine–and I was working in the sunshine!! Time for some of yesterday’s sun tea. I planned an early start–anticipating the heat–but could not tear myself away from projects.

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Mexican Petunia bud yesterday; beautiful bloom today.

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Previously, I used a folding step stool between the ground and picnic table bench. From the ground… too big a step for this old lady. The picnic table is elevated on eight blocks (two for each leg). The gophers repeatedly dug up the area so the table would sink four inches into the ground!!

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A friend wrote that she plans to have a fountain with running water. My fountain has a pump that circulates the water–and I freshen the water every couple of days. The bird bath with “Water Wiggler“ was relatively inexpensive (from my yard in North Carolina) and I frequently change the water.

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Afterthought: I “step” up on the bench and table frequently to water the hanging plants. I recently hung two wind chimes from the pipe between two trees.

Can “Tommy” be resuscitated? Will his cousin survive? Expectations are high!!

“Tommy” when he was young and healthy. (The caption [on smaller picture] says Tommy loved the recent rain. However, it was the “latter” rain that hastened his failing health.)

Postscript: A visitor suggested my tomato plants, and cucumber plant, lack nitrogen. I searched the Internet and found this article. Time to go shopping?!

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Postscript to the postscript: 🙂  Just returned from a twenty-mile round trip to Lowe’s. It is a sauna outdoors!!!!!!

…are popping up on my email and social media. Recently, I wrote about the demise of my weather station. I searched the Internet looking for possible replacement; I shared my intentions–via email–with a friend. Suddenly, I have retailer’s advertisements!! Innocuous… but so aggravating to know Google is trolling my messages. My life is an open book!!

Yesterday was our hottest day of the year (so far). Ninety-four was official but weatherman added several degrees for “feels like….” Similar temperature forecast for today. Seventy-four as I publish this at 7:40 AM. ~~ “Hot and sticky next ten days” according to Houston meteorologist.