More About Spring in the Country--
This week as we were coming around the corner of the house, we saw a ground squirrel scampering away with a tiny bunny in its mouth. My husband ran after it in an attempt to save the bunny. Too late. When our cat was alive, she kept the ground squirrel population to a reasonable number. She died at the age of 25 last year. We are now over-run with them. A challenge for us.
We have a deck that extends around most of our house. There is a vine that grows up and over one of the set of steps into the yard. A Robin built a nest on the railing. In full sight. We are trying to remember not to use those steps as she scolds us quite loudly when we forget. Aren't Robin eggs the most beautiful color of blue?
My husband had a stand-off with a opossum this week. They met at the garden. Neither would give ground to the other. Opossums have a vicious hiss. After quite a few minutes of staring one another down, the opossum gave up and headed into the woods. Not my favorite animal.
Our one Jack-in-the-Pulpit is huge. I was hoping it would send shoots so that others would appear. Not going to happen. I need to read about this plant. Just love it. Would like to have many of them. Maybe they are so special because they are difficult to locate.
A very large tree that helps shade one of my hosta gardens is quite dead. Not a single speck of green on it anywhere. It is way too large for my husband to cut by himself. I was thinking about what to plant in its place. Spring color would be lovely. Think we will plant two flowering trees. Now to locate someone to remove it. I feel a little sad when one of our trees dies. We have enjoyed the lovely shade it has so graciously given for many years. I will miss it, but life happens.
Several of our rose bushes were pruned by deer. They must prefer one of the bushes more than the others because one in a cluster of three is pruned almost to the ground. The other two were untouched. Go figure. I think that part of my garden will be a little lopsided this summer. I have threatened to put up signs in our yard with arrows painted on them pointing West. My hope is that the deer will read them and hurry off to another garden to spread their joy. Do you think deer can read signs? I was afraid you would say that!
No snakes yet. However, they will appear now that the weather is warm. I am not fond of snakes. You can tell me all the benefits of them sharing the planet with us, but I will probably turn a deaf ear. Anything that moves quietly and gives no warning until you almost touch them, is frightful. Last year I bent down to pick up a stick--it moved. Not good. Why couldn't they come equipped with a bell?
A few days ago I decided we needed to line the woods with plants. We gave a home to 36. Well, they looked sad in those small containers at the nursery. Try telling that to my husband. He is a gentle soul. I dug. He planted. He did comment that it looks much nicer. The next sentence out of his mouth sounded something like--no more plants. He knows those are hollow words. I think he feels he needs to say them. OK, I respond back to him. Both of us know the truth.
The hummingbirds are keeping us busy filling their feeders. In the South hummers are everywhere. It is a real treat to have them here. I am sure the same ones return every summer. Years ago one of my students visited relatives in Washington. Imagine my delight when she brought back a hummingbird nest for me. I have had it for many years. It is secure in a box where no one can touch it. It is so tiny and delicate. Very soft. It sets in the fork of a small branch. It is a prized possession. That was way before it was against the law to have one. Shhhh--it's a secret. I should probably donate it to a zoo so others can see what a nest is like. Is that against the law, too?
Changes are happening in the landscape. Summer is pushing spring out of the way. Summer has a way of doing that before I am ready. But, that is life on this wonderful planet we call home.
Talk again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment