Days ago we experienced our "dogwood winter." Three nights dropped to 28 degrees with daytime temperatures reaching 66-70.
The locals tell us that the next cold snap might come in May but won't be as cold. The "blackberry winter" sweeten the blackberries. Then it becomes a race between humans and deer to see who gets the most berries.
Sunday at 12:10 PM was my first hummingbird sighting at the back porch feeder. With the unusually warm weather we'd been having,I thought their journey might bring them here earlier than last year. The feeders have been out for three weeks awaiting their arrival. Yesterday afternoon while sitting out on the porch reading, I witnessed air combat maneuvering between two HBs. There are three feeders with fresh nectar spaced along the porch beams and they vie for the same one like toddlers struggling for the same toy.
Last week Cliff built a rustic clothesline for me. That part was easy compared to digging two feet into this mountain ledge to place the posts.
He mixed 80 lb bags of ready-made concrete in the wheelbarrow, poured the mixture into the holes, and after we leveled the posts, allowed it to set. Then he cut more downed tree trunks into logs for winter firewood and stacked them. I moved all the back porch furniture, scrubbed the rails and the floor with a bristle mop to remove the thick greenish-yellow pine pollen that had settled on everything. Washed all the furniture and cushions, put everything back. Those things accomplished, we finally sat on the side porch in the sun to rest our bones, put our feet up, and sip iced coffee. While making the iced coffee, this is what I spotted from the sink window.
I guess our physical labor all afternoon exhausted the squirrels. We couldn't believe our eyes. They napped for about ten minutes and were gone.
The locals tell us that the next cold snap might come in May but won't be as cold. The "blackberry winter" sweeten the blackberries. Then it becomes a race between humans and deer to see who gets the most berries.
Sunday at 12:10 PM was my first hummingbird sighting at the back porch feeder. With the unusually warm weather we'd been having,I thought their journey might bring them here earlier than last year. The feeders have been out for three weeks awaiting their arrival. Yesterday afternoon while sitting out on the porch reading, I witnessed air combat maneuvering between two HBs. There are three feeders with fresh nectar spaced along the porch beams and they vie for the same one like toddlers struggling for the same toy.
Last week Cliff built a rustic clothesline for me. That part was easy compared to digging two feet into this mountain ledge to place the posts.
another on the railing
and this one
Comments
i am going to plant my garden some day soon, i promise!