I don't know if it's visible in the photo, but it is snowing. Mother Nature's idea of an April Fool's joke? I ain't laughing.
Also visible is the world's slowest-growing Amaryllis. Thanks to limited natural light sources, I have to bunch up my indoor plants in two areas. This is my small plant area. The back of the house is where the gigundo plants live, bless their hearts.
I am referring to this spring as the season of cosmic whiplash. I have my disreputable down barn coat, rain jacket and medium weight jacket lined up by the door. As are the high boots, low boots, rain boots, garden shoes and Yak-traks. I have worn all of them at one time or another in the past week. That doesn't include the couple of days that I celebrated the freedom of no socks and no jacket. Good golly. This uneven weather has made it a challenge to get anything done outside in the garden. I did get a little raking done and hauled off the birch tree that used to house the wrens. I knew it was rotten but had no idea how rotten it was. During one of the many gale-like events we've had this spring, it came down with a crash that had all four of us jumping out of our respective beds.
Speaking of beds, after all of the finagling to make sure that each of my pampered furry kids had the perfect bed, Slimmie has now decided that the folded pile of dog deck mats that were plopped on the storage chest by the back door is his and only his. It really does remind me of the parents who spend tons of money on special toys, only to have their child prefer pots and pans and a cardboard box.
I am trying to entice the bluebirds to nest in their box that has been transferred from the rotten tree to a nice sturdy fence post. No dice, so far. I am sure they will become interested as soon as the wrens have moved in. I have gone through my yearly quota of sunflower seeds (80#!) and suet blocks (15!) and am now rationing the more expensive and less messy hulled sunflower seed mix that I usually save for the glamour birds of spring. I did forget to take the last of the suet blocks in at night and was not totally surprised that it was missing in the morning. I'm glad I have back-ups. The bears are on the move!
This is also the time of year that I start out all dewy-eyed with the chipmunks, putting special treats out for the ONE that always pops up on the deck. By the end of spring, I am cursing the horde that gorges itself on the chicken feed. I will never learn.
On the subject of hordes, I am not looking forward to the horde of cicadas that are due to emerge this year. I still remember the swarms of tent caterpillars that covered tree trunks, rocks and house during the second summer I lived here. At least they were quiet. Of course, the 'songs' of the cicadas might drown out the incessant rumbling of gravel trucks rolling their dust tsunamis across the front of the house. It's going to be a fun summer.
15 comments:
Snowed here, too. Happy April. I've seen chipmunks already which made me happy. Cicadas, huh? I did not know that. -Jenn
Happy April, and here's hoping that the bugging bugs stay at bay! We have a lot more peeper frogs this spring, so I am hoping they do their froggy thing of eating all the bugs out of the garden! One can hope! Have a perfect Easter!
oh no...you are on the cicada map?!!! that happened to us a few years back but we hardly got any. this year's hord is massive, one of the biggest ones ever. it's snowing here too!!!
The gravel trucks seem to be a nuisance, are they from nearby construction or a daily convoy from a local quarry pit ? If they are permanent you could grow a big hedge of something suitable to block the dust from wafting your way.
Last year raccoons got three hatches of bluebirds so I moved their house and fastened an upside down bucket underneath and hope to have some visitors any day now. If I see wrens, I'll have to evict them before eggs get laid.
No snow here for April 1st but, manomanoman, was it cold. The anymore-usual stiff breeze with a temp of only 34° for a high and I could have sworn I'd been transported back to early December. Brrrr! I put out my last suet ball for the season last week and it disappeared in record time. What's with that? I dunno, maybe the birds are feeding young. Nah, it's too early for that. Our one squirrel (like your ONE chipmunk) has taken up residence on the platform of the sunflower feeder and won't let a bird within three feet of it. At least we have no gravel trucks zooming past us. And for that we are thankful!
I remember our year of the cicadas. People who came to the house stood all dewey eyed, "I could listen to them all day and all night."
Wait till you must!
Oh, Slimmie! That's just how cats are. HRH was the same. I bought her a couple of beautiful cat beds over the years that she just turned up her nose at.
It's a good thing I don't live in cicada country; I'd lose my ever-lovin' mind! Those gravel trucks sound miserable, too. Hugs!
I'm so over the weather. Funny, I thought chipmunks were a city thing. I've got squirrels; eight of them living well in the black walnut trees and helping themselves to chicken feed for a well-rounded diet.
We got snow too. Cold temps, windy and snow....sigh.
I worry about the cicadas and my garden. It was a first year garden a couple years ago, and things...struggled. Last year, things grew better, but the woodchucks really wreaked havoc. Again, I start the project, but I have this sinking feeling that this is the year that cicadas are the problem.
sounds like our weather here except for the snow. everytime I think I'm through with my winter clothes it gets cold again. not that I'm complaining. at this point in the year I'm happy for every day of coolness for as long as it lasts since summer will be bearing down soon enough.
as for the gravel trucks, when we were looking for property we looked at a very cool old farmhouse with every bedroom having a door out to the L shaped porch on 2 acres, nice big kitchen, screened porch in the back. even had a friendly cat that greeted us when we looked at it. but the property is in an area of gravel pits and those trucks full and empty drove up and down the road in front of the house all day. loud and unsightly even with the pasture between the house and the highway. so, no, we didn't buy that place but I still think about that house.
I never noticed a downside to cicadas. They're noisy, but it's not such a problem, really. (In my opinion.) We're having weather whiplash too, and it sounds like that's happening elsewhere as well. It's (another) weird year!
Seems like your working harder at home now,than when you went to work every day. What's up with that?? Take good care of that Hip. Your one in a million! I don't have big trucks raising the dust, But do have big trucks making a lot of noise early in the morning. Take care! Glad you got your vaccine.
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