Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!! Welcome!! Nothing exciting to report. Have a few things to tell you about to update you on my world.
My friend, Jo B., and I went to the Southwest Louisiana Gardening Festival in Lake Charles on Friday the 25th. It seems my expectations (as usual) were a little high. It was nice... but much smaller than I had expected. Three of the vendors (out of perhaps 25?) were from where I am living!! At any rate... I did pick up a few things there along with an entire flat (12 pints) of fresh, Pontchatoula strawberries. I have given away 6 pints and will selfishly keep the remaining 6 pints to freeze for future smoothie enjoyment!! Yummy! The best part of the day was spending time with a friend I don't get to see a lot of due to her job and her involvement in her daughter's high school activities.
So... as the weather began to warm and the flowers began to bloom, I figured it was nearly time for the hummingbirds to return. I kept an eye out on a hanging basket I have with red flowers hoping to see one arrive. That would be my sign to immediately stir up a big batch of hummer juice and fill those feeders!! The spousal-unit and I were out in my shed getting some tools to do some work on the tire garden when he spotted one hovering at the door. He alerted me and I dropped him like a rock to go mix up that lovely nectar!! :) After all, my wonderful next-door neighbor has a gazillion hummingbird and other bird feeders in her back yard and I wanted to get mine out before they all moved over to her place. LOL!! So, after making a quick batch and sticking it into the fridge to cool it down a bit, I filled and set out my three feeders. Sure enough, within less than about an hour, I had a ruby-throated hummer drinking away. Since then, we have spotted the standard "fighting" for feeders that these birds seem to do so there are clearly many of the little guys and gals planning to stick around. I am so glad. I love to watch them.
Another little bird that is around here pretty much all the time is the Bewick's Wren. These cuties were in my back yard in Texas and I was very happy to find they are here, also. They are just the cutest little things although it amazes me how such a tiny little bird can have such a BIG voice!! In Texas, a pair of them set up housekeeping (nested) in one of my watering cans so I know they will nest VERY close to the house. I was looking out the back window one afternoon here when I noticed a couple of these little critters hopping in and out of the "mini-BBQ" we have on a table on the back patio. The BBQ is a mini-sized drum-type with a stack vent and a venting device on the end. The spousal-unit had left the stack vent and the venting device in open positions. These little birds are so tiny, they had no trouble zipping in and out of the darned thing. When I noted they were carrying small twigs and nesting material, I headed out immediately to bring this to a halt. I love birds... but I love grilled dinners more!!! I just had to shoo another pair off of the free-standing swing we have on the back patio where they had found a place they thought was "covered" enough (there was a bag sitting on the seat that had leaned over to one of the arms) to settle in. Sigh. I really hate not letting them do their nesting... but we are in the world of multiple trees!!! Find one!! Build there!! Geez!
Finally, there is good news in the tire garden that was created last year. :) We have emptied some dirt and refilled some of the tires with new dirt in preparation for those heirloom tomatoes I love so much. The little veggies have been purchased and are waiting patiently to be planted. So far, there are three Cherokee Purple tomatoes, two Juliet grape tomatoes, one Valencia orange bell pepper, and a Jalapeno pepper plant needing to go in the ground. Oh... and I had let some lettuce bolt and seed last year. Guess what is popping up in the two-tier tire? Yep. There are at least 6 small lettuce plants quite happy and growing away. Looking forward to enjoying some soon. So, I'm happy it's time to get out and get dirty!! I have added some plants to the landscape and have begun the annual assault on weeds and on fire ants. It's fun. Really.
I will remain with dirt under my fingernails until the next post...
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