Hummingbird encounter!

Yesterday morning I noticed that my 9 hummingbird feeders ALL needed a cleaning and refill, so I took them all down, scrubbed them, cleaned them, and refilled them with sugar water.   While I was taking one out to the back yard, the female hummingbird who seems to like to stay in our yard all summer came up to the feeder as I was holding it and took several LONG drinks.   She cautiously eyed me, but didn't fly away, content to get a nice, fresh, nourishing breakfast!   And, I got a nice look at her.   What an experience!

I'm sitting here now at my desk and 2 verdin are in the acacia tree right outside the window.   I bought a thistle seed sock at WalMart and yup!   There they go...right to the thistle seed!   I'll have to stock up on it.   They are making the little sounds I heard yesterday morning, I guess, because I hear it again today.  And, the other one is answering back.   It is a male and female.   The male has a LOT of yellow on him!!!

I'm going to meet a friend at the Rancho Mirage library this morning.   They have an Aspen Mills little cafe there where one can buy coffee, bread, or GINORMOUS chocolate chip cookies!   I like to take the 6 year old there, but her mother said "NO MORE SUGAR!", so we definitely won't be going there for cookies!

Oh, wait...there is ANOTHER bird with yellow here this morning...he is in one of the feeders and I can't really see him, but I saw his yellow underbelly!   MORE VISITORS are returning to the desert!   YAY!

I listened to the crows go to sleep last night and they were calling until about 10 p.m.   I was reading one of the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child agent Pendergast novels (Still Life with Crows) and I couldn't put it down, but my eyes got heavy...FINALLY!

Until next time!
Cheryl

FALL is here!

I love sitting at my tiny desk, with my laptop in the morning watching all the birds come to the feeders for breakfast and there is quite a crowd this morning!    On the mornings when the Cooper's hawk is on the hunt, however, like yesterday, the front yard is quiet and empty.   But, today it is happily full.   I heard the call of a new little bird this morning, so I'm thinking the migratory birds must be back.   Then I heard the soft reply of its mate.   That really perked me up!    Our neighborhood woodpecker was out pecking and cackling in the mesquite yesterday and I need to fill up my hummingbird feeders this morning.   So many chores to do before 7 a.m.!!!

I've got hollyhock seeds planted in the back yard and they have already sprouted in our 95 degree weather last week, but this week will be cooler.   It was 57 degrees on our front porch this morning, the first morning to break 60 degrees overnight.   Even the bees were huddled in their hive up in the cottonwood.   NONE were outside.

...life goes on...

Not much going on here...

Not much going on here.   I did make a trip up to the horses on Tuesday because our mobile vet was coming by the ranch to give the herd their shots and to check their teeth.   And... SURPRISE!   NONE OF THEM HAD ANY SAND in their gut!    A MIRACLE!   AMAZING!   INCREDIBLE!   The ranch owner has switched them ALL to pellets!!!!  Only Miss Scout didn't need her teeth done.   Sunni got his done and I think it is only the 2nd time ever.   Of course, Quad was a perfect gentleman!    Cathy, the ranch owner, had to give Sunni his shots and his sedative because he wouldn't let the vet (also a woman) get near him.   He was a REAL BRAT!   But, they got the job done!   Gigondas was a GOOD GIRL and stood quietly for her dental drilling.  I'm GLAD that is over for another year!

My garden was doing well out in the front yard until 2 days ago when a huge branch of the damn mesquite came down.   We got some guys to come out and remove it and they completely trampled my flowers, so I'll go out and pull 90% of them out....sigh...The branch landed on one of our bougainvilla shrub, so I'll also have to go out and trim it.   They are returning today to cut 2 more heavy branches which are hanging up over the house.   Better to get it done NOW than risk one or both of them falling on the house!!!!

I'm still working on my journals, but business is SLOW.   One would think with Christmas coming, they would move out of my shop at a quicker pace...sigh...

I've already started planting my hollyhock seeds in the back yard.   I want to put in some sugar snap peas (I have 3 packets of them) and some herbs in the front yard, but the front yard will have to wait until these guys finish today.

So, that's all for now.

Gigondas stood quietly

 Quad stood like the pro he is.

 Sunni had to get sedated by the ranch owner and she also gave him his shots.

Sunni gets his teeth done.   He was SUCH a BRAT.