My husband made me coffee this morning after a rather tough night for yours truly – an allergy attack that had me coughing for quite a long time. We mowed yesterday and there’s a lot of pollen floating around out there, not to mention the ragweed I found right at the end of our driveway! Do I leave it or do I pull it? Pulling it might do as much damage as leaving it, don’t you think?
This morning, in my foggy haze, this is what I saw outside the kitchen window. Keep in mind that it was shot through the window and then through the chicken wire fence:
A bunny and a goldfinch. Both were happily eating, seemingly unaware of each other. A hearty yay for two reasons: this particular bunny that I inadvertently frightened off one day is back, and I saw a goldfinch – a bird! – when all my birdie friends seem to be flying south. I also saw a bluejay this morning. That makes me happy.
I forgot to add this photo to yesterday’s recap:
Husband playing guitar on porch.
Waiting for morning glory blooms. And, maybe, just maybe, moonflower blooms. I’m doubtful about the moonflowers, but never say never. Come on guys! What if we get an early frost? I need to see some blooms!
Hanging in there and still going for the time being:
Thank goodness for phlox, which really lasts a long time!
I’m reading a bit of nonfiction at the moment, before I start a novel I have to review next Monday. After reading something as powerful and exquisitely written as A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny, I find I have to take a break for a few days. I do this partly because I want to linger on the story and world in which I was so deeply immersed. But I also do it because heading right into another novel that I have to review would be unfair. I’d be unconsciously comparing it to the Penny. I need to ‘clean the slate.’ I think I’ll be ready to start the novel tomorrow. Maybe today.
In the meantime, I’m finishing up Barbara Cook’s autobiography. She may very well be my favorite singer.
Have you seen Philomena with Judi Dench and Steve Coogan? We watched it the other night on Netflix and it was simply wonderful! Best movie we’ve seen in a long time. Beautifully acted by both Dench and Coogan.
Happy Wednesday.
The last of the flowers, may they bloom soon!! Bunnies and Birdies make me happy also. I watched Philomena and it was a wonderful movie. Planning on doing some housework today and maybe going to Tiger’s first soccer game this evening. Feeling Lazy.
hugs,
Linda
I’m feeling very lazy, Linda! Very!
Enjoy your day, we all need days to chill and regroup.
We sure do, Doris!
A bunny and a goldfinch..what a sweet way to start the day…I usually take a day’s break between reading books too Claudia!
In this case, I had to! Not fair to the other writer.
I loved seeing the bunny and the goldfinch!
Thank goodness for the public library! I looked up Louise Penny when I read it on your blog and the library has a number of her books. I’ll check out a couple the next time I go. We had also checked out Philomena, as we are huge Dench fans. Yes, beautifully acted movie. Even when Dench isn’t speaking lines, her face tells the story. I’m getting lots of bird fixes….hummers in the garden. I would love to see a goldfinch.hope you have lots more blooms before first frost!
So happy you found some Louise Penny at the library!
The Goldfinch have been quite busy here as of late. But, I have not seen a Robin in about 3 weeks….. what is up with that?? It has been a strange summer. No bird songs in the early morning, either. sigh. I have seen one Hummer over the past few days. I know they usually head south the 1st or 2nd week of September, so hopefully this one didn’t over-sleep one day!! So many bunnies this year. I don’t think we have ever had as many babies bouncing around in the yard.
It has been stupid hot here again since Monday. Hopefully we will lose the humidity again by the weekend. Today is a cloudy humid day with spotty showers. We do need the rain! I really know what you mean about that feeling when you finish an especially good book. It is almost like you need some time just to process and catch your breath. Hope your Wednesday is a good one!!
I haven’t seen a robin in about 10 days or so. Are they flying south?
It’s very hot again here and will be for the next few days. Yuck! We desperately need rain and I hope some appears this week.
I’m so glad you saw a goldfinch and a bunny! I guess I take our goldfinches for granted. We do feed them, and I grew out thistles for them also, so I’m sure that makes a difference. It’s quite rainy here today…and last night…had a hard time falling asleep. They are calling for 3-4 inches of rain in total….good day to stay in with a good book or movie! ;)
We have goldfinches and thistles as well. It’s just that I hadn’t seen one in a few days and since many of the birds seem to be leaving, I was thrilled to see the little goldfinch.
Loved Philomena, and also watched Iris, about Iris Murdoch, both great! Inspector Morse in between! As long as I am embroidering I do not feel like a chair potato. Loved the bunny/goldfinch!
I saw Iris when it first came out as I had read several of Iris Murdoch’s novels and am a fan of both Dench and Jim Broadbent. Lovely movie.
My phlox seems to be the last thing of color this summer. ” A bunny and goldfinch” sounds like a children’s book. I agree , after Penny book I am reading a Dorothy Sayer, Unnatural Death . You can’t go wrong with Lord Peter for fun. The yuks are back today… such humidity. If you have them, your neighbors must love the sound of a guitar on the breeze. I don’t like music ( words) outside but love the sound of instrumentals outside. Our neighbors across the driveway play awesome piano, a good selection to jazz, show songs and some rock instrumentals too. Music on the wind awesome!
Humidity here, as well, Mary. We, unfortunately, hear some music on the wind we’d rather not hear. The restaurant that is nearby (in a residential area, don’t get me started) has occasional outdoor events that play loud music until about 10 pm. Very annoying!
Our birdies are beginning to leave also! We will miss them as they head for their winter abode.
I hope your Moonflowers and Morning Glories bloom before you see your first frost! Crossing fingers and toes that they do!
I have seen Philomena several times, and I cried every time. It is a beautifully written movie and they definitely chose the perfect people to play the parts. It is based on a true story (I even looked them all up online), and my goal is to find the book and read it.
Have you ‘felt’ the change in the light and air lately? We have here, and know that fall is soon to officially present itself in all the glorious ways it does. I will sorely miss my green grass and blooming flowers of summer though.
My husband and I have been going through some seasonal changes also as he just retired and entered the world of Social Security, Medicare and trying to stay busy and not becoming a couch potato – and I am entering the work force again after a 5 year break while I kept my 2 granddaughters while my daughter teaches. The girls just entered Kindergarten and PreSchool) and so that change we feel in nature, we are feeling in our personal life. Life keeps moving and changing, and we just have to move and change along with it (he and I are such creatures of habit).
I hope this comment finds you feeling better and not suffering the effects of allergies too badly. Take care and have a beautiful day bunny and bird watching! :)
Yes, I know it’s based on a true story and I remember reading articles about the nuns selling babies. Shameful. Yes, I’ve felt the change and light – I think autumn is on its way, whether I like it or not!
Your flowers always make me smile because I know how much joy they bring you. Glad the bunny decided to show up again. I stood at the kitchen window the other day and watched a small squirrel sitting on top of the fence shaking it’s little tail for all it was worth. It was like his tail was dancing to music only he could hear. It’s a beautiful day here. Hubby is working part time for a while so I have the house to myself during the day, a real treat. I’m piddling around doing first one thing and then another trying to keep myself busy. Hope you have some more little visitors today Claudia. Love the picture of Don playing his guitar with his eyes closed.
I’ve been cleaning – the bathroom, the floors – I seem to clean with a vengeance when I haven’t had enough sleep! Don’t know why.
“Thank goodness for phlox, which really lasts a long time!”
And thank goodness for its heavenly scent!
You can clip the top of the ragweed (leave some stem) and put it straight into the trash. Then go back after a good rain and dig the roots out. That’s a good way to get rid of weeds without shaking the pollen or seeds around.
My solitary baby bunny became a lanky youngster, practically overnight.
I just started reading “Fairy Tale Girl” by Susan Branch. It’s very enjoyable. She does have a way with words, doesn’t she? Needless to say, her books are works of art. I am looking forward to reading her other autobiographies.
Love your “photos of the day,” as always.
Good tip about the ragweed, Nancy. Thank you!
Susan Branch has the ability to write in such a friendly, chatty way, that you feel you’re sitting in her beautiful home with her, having a great time!
I loved the movie Philomena so much I had to read the book. Well, the book is SO much more than what we saw in the movie and it was wonderful too. And nonfiction. You might add that to your reading list, as if you need another book to read!
Oy! Another book?? I’m stacked up and holding here, Debra! Seriously, I will try to read it one day. I’m sure it’s wonderful!
Except for the ducks and trusty loons, it is rather birdless around here, too. The occasional hummer still buzzes the leggy hanging petunia pots, but we never have seen a goldfinch in these parts. He’s as beautiful as that bunny is cute! And leaves are beginning to turn here…oh nooooooo!
I just saw a reddish orange leaf on my porch. Oh no! Please…not yet!
Oh Claudia, you need to get rid of that ragweed plant. Throw a garbage bag over it and pull it up. One ragweed plant can send out a billion grains of tiny pollen that can travel miles and stay in the air for days and days. Plus it spreads through the roots and if you let that one plant thrive now it will be sending out little feeder roots to compound the problem next year. On a happier note, many of the birds you are missing up there are passing through the Atlanta area now. Thanks for sharing them with us.
No energy to do that today but I’ll take care of it, Kaye.
Beautifully-acted by Judi Dench. Gee, what’re the odds? Haha! Actually I’d love to see that. Thanks for mentioning that it’s on Netflix.
Glad you still have some birdie friends in your “hood.” I haven’t been hearing the same raucous cacophony at 4 am that I used to even just a week ago, so it’s pretty clear our feathered friends are packing up for the Winter. You know, I just love Fall but it would be SO much better if it didn’t mean the upstate New York Winter was following right on its heels. So how about this scenario, Northerners? Gorgeous crisp, bright Falls, a few months of cloudy, rainy, dreary, chilly, raw foggy days – to cleanse our palates and refill the water table – and then onto a lustrous, rich, colorful Spring? Personally, I love this idea… 🍁
What’s particularly beautiful about her acting in this movie is what she says without speaking. That’s what made me swoon. She is simply superb.
I’m all in with your idea, Janet!
Gorgeous flowers! I’m afraid we may be looking at an early frost here too. It was 39° the other night and we been watching the Canadian geese fly south for a couple of weeks now. The hummingbirds have been gone for over three weeks. That is not a good sign. I’m not ready for winter yet. Cute picture of the bunny in the bird . :-)
Blessings,
Betsy
I’m not ready for winter at all! Maybe ever….
Like that picture of Don on the porch playing the guitar — very nice. We still have plenty of birds around, including hummingbirds, but have noticed more of our “winter visitors” showing up now…still some goldfinches though. Our morning glory is finally blooming, but very sparsely…one or two blooms every other day. Even though we water things, so much has suffered due to our abnormally dry summer.
We need rain, Vera! It’s very dry here, as well.
I’m so happy some of your wildlife and birds are back! It’s really hard to start flowers from seeds here in New England. It’s always a gamble if the late bloomers will take too long (at least for me!). Wishing for a late frost for you so you get your moon flowers. I’ve always wanted to try them. They’re supposed to be very fragrant! My sister and I saw Philomena at the movies a few years ago and loved it!
I started these late because we really didn’t get the Memorial Garden going until the first of June. If they don’t bloom this year, I’ll plant again next year!
We get goldfinches only in the winter here and their coloring is not as bright as your visitor today. Enjoyed catching up on your blog; we were without electricity for 5 days after Hurricane Hermine came through our area. Jen
Oh, I’m so sorry! Thankfully, it’s back on?
I’ve enjoyed seeing the photos of your husband the last couple of posts. He truly looks like the nicest man on the planet!
He is! (I’m a wee bit biased, but I do think he is!)
Good morning Claudia,
I waited to comment on this post, because I had to watch Philomena first. Judi Dench is outstanding. As always.
I place a child for adoption when I was 18, It wasn’t as scandalous in 1974 as it was for Philomena, but my family did treat me like a pariah. I understood what Philomena was going through. The wondering, the searching. Only to have things not turn out the way you had hoped. This movie was emotional, but I so glad to have watched it.
As for the rag weed. Be careful! You could also get a skin reaction if you touch it. I would cover it with a bag, then wait for it to go dormant, and then pull it out. You must get the roots and all. Rake the area to try and get all of the little bits.
The only bird I have seen lately is a great big hawk flying around. The birds are always scarce when Mr. Hawk is in the neighborhood.
This weekend the temps won’t even hit 70. Fine by me. Now if it would only stop raining!
Oh, Trudy, how hard that must have been for you and watching Philomena was a brave thing to do. Bless you.