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You are here: Home / Archives for bunnies

Flowers, Ants, Bunnies, and Books

May 22, 2024 at 9:03 am by Claudia

Now, that’s a cheery sight…the calibrachoa is filling out nicely. It’s doing my favorite thing; spilling out over the top of the plant stand and between the wrought iron ‘wires.’ I have some in a planter, as well, but you can’t see it in this photo.

Yesterday, we woke up to an invasion – and I mean INVASION – of large black ants. It was insane. They were in the kitchen and the living room running around on the wood floors. After dealing with them most of the morning, the remaining ants eventually disappeared. In the meantime, we had placed a call to our pest control people and someone is supposed to come out on Friday. We may cancel that if there’s no reappearance. We’ve also had bees, wasps, and hornets appearing inside the house. I’m not sure where they’re coming from, but since it’s been so hot the last few days, I’ve been closing the windows and running the A/C and there were no buzzing intruders yesterday. In the case of the bees, etc., we’ve been able to capture them and release them outside. Sadly, in the case of the ants, there was no way to remove them humanely and that always makes me feel guilty and sad.

I’ve also had to gently remind a few bunnies that the big garden bed is off limits. They’re awfully cute, but there’s plenty to chomp on around here that doesn’t involved the plants in the bed,

And I’ve had a tiny little encounter with poison ivy on my left wrist. It’s clearing up now.

What’s next? Locusts?

It’s awfully beautiful out there this morning. Don mowed the front yard yesterday and will have to mow the corral today. Rain and thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow. Wild phlox has appeared all over the property. The phlox is so beautiful in subtle shades of white and pink and lavender. I’ll have to take some photos today.

I’m reading Close to Death  by Anthony Horowitz. I’m also slowly reading The Cottage Garden by Claus Dalby, a Danish gardener I follow on Instagram. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I rarely buy books these days, but after waiting months for the one copy we had in our library system and being stuck inside because of my hand injury, I treated myself. I’m glad I did because it’s beautifully photographed with lots of helpful information. It’s the kind of book that makes me smile.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

 

Filed Under: books, bunnies, flowers, garden 15 Comments

Guess Who?

July 12, 2023 at 8:29 am by Claudia

At some point in the late afternoon, I took a quick glance outside and what did I see?

Buddy.

And later, I realized that he was with one of his siblings.

So I officially give up. Trying to figure out what is going on with these guys is fruitless. They’ve been gone, they’re back. Maybe they were off building their new homes and were taking a break? Maybe they haven’t even started doing that yet? Maybe both of them are living under this tree? Or one of them is? Maybe they were hanging out with mom up in the back forty? Who knows?

Of course, I had to go out there and erect my little bin wall again. Even so, the sibling knocked one of the lids down and was in the big garden so I had to make an appearance, just as I did this morning when a baby bunny ended up in the memorial garden.

Speaking of bunnies:

A mama and her baby. They were hanging out by the Funky Patio.

And then,

Mama, baby, and off in the background, the groundhog who lives under the shed.

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.

Today it is supposed to be unbearably hot and humid so I’m going to make this short. I need to do a little work outside before the humidity gets to me.

This summer? A love-hate thing. I love the summer but the weather conditions, and that includes smoke from wildfires and flash flooding, has been a giant pain in the tush. Still, I love watching our animal family, and yesterday I saw a hummingbird moth flitting between coneflowers, and the grass is really green again, and our well is filled up, so I’m grateful.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: bunnies, groundhogs 22 Comments

Hydrangeas

July 9, 2023 at 8:41 am by Claudia

Remember those hydrangeas? Last year, I thought they had been killed by an especially heavy snowfall. Many of you gave me advice, which I took, and they started coming back nicely last year. They’re even better this year.

Of course, we’re going to get very heavy rains today and tomorrow – there’s already a flood warning – so lord knows what will happen to them.

We’re going to shop for groceries this morning before the two-day deluge hits.

I saw the most adorable thing yesterday. The two baby rabbits were right outside the kitchen door and they were playing and/or sparring, I’m not sure  which. They would jump up and down on all fours, jump on each other, do it again and again. It was absolutely enchanting. Then they stopped and continued eating.

I haven’t seen Buddy (the one groundhog I’ve named) in a couple of days. He wasn’t near the tree on Friday afternoon and I didn’t see him at all yesterday. They drive me crazy at times, but I worry about them. Where did he go? I just pray he’s safe. Mama rabbit was dining on the grass here yesterday. A favorite sight: Mama lying on the ground, all stretched out, happily looking around. She’ll do that for a long time.

Don calls her Buddha.

What else? I started the day today reading Babel, then I meditated. I’ve been enjoying getting back to crossword puzzles again. I completed the three puzzles that I printed out, and am currently working on yesterday’s puzzle, which I printed out late in the day. And today, of course, is the Sunday puzzle. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m quite adept at solving them. But they’re a challenge and sometimes it takes me a couple of days to complete a puzzle. I love that challenge.

My rules: I never  do them with another person, just as I never do my jigsaw puzzles with anyone else. I don’t want help. If I can’t get a clue, then I can’t get it. And I do them in pen. I tried my favorite pencils long ago, but I’m really a pen person. Sometimes that means I have to write on top of an incorrect letter. So be it.

We haven’t turned on the a/c yet, but you can feel the humidity in the air. And now there’s a dust cloud from the Sahara headed here. Such a bizarre summer!

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: bunnies, flowers, garden, groundhogs 16 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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