Goldfinches in the morning

In the last few weeks, the coneflowers have started going to seed, and looking all raggedy. Part of that is just the flowers fading to grey-pink. Part of that is the goldfinches stopping by in the mornings, wearing such a bright yellow it wakes you up just to look at them, to pick the freshest […]

Collard love

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my collard plants? Usually when a crucifer goes to seed, that’s it. These collards got huge, went to seed, took a breather, and now they’re sending up new leaves, as tasty as ever. Since they went to seed, volunteer collards are turning up. Even the empty seed […]

The evil weed covers tart fruit

So I’m hacking away at the Evil Weed up on the hill and I’m thinking, Hey, this is where I found those apple blossoms last May. Are they apples yet? So I pulled more swallowort off the tree and find one, three, four…

Time to weed the ragweed

Don’t let this happen to you! A few plants with attractive foliage, a bit like tansy or chrysanthemum, in a little-visited corner turned into a Giant Pile of Ragweed. I should have known better.

Raccoons

Unlike the skunks, who stroll by every night all bold and leisurely, the raccoons sneak around in darkness. You might get up for a late-night pee and hear gnawing and chewing and noshing; and when you peer down from upstairs, there’s a raccoon emptying the bird feeders. Or you might be sitting by the window […]

A Rose as Nursery

The heat let up just enough for me to cut down a rogue copy of my wild rose bush. After getting my hand stabbed and picking out bits of thorn from my fingers, I’m leaning toward thinking it’s a Prickly Rose. While I was cutting it down and hacking it up, I found all sorts […]

Squash weather, too

Okay, it’s summer. I get it. It’s hot every day. And humid. And even when I think it’s not so bad, a short walk leaves me feeling like I’m stuck inside my own personal heat booth. The plants seem happy. More squash are flowering. I’m finding more female squash blossoms, with the little mini-me versions […]

Living on thin moss

Some sort of sunflower appears to have found just enough of a foothold in the moss on a stone wall. I’ve been wrong before about “sunflowers“, but it’s too high up for me to see anything but a yellow composite flower. It might as well be a sunflower. It even seems to like the heat!

Jupiter is a dot

I saw lots of neat stuff today, but you’ll have to take my word for it. First thing this morning, two goldfinches were feeding on the coneflowers, and the nyjer feeder, and the evening primrose. But I didn’t get a picture and you’ll have to take my word for it.

Eggplant Weather

It’s hot. It’s sticky. It’s hot. That’s what I’ll be thinking when I finally get to cook this eggplant.