FishinBC's Blog

Summer has hit.
Jun 18, 2008 | 6:05 AM PST
Tags: Frogs , Bugs , Fungus , Critters

 

 Frogs are doing the nasty in my pond again.  That has got to be a sign of summer, right?  I bought a large fish bowl and netted a bunch of tadpoles for the two little kids up the street.  Complete with pond plants and shiny stones. They love watching them grow legs and then let them go.  I noticed this morning that my pond clover is full of froggy eggs again.   Time to fish them out or I will have pinky fingernail size frogs all over the place in no time.  The gold fish will mack out on the rest and help keep numbers down.  I’m brutal, huh! 

Chickadees have taken up residence in two of the old bird houses in the front.  I have added to the bird housing market.  I have four small vintage trailer bird houses hanging from posts on the old stump.  Birdie Trailer Trash Park right in the front yard!!   So far no takers, they have chosen the more upscale houses in the neighborhood. 

The squirrels are behaving, or maybe it is more a matter of who has who trained.  They stay out of my bird feeders and stay to their trough and I keep it filled.  No signs of Mr. D this year (Pig of a Squirrel).  Wonder if he became one of those little speed bumps in life?  My seed costs have plummeted since his disappearance.  I caught one of the coonies raiding the feeders last night though.  After tangling with Robdog last week, I am very leery of them now and think I have created a monster issue by feeding them.

 In the veggie patch there are some nice sized tomatoes now and actually had one ripe one.  Yummy good.  I got the beans and the cukes in.  I have some large empty pots let over and think I will do some more containers of veggies.  Maybe a few peppers and some plum tomatoes.  I could not find the Lemon Boy tomato at the nursery this year.  Should have saved seed, that one did so well for me last year. 

 The wild Black Berries are green and growing large.  So much rain this year the vines are heavy with fruit!  We will have some good cobblers this year.  Before DH’s surgery, he leveled out a path on the black berry hillside behind the dog yard.  Now I don’t have to fight the thorns, ticks and snakes to get at all them berries!  My black raspberries are finishing up and I will miss the fresh warm fruit on my cereal in the mornings.

 Deadheaded a few of the beds last night, excited about all the daylilies getting ready to bloom.  Hoping for more rain so I don’t have to water.  All containers got a drink though, as some are under cover and don’t get the rain.  Oh and very pleased with the zoysia sod we put in last year.  It has come back really green and nice and thick.  Love to walk out there bare foot and crunching my toes in it.

 Daughter #2 is coming for 4th of July week.  No big plans yet, just hang out and relax.  She said she would like to do the canoe float.  11 miles on Big Sugar creek.  It’s a great easy paddle with lots of bluffs, wildflowers and critters.  We pack a big lunch and take the day stopping where we want.  Be kind of nice to go during the week, less people, more critters to watch.  Must remember the fishing rod, left it in the truck two weeks ago! 

 Oh, and my Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' is covered in little white fuzz balls, WHAT IS THAT!?!  Fungus or bug?  I babied this thing in the house all winter and it did great.  Put it back out where it spent last summer and now something has attacked it.  Please if anyone knows what this is let me know!