FishinBC's Blog
FishinBC's posts about: Critters
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!
Aug 9, 2007 | 12:06 PM PST
Tags: Groundhogs , Critters , Border Collies , dogs
We came home last night to find Robdog working the fence around the veggie patch. Something had his attention and he was not about to let it out of there. When most border collies are working their front end is low to the ground, tail down, and they don’t make a sound. Rob was in full BC crouch and strong eyeing something. I asked hubby to go make sure it was not a snake, before I would go near. Noticed one of the potted tomatoes was decimated. Don’t think snakes like tomatoes. We called Rob off and the culprit stuck his head around the raised bed, biggest ground hog I have ever seen.
Mind the veggie patch is chain link all the way round, so Rob could not get to him. I solved that problem by opening the gates to the patch and had Rob “come bye” around the bed and flush this big brown furry thing out of my garden!! Don’t think the groundhog had ever been herded like a sheep before. But it didn’t take him long to figure out that Rob was trying to push him out the gate and on to freedom. He went on his way at a good clip and I hope never to return.
Rob has taken up serious garden patrol. “Mom, that was fun and a lot bigger than those puny squirrels.” Had to give him a “That’ll Do” just to get him to come in and eat this morning, but right back out he went to take up his post by my tomatoes. GOOD DOG!! Rob herding and me grinning like a stupid idiot watching my dog do what he was meant to do.
Jun 29, 2007 | 6:41 AM PST
Tags: zucchini , Cukes , elephant ears , Critters , Squirrels , July 4th , racoons , veggies , tomato
Went out to check the veggie patch and pull a few green tomatoes to send to my mom. They are still off vagabonding in their RV and she loves fried green tomatoes. I have zukes and cukes all over the place. Wow. I put in a few extra plants just to be sure at least a few would take well, all of them took well! Also now that everything in there has matured, I am seeing my errors of where I planted and being able to maneuver around in that fenced space is getting more difficult. I can hardly wait for next year, now that I have learned these important lessons I have big plans!! Hubby is probably going to grumble about building more raised beds but if we get them up now I can work on the soil in them for next spring, right? And…still might be early enough to have a fall planting…more ideas!
My elephant ears are going crazy with all the rain and heat they are loving it! I think I will put in a few more next year; they really break up all that brick from the wall of the garage.
Will get up early tomorrow and get the lawn mowed and things spruced up outside, do the regular housekeeping when it is too hot outside. The house full is coming and I can hardly wait to see them all!! Two of the kids are leaving California this evening and should hit Arkansas Saturday night or Sunday morning. They are going to switch off and drive straight through. One more kid flies in on Sunday afternoon and my best buddy from Seattle gets in Monday night. I am so excited I haven’t been able to sleep. Like a kid on Christmas Eve.
The squirrels and I have worked out a great schedule with the feeding trough. They come for breakfast every morning and are gone the rest of the day. This allows me to fill it the night before and it’s all ready for them when they arrive. Thankfully it has kept them out of my herb pots and other flowers on the deck.
The coon has been coming nightly and I leave him a treat of peanuts and apple slices and he stays out of my bird feeders. He does continue to use the bird bath as his wash bowl, so that must be emptied and refilled every morning. Plan to camp out in the dark diningroom by the sliding glass door and watch for him Saturday night while I am waiting for the kids to arrive. Hopefully I can get some shots of him.
The chipmunk that I have been feeding at the back of my pond has planted his seed stashes all over my flower beds. I am still finding sunflower sprouts coming up all over the place. No more sunflowers in the front yard please! So sadly I have stopped feeding in that area of the yard.
The black and white brigade will get their baths and frontline tomorrow morning too. They need to be pretty and clean when their kids arrive. Rob to this day goes nuts when he hears a VW Beetle drive by. He is so sure that his girl is coming to see him. I feel so sad for him when he finally realizes it’s not his Shannon coming. Now we are all just counting the hours till they arrive!