Life moves along "swimmingly" (I do swim) here at this place I call "home". Critter update: two does with youngsters here. I think the does were twins and now they have their own offspring. One has twins and the other has one. For awhile I was confused and thought it was just one doe and one fawn, but I think I have the situation figured out now. But to be sure, I would like to see two does together with 3 fawns, total.
Chipmunks are everywhere - holes to their tunnels are under the patio, around the edge of the house and outside in the "beds". I see them scurry and run back and forth. They like to roll in the dirt, so I had a few pots that I never planted flowers in this year. The dirt gets thrown out, so that means they have had a good dirt bath. One pot had Freezia bulbs in it, but nothing came up! Not one single sprig or sprout! Figuring that a squirrel or one of the chipmunks enjoyed a bulb dinner. Thinking, though that I ought to go up and dig around to see if the bulbs are still there!
Hornet Story: I had several pots sitting near the Topsy Turvy stand. They were filled with odds & ends - some chives, a wild strawberry vine and some lemon balm. I did plant one basil plant in the square pot and left the other alone and now a tomato plant is growing and blooming in it. I was cleaning up the magnolia leaves and debris that gathered around those three pots when several buzzing hornets came out of the one with the chives, etc. I pushed the pot with the broom handle and "pow" - out came some mad hornets after ME! I ran as fast as I could - knocking off my glasses (didn't know I'd done it) as I was being stung on my nose and knocking away the one that was stinging my right shin. Got them off and ran into the kitchen, grabbed some baking soda, made a paste and put it on my nose and leg. Talk about HURT! Those stings hurt for hours and hours. I used ice packs, cold washcloths and took some Ibuprofen. I took time to look up some first aid cures. I also immediately put lemon halves on the wounds to take out poison.
Thought I wouldn't get over the pain! Awful stuff! Luckily my nose didn't swell too much. It was sore, but my leg was sore for quite some time. The situation was under control, except now I didn't have my glasses! I was afraid to go back out to find them! I found a pair of glasses which I had prescribed to me last year, but I never wore - so for several days I was "off" with my vision. I finally found my regular pair in the pot of Thyme!
Did I leave the hornets alone. Not! I got some Hot Shot that had been around here - and opened the door off the dining room and aimed! Made the hornets mad again, so I retreated. Then I kept hitting the pot with the hose jet to see if they were still there - they were! I told the yard guys to "beware of the hornets"! The pot was turned over one morning and I wondered if the raccoon did it or if Knee-Hi did it. Could have been the squirrel! So, I figured they were gone (all of this took place over a week's time). Not so, a few more were buzzing around.
Asked the yard guys about hornets moving somewhere else. The fellow said the queen will move far away to safety and that seems to be what happened. I looked for evidence of dead hornets, but they outwitted me, the Hot Shot, the water jet! Now, where they have gone, I don't know. I sure hope someone else doesn't experience a hornet hit from these traveling demons!
So, life goes one around here. The fellows got a lot of pruning done - took many hours of labor to cut through overgrown shrubs. I had hacked at several shrubs - testing out my ability as a pruning genius! I belong to the National Home Gardening Club and got all kinds of saws in a kit to be a professional. Those big loppers take a lot of strength and I hurt for days "after". I swacked off the three burning bush out front that were blocking the new Siberian Spruce trees. I also cleared out another bush (can't recall name as I write). Guy said the branches should be "open enough for a bird to fly through". Did it!
Then today, opened up another bill from Madison Tree for "Hydraulic Feeding" of all the trees around here! OMG! Over $700.00. Talk about tree care! They get sprayed, they get fed, they get groomed. I spend more money on trees than I do on myself! This fall more tree work will be done - removal of the willow tree and an ash tree (maybe). Keeping the crabapple tree - still blooms and the squirrels eat the crabapples and shakes "extras" for the does and their fawns. As Maude said, "We've got to save this tree"! (favorite movie - Harold & Maude).
