So, it’s been an exciting few days here at the Confusion Factory. For the first time in five years, I have a new pair of glasses. Also! We opened the Hummer Bar, starting with two choices of venue — the Flying Saucer and the Hot Air Balloon. Not fifteen minutes after we opened our doors, we served our first customer, and there has been a steady flow, since. I anticipate opening the annex in the front garden sometime in the coming week, and possibly relocating the Hot Air Balloon venue from the back deck to an existing feeding station in the back yard.
Speaking of lawns and yards and gardens — it has been a banner year for daffodils. Honestly, I don’t remember that we had this many daffodils, but my memory is a little patchy in spots nowadays, and it’s hard to argue against daffodils, so I’m just pleased to see them.
We — by which I of course mean Jeremy the Landscaping Guy — have installed three more cedar trees (emerald arborvitae), which fills in the line between our house and the Neighbors to the Right. This should have been done last year, but a lot of things didn’t get done last year.
The day after the Planting of the Cedars, we entertained Robbie the Arborist, who took down several trees in the back that had been fatally damaged in the big winter wind storms. Sadly, two of them were birch trees, and their absence really changes the view from my office windows.
Pete the Builder has accomplished the long-awaited steps from the deck to the back yard. Still some more work to do there, but having the stairs in place, and thus a second way out of the house in case of emergency, is a huge relief.
Up next week is a visit from the Dump Guy, to give us a quote on taking down the shed in the back, similarly damaged in the winds, and hauling it away, along with various repositories of Actual Junk in the garage and elsewhere.
We’re also looking for a return of Jeremy the Landscaping Guy, bearing two red maples (acer rubrum red sunset), and a Snowdance Japanese tree lilac, for the front lawn, the maples to provide shade, and the Snowdancer because it’s gorgeous, and neither one of us could resist the name. As soon as the City tells us where the sewer and water lines are, we’ll have them planted, and then we can take a breather.
. . .except for getting the book finished and turned in, and three short stories written. Yeah, yeah, piece o’cake.
Here have a picture of the Hummer Bar:
Today’s blog title brought to you by Johnny Nash, “I Can See Clearly Now.” Here’s your link.
One of my favorite songs and sooooo appropriate.
Love Japanese tree lilacs. Planted one at my house, and it was doing very well before I “downsized” to my apartment. It is one of the things I miss.
I had two feeders and a birdbath; it was so much fun seeing them going from one to the other on hot days. I went out just about every day sometime to clean it and disinfect it a bit. My garden was just far enough away the local cats couldn’t lurk. It’s not kind to either bird or feline for cats to roam unbelled.
Take a look at the double file viburnum Summer Snowflake. Its gorgeous and a repeat bloomer.
This year we have 4 seed feeders and 2 suet ball feeders – and we are having to refill them on a daily basis. It has been a joy to watch the different species, and now we are seeing some fledglings too
I’ve had bird feeders on and off at various apartments, but this spring was the first time I put some up at my house. I have a tray feeder shaped like a picnic table I got from Lowes (adorable), a simple suet feeder, a traditional feeder for the little bird, and a bigger block feeder for those that prefer pecking.
I get a good variety of bird visitors from red-winged blackbirds, blue jays, cardinals, ravens… basically all the sportsball teams, along with the finches and sparrows. But dominating all of them are a gang of at least eight doves and thousands of grackles. The doves are the worst as they can’t seem to not poop where they eat like the rest of them and they fight with each other and everyone else. Usually one being a stinker to everyone else. Sigh. The grackles at least eat all the shells.
Phase 2 will be a bird bath and now I’m thinking a hummingbird feeder would be neat too. At least there’d be one feeder the doves won’t be interested in.