

Rain was pitter-pattering all night on the roof so I wasn’t surprised to find a soggy garden this morning and a bunch of bedraggled wildlife waiting impatiently for breakfast.

But Simon Slug was already into the Shasta daisies, uninvited. He raced off, perhaps thinking me annoyed, but I caught his picture. I can hardly be mad at slugs when I tolerate what groundhogs do to my flowers! Besides, he’s rather cute.
Trudging through the wet grass, I tried once more to name the various tiny flowers, just so I can forget them all again by next year. On the left ground ivy, on the right “Herb of the Cross”. I must not have checked that last year as it’s not at all familiar. The bush at top is currently unidentifiable. Not enough flowers or leaves yet.
Perhaps I would have it’s name in the gallery from last year? No, but I have an amazing array of photographs of my fingers and the inside of my pocket and one ghastly picture of me going somewhere in the car, apparently making a loud announcement. Delete, delete…..

The poor pansies were all in confusion this morning. I noticed the other day that they turn their faces to follow the sun but this morning with no sun and all sopping wet, they weren’t sure which way to face.

Above was on a day when they were all lined up like a platoon of soldiers on a route march.

This one I almost remembered. I would have called it Russian Tea. Actually, it’s Siberian.

Mostly, it’s green leaves, but this time of year it flowers.
So I thought I should capture them while they are out.
Back at the porch, the male cowbirds were getting lessons on courtship:

“Listen, Sonny, I think you’re overdoing it a bit!”


Mr Cardinal is so beautiful, he doesn’t need to show off.
On this decidedly soggy Wednesday, things didn’t seem to want to come together.
Confusion over a prescription caused a flurry of unnecessary paperwork from my medical insurance company (the one of many identities). The Doctor’s office got a letter to say they were no longer covering, I got a letter confirming that they were and the pharmacy got a reject response. This happens periodically and literally tons of paper must be wasted each year because nobody knows what they are doing. Or maybe they just aren’t paying attention.
Anyone who has had to call their doctor’s office lately will know what a joy this is. Pre-Covid it was pretty annoying, listening to the messages: No, it’s not an emergency, no, I am not a provider’s office, no, I don’t want to talk to Billing, no, I don’t want a re-fill…then you can stay on the line for however long it takes for someone to actually pick up the phone. Yea Gods. Well now, you have the additional entertainment of hearing the Covid, “we don’t have the vaccine and this is what you need to do” announcement.
It’s exhausting. I gave up and used the patient Portal. At least that’s one good thing they invented.
Now it’s time for more exercise……