Any day that starts with a smiley face has to be good.
Especially when it’s Little Red’s smile.
.
It actually started was when I went to refill the suet feeders and all I could find was this…
We’ve been raided by raccoons before, but they don’t usually take the feeders as well as the suet.
They may have been frustrated at finding the feeders empty, as they always are by about noon these days.
.
The bits were variously strewn about on the grass, as if in disgust.
All that effort for nothing!
If they had opposable thumbs I daresay they would have flung the bits at a window.
Alright, I get the message, but how many more mouths can I feed?
.
It’s already an all-day buffet.
After dark I reserve the right to close!
.
Well, never mind. I put one feeder back together and brought the other in for Grant to deal with.
.
But first I had a look at the very wet garden and found a bee sheltering under a flower.
After breakfast the bee was still there so I called Grant to see it.
“It’s probably dead.” he said cheerfully
“No. It moved.” I countered.
.
But I could tell he didn’t believe it.
.
“Why did you just poke me?”
“Sorry. I was checking on your welfare!”
.
According to PlantNet, the bee had been sheltering under a Common evening primrose.
Nothing wrong with being common.
.
There’s never been a wet morning I couldn’t befriend.
.
.
Before the next downpour we went to check on the squashes
.
We saved some seeds last year and Grant planted them in the spring, not really expecting much to happen.
His theory is that the presence of ants may have discouraged other pests.
.
Acorn squash with plain leaf and Butternut with patterned leaf.
Our “Easiest Method Possible” cooking involves cutting Butternut in pieces, Acorn cut in half, add butter, salt, pepper and grated cheese and microwave till whenever it’s done.
Usually not bad.
.
The lower part of the property is wild and has taken on its shaggy appearance.
Goldenrod, which I have discovered is not even related to ragweed which is merciful, given the sneeze-factor of the latter.
.
These pretty purple flowers are Japanese Knot-weed, a very invasive plant.
How could something so delicate be harmful?
It has roots that hang on like grim death and it grows everywhere. Country roads are lined with it.
But will it win out against the creeping vine or the wild parsnip?
.
Clover can also get out-of-control.
.
When I am outdoors I’m not terribly sure what I am seeing as the light makes me squint a bit. So I capture what seems promising and then have fun checking through the images on my PC.
Often the humblest-seeming subjects are quite pleasing.
.
Harsh contrasts can be quite striking.
The ubiquitous Japanese beetle.
For now they seem to have laid off my Nutmeg tree.
This beetle remained unmolested.
.
Turning my iPhone this way and that, I couldn’t seem to get the grasshopper’s face in focus.
.
Perhaps not surprising considering I was looking at the wrong end.
.
“Lady what is your problem?”
Little Red would make anyone smile – so cute! Your garden looks beautifully decorated with the raindrops. Yes, the surprises you get when you just look a little closer, right?
You seem to be getting a lot of rain, even more than we get in Beetley! You did really well with the photos today too.
Best wishes, Pete.