Summer is Finally Here!

Summer has finally made it to Seekonk. Our tomatoes and peppers are growing nearly as expeditiously as the weeds. Mother nature brings us all things....I happily watch the tadpoles turn to frogs and toads, and note the young birds, bunnies, woodchucks and opossums scurry in the backyard. Of course I am not so delighted about the consequences some of these little creatures bring about as they voraciously devour the flowers and vegetables. The carrot tops have been eaten as well as the entire snap pea population. Thanks to those adorable little bunnies, I have very few buds/flowers on my annuals.

Despite this downside of nature, I would never hurt these little creatures. This is not the case for the "Mr. McGregor" in the neighborhood. Last night as I was walking around the yard, there was a commotion by the trash bin. A large woodchuck appeared to be trapped between the garage and a trash bin. He was on his back making some blood curdling sounds. I moved the bin, but he did not run. He appeared to be in distress and died a short time later. My main concern is that he may have brought some of what killed him onto our property. I am worried that the dogs and cat might find it...whatever it is.

Steve finally hung some of the bird houses he made over the winter. I especially like the yellow house with the glass flower on the front. We bought lights for the pergola at the Christmas Tree shop. They are strands of silver stars with star cutouts in the (tin?). Uh oh...does that mean they'll rust soon? We also have some interesting lighting by the pond. Steve hung a gazing ball in the Mimosa tree and a large wine bottle stuffed with tiny lights. Last night he noticed that moths were flying around the globe. I'm hoping the bats will notice...we need help keeping the mosquito population down.I've posted a few pictures...I hope to be able to get one of the humming bird soon.

Take care and enjoy each day!

Steve can shoot flames from his head.

The glowing globe

A heart shaped bottle on the ground with lights inside and baskets of Impatiens hang from the Mimosa

Global Warming???

I just read an article titled "Global warming hastens arrival of springtime," (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23709253/ ). The author, Seth Borenstein, cites some signs of Spring that are happening months ahead of time. For example, a butterfly that typically emerges in April/May has been spotted recently "fluttering" in California. He mentions that various trees are budding much earlier than usual. This reminds me of a situation that happened last year. Steve and I noticed that the Wisteria was loaded with blooms in early Spring. I never thought anything of the timing though. I just couldn’t wait to see the pergola covered in beautiful orchid tendrils. A week or two later we had a heavy frost….that was the end of all those buds. The Wisteria bloomed later…but it wasn’t the spectacle we originally anticipated.

With the calendar announcing Spring approaching, in less than 24 hours, I wonder how the plants and creatures will fare. On my morning walkabout, I noticed a sure sign of Spring, but now I worry that it’s way too early for the Bullfrogs to emerge. I didn’t have my camera with me at the time, so no photo today of the very healthy looking frog. However, I thought my nature loving friends would like to hear the sound of the backyard babbling pond. Steve just jump started the filters yesterday. The fish are quite active now that the water is moving.

Hey, aren't I the avid blogger! Just getting to the second post one year later. Truth be told, I just returned from a Blogging 101 class at the Seekonk Library. I was intimidated by this blogging thing, but after listening to Michelle I feel confident.

What I would like to do here is post pictures and news about things that happen in this neck of the woods. One year later I'm still a substitute teacher...however I accepted a long term position that will begin in March. It will be wonderful to have a regular pay check for a few months. I'm hoping to save enough to go back to school for early childhood certification, and/or ESL.

I know it is only January, but my mind is on gardening and redesigning the landscape in our front yard. We seem to have garden pests who eat leaves and gnaw off the flower heads, but it only occurs in the front yard. We may have to find plants that grashoppers, beetles, and squirrels don't like. Any suggestions?