My Hummingbird Summer

Visits to model homes, Lancome counters, nurseries, and Wild Birds Unlimited make my heart do a drum roll. They are just a few material things I love. I also love shopping for candles, earrings, and clothing when I’m not feeling too fat.

By the time I finished shopping and chatting with the wonderful men at WBU and went back to my car, it felt like I flew open the oven door and stuck my head inside. Have your eyelids ever stuck to your eyeballs? It’s a strange feeling. I don’t like it. Peeling my thighs slowly and carefully from the leather seat is uncomfortable, too, and also unattractive. Focusing on the 108 is impossible when your eyelids can't move. It was really only 102 degrees F outside after I cranked on the A/C.

There are two hummingbird feeders at my house distanced about twenty feet apart. All of them fight over this one because the ports are wide and open. It’s very pretty but I continue making nectar to fill it as the ports sit above two cups' worth and it’s also wasteful, especially when I clean it every other day. It hangs on my deck and I can stand just a few feet away and watch little green army men and women in attack mode.

The color yellow attracts bees, too. But I’m keeping this one since they love it so much.

This feeder is lovely but it leaked and caused an ant problem. Julie, the Science Chimp reassured me I have juvenile male rubythroats. If this isn't a male, I'll crawl under the desk where I sit.

My simple Kodak EasyShare amazes me sometimes. I just love this camera. Ants (click to enlarge the previous photo and this one, too)!

Not as attractive as the other but it’s made well for cleaning and dining. I waited for two minutes and saw a landing. It inspected all six ports before taking a seat.

Feeling just delighted, I laughed out loud because I’m not accustomed to seeing hummingbirds sit. It reminded me of a social outcast sitting at a kindergarten lunch table. Soon, it reared its tiny, pointy head to the sky and attacked fellow lunch mates.

You might wonder why I am so into hummingbirds and briefly, I’ll explain. I grew up in the city. It wasn’t until the mid-90’s that I saw my first hummingbird. I was in my backyard practicing chipping golf balls, heard the hummer engine and saw the blur in front of my face. Life was on fast forward then and it still is, but my interests and priorities have shifted steadily over the years and I feel more peaceful for it. For all the years I missed enjoying what I do now, I sort of regret it.

The approach to this strange, new replacement must have been frightening. They were wary but hungry.

The hanger in the center of the feeder throws off my focus but I’m working on it.

At this moment, I have an update. They are grudgingly sharing lunches! Little flitty twits... For a real hummingbird treat - sharing the lunch table, see Monarch's incredible post and videos.