Anticipating Good Stuff

There is talk of a hurricane. Tropical Storm Fay is gearing up in Cuba today and visitors to the Florida Keys have been evacuated. I remember Floyd in 1999 – a disaster in Maryland, so I’m not hoping for a hurricane, by any means. The last hurricane I experienced was in Delaware, 2003 - a somewhat rainless hurricane with high winds that left leaves on trees dehydrated and black.

According to the storm’s track, heading north to the southeastern coastal states, our rain-starved region might have a tropical depression soak us late this week. Isn’t this great news? High winds will topple our weakened, stressed trees so I hope the winds are minimal.

And, my camera is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. I’ll test it under the clouds and maybe take some shots of hummingbirds in the rain… Without a camera this week I’ve seen bats dawn and dusk and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers on a Crepe Myrtle a few feet from my front porch. Without a doubt, they were BGGs – a lifer. I do pay attention to what everyone shares on their birdy blogs.

Anticipating clouds this week, I thought I’d share the last sunny photos from my late Kodak EasyShare. Honestly, I don’t know if any camera will make me as happy.

My first Lavender, ever. I’ll plant them in bulk next spring.

On Saturday evening, dinner was done. In the kitchen, getting ready to clean and re-fill the hummingbird feeders. Michael lobbed a Hershey Kiss down his throat and said, “Go have fun talking to your birds.” Tee-hee. Knowing the hummingbirds were wired out there, I invited him to sit on the deck with me for just five or ten minutes. He agreed, but wondered where they were.

“They know me, but they don’t know you. Stop drumming your fingers on the rail and sit still. Put your hands on your lap and don’t move.”

In less than a minute, the hummers went wild. Fifteen or twenty of them fought over the three feeders that surrounded us. We felt their wing draft raise the hair on our heads and arms.

He stifled laughter when I, in my quiet baby voice, addressed an adult male that landed a few feet away – “Hello Mr. Hummy, you look so handsome this evening…” ;-)

He asked questions about the hummingbirds but his last remark was, “They better not poop on me.”

My reply: “Oh, their poop is just one tiny, sugary, raindrop of joy.”

That’s when the party ended and he realized I am undoubtedly, certifiably nuts. LOL!