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.

Floating around in a water park sounds nice.

Good morning. 7:00 a.m.

There’s a backlog of photos in my files and a few unwritten post ideas I've jotted down. They’re waiting for me and begging for attention. They'll just have to wait. Folks, for reasons beyond my control, there are not many words I can spew tonight. I’m too aware of the wet shirt that’s sticking to me and how I need a cold shower after working outside for an hour. Late afternoon on Monday, I had the stupid idea of digging up a small dead tree and replace it with a butterfly bush. Nothing stops me when I have an idea but the heat beat me up and I suffered for it. This is the best I can do tonight.

National news tells the story, I know. I need to say it anyway:

IT’S DAMNED HOT AND DRY HERE.

We’ve had 20 consecutive days of high temps between 90 and 105 F with humid conditions and dangerous air quality.

Three days of record heat have been recorded and today was one of them, at 100.

Not a drop of rain has hit the ground since July 27 and July was way below normal for rainfall.

Senior citizens are suffering.

Dairy cows are dying due to heat related illnesses.

Foliage, trees, and flowers look very depressed and birds pant.

“Dean” is out there…we're hoping to get a few days of steady rain out of him.


Observing water shortage conditions, I haven’t run the irrigation system in almost a week. Tomorrow, it’s set for 6:30 a.m. to treat the earth and to give the birds a nice shower. Boy, I’d love to be home to see them lift their wings!

Look closely and imagine the fragrance. Ahhh… My little Magnolia tree is fighting the dog days and winning!

Tufted Titmice reduce me to a pathetic and frustrated idiot. There is more to worry about than getting a shot of a Titmouse! For months, however, I’ve been waiting to be able sneak up on one and get a sharp photo but they wait for me to tip-toe towards them and flee! I grimace and whine every time.

This is my latest shot of the little scoundrel. Of course, it’s out of focus as are most others I take. When I downloaded this photo I was surprised to see a neighbor I haven’t met. Ooops! I saw him working on his deck in the late afternoon sun. The poor guy took a needed break from the heat. I wonder how many flies he swallowed when his jaw hung open. I kept an eye on him.

Gosh, I've had enough of this post. I'm off to see what everyone else is enjoying. A water park, perhaps?

Nice Matters

Mary, Mary Fairly Contrary and Sherry at Q’s Corner graciously offered me a “Nice Matters Award”. I wonder if they have they read my ranting, venting, and cursing when I’m hot under the collar!

Mary is a recently retired nurse in Liverpool, UK and has just started blogging in June. She loves gardening, quilting, and colorful fabrics. I’ve known her for a short while and have determined she is nice. If you visit her, you’ll see why. Thank you, Mary.

Sherry has become a very dear friend during the past few months. We have similar hearts and share being in touch with the beauty of nature. She is also an outstanding photographer of butterflies and birds. Visit her and look through her camera lens! Thank you, Sherry.

Now I am supposed to choose seven people on which to bestow the honor. Taking this award seriously, I walked around the yard last night and thought about who I would choose. It’s impossible for me to select only seven people because everyone I’ve been honored to know through blogging is more than nice. We all have some bad bones in our bodies but each of us has made a life-long choice to be nice because being nice really does matter. There are more than ten people I want to add to my blogroll whenever this damned heat lets up and I can relax. The list is getting so long that I’m overwhelmed and can’t make a decision.

So, last night, miraculously, in the dead center of my pond, I found what is perhaps my favorite photo of all. I’m offering it to you – friends who visit here regularly and those who visit but never let me know you are here – if you are reading this, it’s for you, nice people.

My heart. Thanks.

Meet Bam-Bam, Bamboozle, Bambino

Don’t love me because I’m beautiful.

The face of an English Bulldog is so ugly it’s cute. Does anyone agree?

Our daughter adopted him on Saturday evening. Gina sort of forced the rescue as “Bam-Bam, Bamboozle, Bambino” spent a lot of time in a crate or tied outside. It’s too hot outside for a chunky dog prone to breathing problems. His original name is "Bam-Bam" so he’s being called a variation of names for now. I’d like for him to have a more dignified name. Bamboozle doesn’t work because he isn’t confusing in the least. Instantly upon meeting him, you know he loves play, food, and hugs. Period. My Chloe could have been named “Bamboozle”. It suits her.

Gina inherited my soft heart for animals and if she should ever move to a farm, she’d adopt every animal that came her way.

Just give me a minute. Let me cool my underneath here on this cold spot.

He’s an almost two-year old happy boy, well behaved, and housebroken. His stature is amazing and I wonder how his three-inch legs carry his fifty-five pounds of meat and muscle. Running at full speed, he crashes into walls because he can’t stop peddling fast enough.

His slab of a tongue can lick you clean in two swipes. I wonder if I'll be bothered by it for long...

Mr. Biggins is sloppy in love with Bam-Bam, Bamboozle, Bambino most of the time but since Sunday he’s been showing his jealous side! BBBB doesn’t seem to care about the occasional growling and dominance from Mr. Biggins much and wanders off to bat his balls around. Speaking of balls, he’ll be going under the knife soon.


My husband, Michael, thinks we should take BBBB to live with us but I have enough to do. Without a bit of hesitation, I said, “No”.


He loves English Bulldogs and there is a reason for it.


It’s a known fact that dogs and their owners resemble each other quite often.


Michael is a good sport and was happy to pose for this picture.


Scroll down.


Scroll down a little more.

Bwa ha ha ha! We had so much fun with this photo!

We need to get a pair of eyeglasses for BBBB and ask Michael to pant.

More to come when BBBB meets the “girls”!

Too often, people with good intentions adopt pets without having a true understanding of the meaning of commitment. Pets give so much to us and we all should be able and willing to give back towards their happy and healthy life. I’m glad the owners of BBBB realized their lifestyle wasn’t suited for a dog that needed more than they can give.

Relocating the Wildlife

If you’ve been with me for several months, you'll know that I’m a hawk chaser. This photo was taken in February during one of my stop-quick-and-exit-car maneuvers. In the middle of this open field I’ve seen Loggerhead Shrikes from a distance and hawks perch on this dead tree often, mainly during winter months. I pass it on my way to and from work every day and examine it with camera ready.

Last weekend I was on vacation. Husband was in Myrtle Beach at a golf outing - business-related. Oh, don’t make me laugh! He enjoyed himself and that’s good but I had a little pleasure seeing his sunburned self come through the door on Sunday. With DH away, there were no deadlines or schedules to keep for three wonderful days. Yes, I was on vacation.

On the way to the grocery store on one of those days, I gasped and whined loudly in the car. This is what happened to my favorite hawk observatory (pictured above):

My town, Huntersville, ranks 46th in the nation for growth as stated in a recent national study and I can’t drive a quarter of a mile without seeing new construction in progress. Known to be a sleepy, bedroom town in a county called Mecklenburg that circles the growing city of Charlotte, changes are taking place here very quickly. We didn’t expect this rapid growth when we made this town our home two years ago but it's not surprising. We also have seen this happen to us many times in the past - particularly in a once sleepy town in Maryland called Bel Air. Here in Huntersville, roads and schools are a major concern, of course, but I’m also concerned about the wildlife. We’re seventeen miles from uptown but not far enough away to avoid city planning.

Why does anyone need a home this large? The earlier decades of reproducing seven to fourteen children are gone! This new development is the reason for the hawks’ eye view knock-down.

I swerved across the road and parked on my man-made shoulder to see some lovely miniature horses. Let this ranch stay, please? Both children and adults visit for a lot of awwww-ing.

Softer than a baby’s behind.

These miniatures have good care and they’re for sale! I'd love to have room for one or twenty.

I pray to keep this view on my way... A few months ago, I saw the large horses gallop across the road in front of me. It was a wonderful sight.

On the way home from the grocery store I stopped at one of our community ponds. It’s the one where I released two of my large goldfish and I wonder if they are still alive during the obnoxious heat we're having. The Canadian Geese will be protected here and any other residents that might relocate.

It’s alive with dragonflies and birds.

Where will they go? What will happen to these birds who are watching the construction and the death of their trees and foliage they have nested in? And what about all of the other living creatures who have skirted death and moved on?

My heart was so heavy. I went home with some good thoughts in my sunburned, hot head: Let them reside with me and share my Zen! I have so much to offer on my teeny-tiny ranch-eden-oasis.

My home…come on over to my house.

$11.99. Trimmed to smithereens in one night.

Bad, bad, bunnies!

I Made Rain

A month or so ago, Susan did this during her drought. I made rain tonight with a soft spray from the garden hose. I have noticed, during the very few rain storms we’ve had, that hummingbirds love rain. They feel refreshed and delighted! Other birds splash in the pond. Hummingbirds need rain, I think. I’ve never seen one on the pond to bathe.

I sprinkled myself, too, as we had record high temperatures here today. 104 degrees F was recorded but I think it was more like 110 with the humidity. They enjoyed their forty-five minute shower and I did, too. There is a hummingbird in this photo... Poor photos tonight.

What a generous little soul it is - caring for a cowbird fledgling. I just love this little Chipping Sparrow.

The pigeons are cooing on my rooftop. Their voices remind me of the Mary Poppins movie I saw as a child.

I worry about the birds, rabbits, chipmunks, and all life in this heat. I do my best.

The water hibiscus is breathtaking. It blooms for a day and I caught it!

After years of longing for a plant-thriving pond, I finally have one. It’s too full of plants now but I’ll leave them grow for another day or two. The Koi and Goldfish haven’t been fed for several days and they’ll rely on plant roots, only. It’s too hot for them to metabolize pellets.

There’s so much I’d like to talk about tonight but I am dehydrated and tired. My eyes are swelling. I need more rest and water.

Chloe still has the Hershey squirts and vomited yellow bile. What a homecoming I had at 4:30! I’m on my hands and knees again and have officially declared the family room carpet as “destroyed”. I’m working on it! She has never had diarrhea in her life but she seems to be just fine and happy today. I picked up all food. They have water for dinner. She eats too much dirt and whatever she wants outside. I’ll sneak some biscuits to Bella to keep her body fat ratio in up to par. Tomorrow, I will cook some ground beef and rice if Chloe finishes her purging.

I’m so sick of this heat.

I’m sick and tired of cooking dinner when I’m not hungry.

Tonight I accidentally burned a thin frozen pizza. Who cares? Who needs to eat when your hair is soaked with sweat? I prefer ice cream for dinner.

I don’t dare pour a glass of wine tonight but I could use one…instead, I'm guzzling green tea with lots of ice.

I want real rain. I hate seeing my gardens look like a neglected patch of weeds on the corner of a city street.

Husband is snoring in his leather recliner. I have laundry to fold. What’s wrong with this picture?

Oh boy, this post is spiraling downwards. Hmmmpf. Whatever…

I have a connection, by George!

Quickly, I post tonight. The heat has scorched me!

My link to the world was in bits and pieces! His name is Joe, an independent consultant, and I trusted him. I have a new motherboard and have risen from computer hell!

Joe didn’t leave me with a network connection this afternoon because he had other appointments to keep. He gave me good instructions and I made the connection myself. I have e-mail!

Hint: Use your can of air once a month to clean all open crevices on your computer. That was not the cause of my problem, but it’s a good tip.

There are numerous things I’d like to share since being away, but today, it’s all about the heat. I’ve experienced a few record hot and dry summers in my life and I’ll also remember this one, for sure. In my county, high school football scrimmages have been rescheduled, shelters are overloaded, fan donations are requested for senior housing, and just south of my county and in South Carolina, there are strict water restrictions in place. We’ll be next for a restriction because there is no rain in sight for a week and we haven’t had a rainfall in two weeks.

This photo of my young Hydrangeas was taken around noon today. I hand watered them last night. They have not done well this summer but I have high hopes of needed relief soon.

I came home from work today to meet with Joe and Bella seemed to be guilty. She avoided me and I wondered what happened... Then I realized Chloe was sick. Perhaps it is heat related although I keep them indoors except for potty breaks lately. The carpet needs to go! My home in Delaware had hardwood flooring throughout except for carpeted bedrooms. I want to get on my hands and knees right now and rip up the carpet! Pet stains annoy me but it’s a way of life around here.

Hummingbirds were dehydrated today. We're all thirsty.

I made more nectar and it’s cooling for them now. Sixteen cups will go quickly. I’d love to photograph the action of fifteen hummingbirds. It’s an incredible sight! Tiny wonders.

When the sun sets tonight, I'll be outside to offer fuel to those who rely on me. This young House Finch is being fed by a Chipping Sparrow. I’m serious. I’ve seen them interacting twice during the past week. When I took this photo, the Chipping Sparrow was watching nearby but my photo of it was blurred. This is odd. I’m watching and thinking. Any ideas out there?

It's 8:30 p.m. and I'm headed outdoors - after I drink an 8-ounce bottle of water. God help us. Let it rain?