Our Backyard Life

Photo Friday - Coping with the Heat

2011-07-30T01:42:00.001-04:00

The heat and humidity are taking a toll on all of the backyard life. This poor mockingbird was doing it's best to stay cool when the temperature was 105F.

Since birds don't sweat, they pant kind of like dogs to cool off. They can use the moisture evaporation to help regulate their temperature. The down side to this is they can dehydrate quickly. They can also help cool their bodies by cooling their un-feathered legs and feet since the blood vessels are closer to the surface.

Backyard bird baths can literally be life savers to some birds on those really hot days. Drinking, bathing and sometimes just standing in the water are all ways our feathered friends try to cope with the summer heat. Next time you step outside and think to yourself how hot and uncomfortable it is, remember that the birds don't have the luxury of going inside to the enjoy the air conditioning. Consider adding a bird bath of some sort to your yard. Even a small dish of water can make a big difference.

Wildlife Wednesday

2011-07-27T19:40:00.002-04:00

A new resident to our backyard, Ralphy. He is part of Fuzzy's spring litter.

Recharged and Renewed

2011-07-24T06:34:00.008-04:00

It's funny how life gets in the way and prevents us from actually living. Nowadays we are all so busy doing something that we never seem to have time to do anything. So many commitments, expectations, aggravations... how did life get so complicated?

I've finally realized that when everything is gloomy and the world seems to be closing in...
And the weight of all your worries seems to be crashing down on you...
You have to dig deep and find the strength to break free...
Take some time to get away, relax, unplug and enjoy some peace and quiet...
Remember that it's ok to slow down. It's ok to stop and smell the roses...
Soon, you'll realize just how insignificant your problems and worries really are...
Only then will you have the freedom to release yourself from your troubles...
And marvel at life and the amazing world around you...
After five years of planning, we took a much needed vacation... a two week cruise tour in Alaska. Five days on land followed by a seven day cruise.

If you have never been to Alaska, add it to your bucket list because you will not be disappointed. It is a nature lovers dreams. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.

Birds of Winter

2011-01-10T19:28:00.001-05:00

Each winter, eastern North Carolina is home to migrating waterfowl that have traveled from as far as northern Canada and Alaska. There are a few locations where large numbers of these birds gather, sometimes in the 10o's of thousands. That seems like an almost unreal number, so we decided to look for ourselves.

We arrived at the Pungo Unit (part of the Pocosin lakes wildlife refuge) just as the sun was rising. Immediately we noticed small flocks of birds joining a fairly large group already enjoying their breakfast in the field. That while stuff in the background isn't cotton, it's birds. As we got a little closer, we could easily identify these birds as snow geese. They were very active for it being so early in the morning. Here a group is coming in for a landing to join the others.
They have an almost fluid like movement. One or two birds start the move and they are followed by hundreds of others until there is a wave of honking geese in the sky. They weave and circle a few times, then land again and continue their breakfast.
Here a flock was coming in to a new area of the field.
More and more make their way in.
They circled directly over us for a while and man are they loud.
It is hard to believe that many birds can be in one place at the same time but they do it every year.
Birds, as far as the eye can see and these are only the Snow Geese. The Tundra Swans were on the lake and the numbers are about the same. The birds of winter are truly one of nature's wonders.

Photo Friday - Flameless Fire

2010-10-23T07:23:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite things to grow in the garden is chile peppers. Both Brandy and I love spicy food and there is nothing better than being able to add fresh peppers to dinner. Fresh, frozen, crushed, powdered, it doesn't matter.

All throughout the summer we harvest a few for meals, but it isn't until early fall when we gather the peppers by the bucket full. As the night time temps start dipping into the 40s & 50s, we start stripping the plants. This week we pulled enough to keep the dehydrator running for about a month. Here is the first round ready for drying after a good rinse. You can see that Samantha was a little curious, she sniffed but didn't take a bite.

This year we grew long slim cayenne, Charelston Hot cayenne, Devils Tongue habanero and Bhut Jolokia. Here is the first tray of cayennes. The Charelston Hot are the yellow ones.
More cayennes here.
And a few more cayennes. We really like the flavor of these and they dry very easily.
Here is the rack that will melt your face, the Devils Tongue (yellow) and Bhut Jolokia (red/orange). I am not really a fan of the habanero flavor, it's a little too earthy for me, but I love the extra heat so we gave the Devils Tongue a try.

Then there is the Bhut Jolokia or ghost pepper. It is currently listed as the hottest recorded pepper on the planet, so I had to try it. I've tried many sauces made from this chile and when I found some seedlings earlier this year I had to get them. I am not one of those guys that trys to show off by eating something hot when they think a jalapeno is spicy. I will try any hot sauce or fresh chile just to see what it tastes like and gauge the heat level for myself. Sure it can be a little painful, but it normally doesn't last more than 10 or 15 minutes.

Understand that heat levels in peppers can vary greatly from region to region, plant to plant and even pod to pod on the same plant. I sample ours all through out the summer to see how the heat level progresses. I expect the cayenne to sting as soon as I bite them, last only a minute or two and then fade away. I expect habaneros to build heat over a minute or two and last 5-10 minutes before slowly fading away. I didn't know what to expect from the Bhut Jolokia. Let's just say I was not disappointed.

I had sampled several green and orange ones over the summer and I would rank them equal to a chocolate habanero, very hot but not something that would take your breath away like the rumors of this chile suggest. Then I tried a red one last week and I will say without a doubt it is he hottest thing I have ever eaten. I took a small bite from one and at first I thought it was like any other habanero, slowly building heat. The problem is it didn't stop building for 5 minutes, then it stayed at that level for another 30 minutes. They also don't have that earthy flavor or habaneros. I hope they dry well because I want lots of powder from these.

Beware the fire that has no flame!

Road Trip - Part 2

2010-10-16T06:48:00.003-04:00

Since we were in the mountains, we had to do a little hiking and what better hiking destination than a waterfall? We headed out early one morning to Grotto Falls, just outside Gatlinburg. We hit the parking area at daybreak and headed up the trail towards the falls. The falls were about 1.5 miles up the trail and the sound of rushing water let us know when we were getting close.

It was shortly after sunrise when we arrived, but still pretty dark since this particular waterfall is deep in the forest. Grotto Falls is primarily know for the big waterfall, but there are probably 1/4 mile of smaller falls leading up to this. As we rounded a turn in the trail, things opened up and this is what we saw.

I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to this stuff so of course I had to move in for a closer look. And of course, Brandy had her camera ready. The trail lead right behind the falls and you can see how I compare to the height of the water.
I convinced Brandy to join me under the falls and she snapped this beauty.
In case you have never been to the Great Smoky Mountains before, it is a very dangerous place and I am not talking about toothless banjo players. The trails are narrow and slippery with shear cliffs at some points. There are also tons of black bears and the warnings are posted everywhere. The signs are nice and all, it's just too bad that the animals cant read them.
On our way back down the trail we heard a strange sound in the forest just off the trail. Not being familiar with this sound, I had to inspect. As I peered thru the bushes and trees, I came face to face with the most ferocious beast I had ever seen. I was able to grab a quick photo and run for my life.
Don't let his size fool you, I barely made it out with all my fingers. This was actually the first chipmunk I had ever seen in real life.

All in all it was a great trip. We got to relax and enjoy some nature, play the tourist and do some shopping and just unplug from daily life for a few days.

Road Trip - Part 1

2010-10-16T06:21:00.003-04:00

With summer behind us and the cooler temps of fall moving in, we though it would be a good time to take a mini vacation over the long weekend and get some fresh air and new scenery. Since the nights have been getting cooler, the leaves were starting to change so we decided our road trip would take us to the Great Smoky Mountains.

It's amazing how fast the troubles and worries of the daily grind will disappear when you are see this at sunrise.
Absolutely no signs of civilization for as far as you can see. It was hard not to day dream of living in a log cabin atop one of these hills.
The narrow road twists and turns with the contours of the mountains. Slow and steady is the way of this trip. I think the slogan "The journey is the destination" was created here.
At the higher elevations, the cooler temps have helped along the changing of the leaves. They weren't at peak color, but they were just fine with us.
Roughly 7 hours after we started, we reached our weekend destination, Gatlinburg TN. This is a small mountain town, very much a tourist attraction, but charming non the less. Our hotel room had a balcony right over the river, we were in walking distance of everything so we were set for the weekend. And we only heard banjos playing at night...

Humming a little tune

2010-10-02T19:08:00.003-04:00

As fall arrives and the birds begin to migrate, we are seeing fewer hummingbird. We'll keep the feeder up for another month or so, just in case we get any visitors passing through.

This little lady was thankful for it as she stopped by for breakfast just after sunrise. She took a little time to soak up some sun as well, it was a little chilly this morning.

Be Careful What You Ask For

2010-10-02T18:42:00.002-04:00

After the hottest summer on record in NC, most of the state was under drought conditions. Most everyone wished for a little rain to help things out. Well, we got what we asked for.

Mother nature can be a fickle lady, when and how much rain she brings is up to her. She brought all of ours last week. Our area received between 10 -12 inches of rain over a 5 day period. Some areas near the cost received almost 2 feet of rain.

Be very careful what you ask for.

Attack of the Honey Do's

2010-09-12T07:04:00.003-04:00

I haven't been spending as much time posting updates as I would like, but I have a good reason. I have been under attack from the honey do bug and I am loosing the fight. It's that time of year where we try to catch up on all the things we've let slide during the summer, and man the list is long this year.

At the top of the list was painting our living room. We've been putting it off for a couple of years because of the headache we were expecting from the vaulted ceiling. It was as bad as we thought it would be. We worked on it fours days during the labor day weekend and it took the entire time.

Here is the start of a messy weekend, everything covered or taped or moved out of place.

Just to give an idea of how high we had to go...

And we can't leave out the stairs...

We were able to finish and get everything back in place. We have a little touch up to do, but all in all it looks ok. Right now, I am tired of thinking about paint so maybe in a few more days I will get some photos of the completed job. For now, I have to begin planning for all the yard work that needs to be done. Those darn honey do bugs...

Painted Wings

2010-09-12T06:51:00.002-04:00

Temps have finally started cooling down so I've been able to enjoy more time outside. It seems this year there are a lot more butterflies this year than I remember from last year.

About the only thing left blooming is the butterfly bush, so I guess they are right at home.

Early morning struggle

2010-08-23T09:05:00.003-04:00

Sometimes nature can be awesome and terrifying all at the same time. This morning around 6:30am as I walked out of the house to leave for work, I witnessed something amazing. Of course, I didn't have a camera handy.

Right above my head, flying maybe 7-8 ft above the ground, a mourning dove was flying as fast as it could while being chased by a sharp shinned hawk. The dove zipped, dropped and changed direction at least a dozen times in an effort to escape the hawk. The hawk, being a master of flight, was able to gain ground on the dove even with all the evasive maneuvers.

The entire episode only lasted a few seconds, with the hawk finally grabbing the dove out of the air. Death was instant because as the hawk landed on the neighbors roof with his hard fought breakfast, there was no movement from the dove.

As brutal as it can be, mother nature is a wonderful thing. Keep your camera handy!

Photo Friday - cute & cuddly

2010-08-20T19:39:00.003-04:00

There is absolutely nothing going on in the yard. The heat and lack of rain has all but destroyed the flowers. The garden is holding on, tomatoes and peppers are just about all that's left. That makes for lots of time inside.

Our three fur babies are the only interesting subjects inside, but they are no so keen on posing for photos.

Princess Sabrina... settling down for a nap

Samantha the curious... nothing left to investigate, so off to sleep

Zoe the little angel... when she naps, you can't really see her horns (little devil)

Back to life

2010-08-10T19:21:00.003-04:00

Back from the dead. It's been a couple of weeks since our last post, and I blame it all on mother nature.

It's that time of year around here where we start getting pretty rough thunderstorms. They pop up with little warning and disappear just as fast. We need the rain that the storms provide, but the lightening isn't as welcome. Several of the storms produced very close lightning that disrupted Internet service in the area.

You'd think that with some extra time on my hands I could enjoy more time outside. Unfortunately, with temps hovering at 100 and heat indexes around 110, I don't spend any more time outside that I have to. There is nothing enjoyable about breaking a sweat within 30 seconds of stepping foot out the door. The first few hours of the days are bearable, so I'll continue to enjoy what little bit of the outdoors I can.

Photo Friday - Feathers, Fingers and Fur

2010-07-23T20:20:00.005-04:00

When temperatures are over 100, there isn't a lot of activity in the yard. Dawn and dusk are about the only times that are bearable these days.

Hey dude, how about a fan out here??

You think I like hanging upside down? Fill my peanut cup... NOW!

Wow, that is a nice garden you have. Are those.... carrots?

A much needed break

2010-07-23T19:30:00.005-04:00

Being the gadget loving guy that I am, I have been contemplating a computer upgrade for a while. Last week I decided it was time and bit the bullet. Twelve boxes, an hour of parts assembly and 5 days of getting everything back like I want it I realized one very important thing... I have entirely too much custom crap on my computer.

After spending so much time in front of the computer getting things back just the way I like them, I needed a break. Some fresh air and a little nature was in order. I woke Brandy up way too early and we took a little trip to the JC Raulston Arboretum, a garden designed and maintained by the NC State horticulture department. It is amazing and was just the break I needed.

A little sampling of what we enjoyed....

Photo Friday - Last of the Color

2010-07-09T20:15:00.004-04:00

With everything else drying up and turning brown from our recent weather, it's nice to have some color around the yard.... even if it just passing through.

Heat Wave Plant Care - Lost Cause

2010-07-09T19:57:00.006-04:00

It's official, any type of outdoor plant care right now is a lost cause. The temps have been over 100 degrees several days this week and over 90 degrees for almost two months. That alone normally isn't a problem, but add in the fact that there hasn't been more than a sprinkle during that same time frame and that causes problems.

No amount of watering seems to make a difference. At this point we have accepted the fact the most of the plants have died. We will try to safe a few, but we expect to do a lot of replanting this fall.

This lantana is still holding on, but the salvia, dianthus and daisies are toast.

The poor rose bush is dropping more leaves every day

The one good part of this hot dry spell, the grass in the lawn doesn't need cutting

Photo Friday - Rise and shine

2010-07-03T10:49:00.003-04:00

This beauty was standing about 7ft tall and greeting the sunrise yesterday.

Out Internet service was out until an hour or so ago, so I had an excuse to spend a little more time outside yesterday. The high was 82, so it was actually pleasant to be outside for a change.

Garden Days - Heat wave

2010-07-03T10:35:00.003-04:00

During the month of June, there were 21 days with temps above 90 degrees and only about an inch an a half of rain. The yard is crunchy and the flowers are drooping but I am doing everything I can to keep the garden going. That new 175 gallon rain barrel is coming in handy.

Here is a little peek at whats going on this week in the garden.

The better boy tomato, hanging full.
There are five sitting in the kitchen window, turning red as we speak

There are lots of clusters turning red on the cherry tomato.
Every time I walk by the garden i have to taste one.

The cucumbers are still hanging on.
Within the next week or two I will put out some more seeds for a second crop.

We have lots of cayenne peppers, waiting to turn red.
Everyday I go out to test the heat levels. When I bite into one and immediately start to cry, they are ready.

The heat has taken the biggest toll on the watermelons.
The vines have spread so much it takes a lot of water to prevent them from wilting by 10 am.

Photo Friday - Staying Cool

2010-06-25T20:10:00.004-04:00

It's been a rough week here weather wise. The last 10 days have been 95 to 105 degrees and the forecast for next week doesn't look much better. Our new rain barrel is coming in handy, but when its 99 degrees for three days straight, even watering doesn't really help much.

Hopefully we will get some rain soon. The grass is crunchy, the flowers are floppy and I am trying my vest to keep the garden going. All my time outside is before 7AM or after 8PM, any other time is just not fun. The wildlife in the backyard feels the same way...

Coming in for a landing, tongue ready to start drinking...

A newly fledged Robin trying to find some shade...

Photo Friday - Morning Flowers

2010-06-19T06:04:00.001-04:00

I took a few snapshots during a sunrise stroll through the yard...

Sunburst gerbera daisy

Fringed gerbera daisy

Dianthus

Dwarf dahlia

Sugar Baby - on the move

2010-06-18T23:57:00.001-04:00

A few little seedlings have turned into a running mass of vines. I am not complaining thought. We planted a couple of packs of watermelon seeds to fill in a spot left from a fallen tree. So far it has been a good use of space.

Oh, it won't be long before these little fellows are ready

Photo Friday - Drop dead beauty

2010-06-11T19:32:00.004-04:00

Garden Days - Full grown

2010-06-11T19:19:00.004-04:00

A field of watermelon... we should eating sweets in about a month

Our peppers are hanging full... each day they get just a little hotter

We've already eaten three cucumbers and there are several more ready to pull

The cherry tomato is working it's way up the cage...

The better boy tomato is already over the fence ans still growing..

Garden Days - Growing Wild

2010-06-11T14:04:00.001-04:00

There is just something about growing your own vegetables that is extremely satisfying.

Our garden is just a series of raised beds but it is fairly productive. We use only natural and organic practices and our garden plants grow bigger, are healthier and produce more than any of the other gardens we see. It is unfortunate that most people believe the commercials from fertilizer companies and think they need to soak their plants every week with these products. Too bad encyclopedias on urban horticulture or master gardener manuals aren't available at the sames stores that sell the chemicals. I digress.....

Overall, we try to stick to the old tried and true methods of growing veggies. My grand parents used a hoe to get rid of weeds, hand picked any bugs they didn't want there and spread a little chicken or horse poop to make things grow. Wouldn't you know it, 80 years later the same thing still works.

Our vegetable beds are filled with a 50/50 combination of topsoil and compost. We don't use any pesticides, maybe the occasional blast from the water hose or hand picking any bugs we don't want there. If a few leaves get eaten or a few veggies are lost, not a big deal. We don't use any synthetic fertilizers, only fish emulsion, alfalfa tea or a blend of bone meal/blood meal/kelp meal. We try to use only rain water, but the weather will really dictate that. With the upgrade to the rain barrels a few weeks ago, we can now store several weeks worth of water.

Anyway, on to the garden....

This year we did throw out a few packs of watermelon seeds and look what we have now...

They are still green but the cayenne's are hanging full.
I go out to taste them everyday, they aren't hot yet but they are getting there.

So far the bell peppers are doing nicely. Not sure I can leave them on the stalk until they turn yellow or if I will have to steal a green one for dinner one night.

Cherry tomatoes. This plant is thick and bushy and loaded with little green nuggets of goodness.

Last but not least, our better boy tomato.
Hanging full right now and I hope the June bugs don't find it like last year.

Garden Harvest - Beans and Taters

2010-06-11T13:49:00.003-04:00

The garden is progressing very nicely, in fact we got our first real harvest of the summer.

The bush beans are hanging full so we picked enough for dinner last night. They are getting pretty big and a few tasted a little mealy, but they were still good.
The foliage on our potatoes started dying back, so we did a little digging and found a few little gems buried beneath. Oh, these will be quite tasty.
We pulled three cucumbers as well, but we started eating them before the camera came out. Freshly sliced cucumbers in a little vinegar with a dash of pepper flakes..... can't beat it.

Photo Friday - Bright and Shiny

2010-06-04T19:55:00.003-04:00

Photo Friday - Mocking Who?

2010-05-28T18:59:00.005-04:00

Hey yo, buddy... you's looking at me?

If I have to come over there, you's gonna be sorry

Growth Spurt

2010-05-27T19:29:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago the yard was dry and crispy. Our rain barrel setup, one 55 gallon and two 30 gallon, was already empty. That made me start to think about expanding our capture capacity. I did a little searching and just a few miles down the road happened to be an Ag supply store. Wouldn't you know it, they had water storage tanks! I upgraded!!!

Here is our new 175 gallon tank, with the 55 gallon as overflow. The footprint is smaller than the three barrels we did have and the capacity has more than doubled. The day after we put this in place we got three inches of rain. A few days later we got another inch and now both barrels are full. We are set with garden water for a few weeks.

All of that rain and some warm temps have put the garden into overdrive. The bush beans are full of little pods.

The carrots are various sizes, but that hasn't stopped me from snacking on just a few.

Our better boy tomato is starting to produce.

The cherry tomato is following suite

And we have just a few peppers.

Slowly but surely, the garden is filling out. Soon we will have more veggies that we know what to do with. I can't wait.

Photo Friday - Backyard Bosses

2010-05-21T21:11:00.003-04:00

Dude, how about some more peanut butter crumble?

What are you looking at? Never seen anyone eating grass before?

Don't make me use this size 2 on you. Go back inside and no one gets hurt.

Garden Days

2010-05-21T20:28:00.006-04:00

Weekend Update

The garden is jumping now. We received three inches of much needed rain at the beginning of the week and temps have been in the 80's. A weekly dose of fish emulsion should keep them going strong.

A wide angle shot of the garden

The bush beans are spilling over the front of the bed. Bean beetles are enjoying the leaves, but that's about it for now. The tomato in the back is growing fast enough to keep ahead of them.

The cherry tomato is growing a little slower, but still making good progress.

The peppers are blooming, except for the newly planted pair up front. They should catch up soon though.

The salad bed has turned into a jungle. The cucumbers are finally climbing up the trellis. I pulled a couple of the carrots to check the progress and they are about the size of the baby carrots you get in the store. The broccoli is doing it's own thing. I don't know if we will get anything from them before they are claimed by the heat. We'll have to wait an see.

Seedless water melon.... We can not wait until these start to produce.

Things are doing well so far. We had a little dry spell but hopefully the rain from earlier in the week corrected that.

Photo Friday - Backyard Babysitting

2010-05-14T21:00:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy week in the backyard. There's been lots of new life showing up this week. A pack of chickadees took turns inspecting all of the feeders. Several robins have spent the week testing out their wings in the safety of the back yard. The baby doves in the crape myrtle tree are getting so big they don't leave room for the adults. The yard is full of new sounds and lots of activity.

A chipping sparrow delivering lunch to one of it's chicksWaiting patiently for the next delivery

A newly fledged cardinal, waiting quietly in a tree

Hopefully this weekend will be a good opportunity to relax in the hammock and enjoy all the new life that calls our backyard home.

Showing off

2010-05-13T18:44:00.003-04:00

How's my hair?

Am I beautiful? Don't answer that, of course I am.

How about from this side? Still lovely, right?

Seems a little breezy today...

Is there something on my head??

Photo Friday - Happy Garden Days

2010-05-07T19:51:00.003-04:00

We've had great garden weather this week. A little rain earlier in the week, then a few days of high 80's have been great for the garden.

The bush beans have really taken off. The cherry tomato in the back is holding it's own. Maybe in another week or so i will stop pinching off the blooms. The better boy tomato is well ahead of the beans in this bed. Looks like we are in store for another 7ft tall plant.
The salad bed is pretty full now. The lettuce up front got a hair cut a couple days ago. The cucumbers in the back are almost ready to start climbing the trellis. Hopefully the cucumbers wont shade the carrots too much. The broccoli is a little leggy and has we've seen a couple of worms, but so far it seems to be doing fine. Pepper bed number one. Yellow and red bell pepper in the back, long slim cayenne in the middle and in the front are Charleston hot cayennes. The Charleston hots are new arrivals.
The bed of fire. When we ordered the Charleston Hot cayennes, we got a few more fiery friends to go along with them. Here we have the cayennes, Devil's Tongue and Bhut Jolokia. For now the Bhut Jolokia hold the world record for the hottest chili and I can't wait to test it for myself.

I even convinced Brandy to let me make a new bed just for theses. It's great to have a spouse that loves spicy food as much as I do.

Berry good day

2010-05-07T19:32:00.003-04:00

Sweet treats are growing happily in the backyard. A good soaking rain last weekend and a week of high 80's has sent everything into overdrive. The birds will probably eat everything before we get a chance to sample, but they have to eat too right?

A golden kiwi raspberry surrounded by some strawberriesDuke blueberries, before the mockingbirds get them

Photo Friday - Feathers and Flowers

2010-04-30T20:08:00.005-04:00

Northern Cardinal ready for a bath

A loving male mourning dove, watching over his lady while she takes a drink

A rhododendron in full bloom

Rainbow sorbet, hybrid tea rose

Photo Friday - Leaving the Nest

2010-04-23T19:43:00.004-04:00

There's been lots of activity in the yard this week. Birds are busy building nests in every tree with a free branch. Doves, robins and catbirds all busy. The first brood of bluebirds left the nest this week.

I caught this male checking in one last time, almost as if he was telling the nestlings it was time to go.

The female is already working on nest #2 in another box across the yard.

Gotta make sure everything will fit...

There here......

2010-04-19T19:51:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday morning, as I was drinking my coffee on the deck, I heard a familiar buzzing sound that brought a smile to my face. The first hummingbirds of the year stopped by looking for the feeder.

Of course the feeder wasn't up, not did I have the camera. As the little female zipped off across the yard, I dashed inside to whip up a batch of sugar water. I happened to glance out the window and saw a little male inspecting one of the blueberry bushes. I grabbed the camera and snuck back outside to snap a couple of shots.

Photo Friday - What a week

2010-04-16T19:00:00.003-04:00

It's been a long week and I am grateful that it is over. A quick stroll around the yard, inspection of the flowers and a relaxing stretch in the hammock make everything else disappear.

Here's some end of the week relaxation....

Photo Friday - Brighten My Day

2010-04-09T19:12:00.003-04:00

A little something to brighten my day

Garden Days

2010-04-09T18:54:00.003-04:00

This week has been almost summer like. We had three inches of rain last weekend and temps in the upper 80s and low 90s all week. Everything in the yard is growing like crazy.

We took a gamble and planted the garden about two weeks early, hoping the last frost was behind us. So far, that gamble has paid off. Things are cooling off for the next few days, but not enough to be concerned about.

We are trying potatoes again. This time in a collapsible bin.

This is the salad bed. We have lettuce, broccoli, carrots and cucumbers in here.

The regular pepper bed. A couple of bell peppers and the rest are cayenne.
I would love to get a couple of bhut jolokia plants to add in.

Old faithful, cherry tomato. We also have some bush beans sprouting in the front.

And finally an heirloom tomato, again with a few bush beans up front.

Photo Friday - Spring is in the air

2010-04-02T21:08:00.004-04:00

... and so is pollen

The flowers are blooming, birds are singing and bees are buzzing.

Our red bud tree is in full bloom, and covered with a couple hundred bumble bees

The tulips are in various stages of bloom

Gotta love those cages we put put last fall

The voles didn't get a single bulb this year

Project FeederWatch - Week 20

2010-04-02T20:51:00.003-04:00

Project feeder watch only lasts another couple of weeks, but I normally keep track of the backyard activity off and on all year. With the weather getting warmer, I get to enjoy my morning coffee on the deck listening to the chorus of wonderful bird songs.

March 27-28, 2010

Mourning Dove	4
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	3
Northern Mockingbird	2
Yellow-rumped Warbler	3
Chipping Sparrow	2
White-throated Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	3
Northern Cardinal	1
Common Grackle	10
House Finch	4
American Goldfinch	2

Photo Friday - Hold in to your blooms

2010-03-26T21:01:00.003-04:00

Just when we thought spring was in full swing, mother nature throw us a curve ball. The past two week we've had temperatures in the mid 60's to low 70's, but this weekend things are dropping down to around freezing. We haven't set out any plants yet, but there are a few things around the yard that are blooming that might get stunted by this little cold snap.

Hopefully this will be the last of old man winter and warmer days will return soon.... for good!

It looks like our vermin cages kept the voles away from the bulbs.

A few hyacinth are blooming... they are pretty, but the stink.

The strawberries and raspberry are growing quite well.

Project FeederWatch - Week 18 & 19

2010-03-24T20:15:00.003-04:00

We've had some beautiful weather the last couple of weekends. As things are warming up, the backyard activity is changing as some of our feathery friends are beginning migration. The winds of change are blowing.

It would be nice if this stuff was easier to get to...

March 13-14, 2010

Mourning Dove	4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Brown-headed Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	3
Eastern Bluebird	2
Northern Mockingbird	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	2
Chipping Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	6
Northern Cardinal	1
Common Grackle	6
House Finch	4
House Sparrow	2

Mmm, this stuff isn't too bad...

March 20-21, 2010

Mourning Dove	4
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Carolina Wren	1
American Robin	4
Northern Mockingbird	2
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	3
Common Grackle	8
House Finch	6
American Goldfinch	1

Just a little farther...almost got it...

Photo Friday - Topless and Lovin' It

2010-03-20T20:36:00.004-04:00

Yard work took up a good amount of time this week, so photo friday got postponed.
Today was the first day of spring and we couldn't ask for better weather. The highs were in the 60's this week and today we hit 78. Perfect weather for a little trip to the outer banks.

Sunrise over the ocean makes any day better...
This was the perfect day to take out our Tonka Toy....

A short hop to Manteo for a little stroll down the boardwalk...

All that walking made us tired... It was time to sit and rest a while...

By now the temps were already low 70's, so we decided it was time to got topless!!!

Who doesn't love going topless at the beach??

Photo Friday - Take out menu

2010-03-12T19:52:00.004-05:00

Spring is just around the corner and the birds are a wonderful reminder. The robins and cardinals begin their chorus around 5:00 am, the warblers start around sunrise and all the others take their turns through out the day.

The mockingbirds, not to be outdone by any of the others, find the highest perch available and belt out a symphony of calls that is mind boggling. They mimic every other bird in the yard as well as sirens, horns and just about any other sound they hear. We have one that seems to have taken a liking to the top of our chimney for his daily serenade. The echo coming down is pretty loud. He does stop occasionally to grab a bite to eat, but it is definitely fast food.

Two scoops of peanut butter crumble and a drink of water... to go please

Even Fuzzy seems to be in a hurry these days. She fills up on shelled peanuts and sunflowers, but she still buries half of the peanuts through out the yard. Maybe it's just in case we have a cold snap.

Thanks for shelling these, it taks so much time and it just ruins my nails....

I know just the spot for this one... be right back...

Project FeederWatch - Week 17

2010-03-11T17:58:00.003-05:00

The weather is definitely improving and the birds seem to like it as much as I do. This past weekend was absolutely beautiful with highs reaching almost 70. I was nice to be able to sit out on the deck and enjoy the morning bird song serenade.

I think I need to crack the shell open before I try to swallow this...

97, 98, 99.... I am missing a hole somewhere.....

March 6-7, 2010

Mourning Dove	2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Blue Jay	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	2
Brown-headed Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	2
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	4
Northern Mockingbird	2
Brown Thrasher	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	6
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	4
Northern Cardinal	2
Common Grackle	6
House Finch	4

Photo Friday - It's Alive!!!!

2010-03-06T05:48:00.004-05:00

It's been about two weeks since we started our vegetable seeds and things are looking good so far. We tried the wet paper towel in a baggy method and I have to say I am very pleased with the results. Everything except maybe 3 or 4 seeds germinated and have been moved into small pots until we re ready to use them. That's pretty exciting since we've never had any luck with starting seeds indoors before.

We still have about a month to go before we are safe from frost, but I might try to plant a few things outside before April and use some mini hoop houses over the beds to keep them safe on nights that might freeze.

From left to right we have cucumbers, a bell pepper mix, cayenne pepper, better boy tomato, cherry tomato and bush beans.
Some of the seedlings will get thinned out since we have two or three per pot. Some will go in the ground as is, like the cucumbers and beans. The beans have already grown a foot high, much faster than we were expecting. We might have to try those again by starting those seeds outside about a week before we transplant everything else.
One good thing about all this is that if all of our seedling die, we still have plenty of time to visit the nurseries and pick up replacements.

Project FeederWatch - Week 15 & 16

2010-03-06T05:33:00.005-05:00

One day it's warm, the next it is snowing... the poor birds don't know what is going on. The number or Robins and Grackles is increasing so spring and warmer weather has to be close.

All of these new visitors hasn't gone unnoticed by the neighborhood Sharp Shinned Hawk. He has been by three days over the past week.

This little yellow rump was enjoying a little high energy snack during our latest snow

February 27-28, 2010

Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Mourning Dove	4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Brown-headed Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	2
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	5
Northern Mockingbird	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	7
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	1
Common Grackle	9
House Finch	6
American Goldfinch	1

A red bellied woodpecker stopped in for a little snack

February 20-21, 2010

Mourning Dove	3
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	3
Northern Mockingbird	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	5
Chipping Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	2
Common Grackle	7
House Finch	6

Photo Friday - A little taste of Spring

2010-02-26T20:08:00.004-05:00

It's still winter, but spring is right around the corner and the flowers know it.....

Project FeederWatch - Week 14

2010-02-26T19:46:00.004-05:00

Feeder activity picked up a little for this period. The snow probably had something to do with it but I'm not complaining. The robins are starting to show up in larger numbers, unfortunately so are the grackles.

This sapsucker is trying to get the last few crumbs of peanut butter crumble

The neighborhood Sharpy keeping an eye out for an afternoon snack

February 13-14, 2010

Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Mourning Dove	3
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	3
American Robin	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	5
White-throated Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	1
Common Grackle	12
House Finch	5
American Goldfinch	7
House Sparrow	2

Photo Friday - Hopes and Dreams

2010-02-19T19:21:00.004-05:00

All of the recent cold weather and snow has me going stir crazy and wishing for spring. I need to get outside and play in the dirt. To help easy my dirt cravings, I thought we could try starting our veggies from seed this year.

We tried this once a few years ago and didn't have much luck. I either watered too much or not enough and we didn't have very many seeds germinate. This time, we are trying a different approach by using the paper towel method. We started a few packs of seed at the beginning of the week and wow what a difference.

All of the cucumbers and beans have germinated and have been moved to a seed starting green house. About half of the watermelon seeds have sprouted little roots. but we will give them a couple more days before moving them to the started tray.

The tomatoes and peppers are taking longer, but that is expected. I am guessing that by the end of next week everything that is going to germinate will have and we can get the seedlings in the starter trays.

This weekend we will plant some lettuce, carrots and broccoli in the garden and see what happens. At this point, I just need to get my "gardening fix".

Sunshine please

2010-02-17T19:06:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we had another snow event... thanks global warming.

This one was the kind I like... it started Friday night, lasted through about noon on Saturday and by Monday it was all gone. Brandy and I ventured out for a few minutes and had some childish fun. I am sure the neighbors thought we were nuts as we were running around the backyard throwing snowballs at each other.

We did manage to make a decent sized snowman.

Check out who's getting all colorful in preparation for spring...

Photo Friday - Keepin' warm

2010-02-12T20:41:00.003-05:00

It's kind of funny... we've had one of the coldest winters in several years and more snow in the last month than we've had in the last 10 years. Global warming huh??

So, what is there to do when it's snowing, sleeting and too cold to do anything else???

Find a dry spot and pig out!!

Much better than scrounging for seeds in the rain...

Back up dude... These peanuts are mine!!

If all else fails, stay inside and grab a cat nap...

Project FeederWatch - Week 13

2010-02-12T20:16:00.004-05:00

We had a few new visitors this past week during the snow storm... gold finches. They were mostly males but they were still sporting the dull winter colors. Soon that will begin to change, if this snow finally moves away and warmer temps roll in.

Patiently waiting at the feeder....

Come on guys, it's cold...

I thought it was supposed to be warm in the south...

February 6-7, 2010

Mourning Dove	3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Blue Jay	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Carolina Wren	2
American Robin	2
Yellow-rumped Warbler	5
Chipping Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	7
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	4
American Goldfinch	5

Photo Friday - Snow, snow, go away...

2010-02-05T18:37:00.004-05:00

The birds were happy to see the snow start to melt so they could get back to all the feeders. They are still scratching around on the snow left on the ground, but hopefully in a couple of days it will be all gone.

Mmmm... got any jelly to go with this peanut butter?

Come on, hurry up already... It's cold out here and I am hungry...

Finally, time for some yummy peanut butter suet...

... and it's all MINE!!!!!!!

Project FeederWatch - Week 12

2010-02-05T17:42:00.003-05:00

About the only good thing from last weekends snow was an increase in the backyard bird activity. We had to refill the feeders 3 times to keep up with all of the activity.

A little yellow rump warbler filling up on peanut butter suet...

A few Juncos, a White Throated Sparrow and a Cardinal cleaning up the fallen seed...

This poor Junco was fighting the falling sleet while he cleaned out the last of the suet...

A little cardinal eating all the sunflower seeds he could find...

Jan 30-31, 2010

Mourning Dove	4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Blue Jay	2
American Crow	3
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	2
Brown Thrasher	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	4
White-throated Sparrow	4
Dark-eyed Junco	11
Northern Cardinal	3
Common Grackle	2
Brown-headed Cowbird	6
House Finch	8

Snow Bunny

2010-01-30T16:19:00.003-05:00

The weather man finally got it right, we actually got some snow. The amount predicted was a little off, but snow is snow right? It started snowing last night around 7pm, turned to mostly sleet around 3am and has been mostly sleet all day.

The feeders got refilled early this morning and have been packed all day. It has been pretty cold, so all the visitors are doing their best to stay warm.

This dove looks more like a big puff of feathers than a bird.

Not really a snow bunny, but still pretty cute.

The shelter is coming in handy

Photo Friday - Cold Night Ahead

2010-01-29T18:42:00.005-05:00

These little fellows must have known what was coming because they were filling up while they could. The snow. sleet and ice should be arriving later tonight and last most of the day tomorrow.

We probably won't leave the house this weekend, so I have no excuse not to keep the feeders stocked so our little feathered friends have something to eat.

Project FeederWatch - Week 10 & 11

2010-01-28T18:47:00.002-05:00

What a roller coaster of weather we've had. Last weekend temps reached 70, this week they have been ion the 60's and tomorrow we have a snow warning. The poor birds don't know what is going on. I'll fill up the feeders before the arrival of any snow or ice so our feathered friends will have plenty to eat.

Jan 16 - 17, 2010

Mourning Dove	2
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	1
American Robin	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	2
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	4
Northern Cardinal	3
House Finch	5
House Sparrow	4

Jan 23 - 24

Mourning Dove	1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Blue Jay	1
American Crow	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Carolina Wren	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	3
Chipping Sparrow	3
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	6
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	4
House Sparrow	3

Photo Friday - Special Recognition

2010-01-22T19:02:00.005-05:00

Love them or hate them, squirrels are a common backyard visitor and they are quite entertaining. Millions of dollars are spent every year on ways to keep them out of bird feeders and most of that money is wasted .Very few people are able to out smart a hungry squirrel. The easiest solution is to give the squirrels their own feeders and just enjoy watching them.

In honor of squirrel appreciation day, I thought a tribute to Fuzzy would be appropriate.

When is the massage supposed to start, I have places to go...

Crack those things faster man, I'm hungry...

Pssst, do you remember where I buried those peanuts? I can't find them anywhere...

Photo Friday - New Dinning Hall

2010-01-15T20:29:00.003-05:00

I finally put the new platform feeder out this week and our feathered friends have slowly begun to stop by and check out the new digs. So far I am happy with it, it provides some protection from the rain and the local Sharpy.

Not bad mister... Now we have somewhere to eat when it is raining..

Very roomy... I'll have to invite some friends over this weekend..

Project FeederWatch - Week 8 & 9

2010-01-13T18:46:00.003-05:00

The last of the new feeders is finally up. I got a covered fly through type feeder to replace the homemade platform feeder that I was using. I wanted something that could protect the seed from the rain but still allow larger birds and Fuzzy the squirrel to get in and eat. This thing is almost 2 ft long and a 1 1/12 ft wide. We'll see how the birds like it.

Things picked up at the feeder this past weekend. It was finally sunny so I guess all the birds were looking for something to eat. A Sharpy was one of those visitors, but he didn't stay long.

Jan 2-3, 2010

Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Blue Jay	1
American Crow	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
Yellow-rumped Warbler	3
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	4
Northern Cardinal	1
House Finch	5
House Sparrow	4

Jan 9-10, 2010

Blue Jay	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	2
Carolina Wren	2
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	1
Chipping Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	10
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	7
House Sparrow	10

New Toys

2010-01-08T19:07:00.002-05:00

Well, I have finally gotten around to putting out some of my Christmas gifts. I figured since I got a couple of new feeders, I should get a new pole for them. I ordered one of the Gardman feeder stations and so far I love it. It has hangers to hold four feeders, a water dish, a mesh tray and a hook for fruit. It took longer to fill all of the feeders on this thing than it did to put it together.

The temps haven't been above freezing so the water dish is frozen solid.
This little fellow seems to like the variety of food available at this feeding station. We will switch out different foods at this station until we get a combination that works best.
I have one more feeder, a Bird Choice large fly through feeder. That will replace the platform feeder that we currently have. I just have to brave the cold and put the thing up.

Photo Friday - Special Dinner Treat

2010-01-08T18:43:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to putting out one of the seed treats I received at Christmas.
So far it seems like like the backyard residents approve.

Hey mister, what did you say was in this thing?

I kinda like these peanuts and raisins. You don't mind if I have a little more do you?

Geeez, that crazy squirrel almost ate the whole thing.

Project FeederWatch - Week 7

2010-01-01T16:59:00.002-05:00

I didn't spend allot of time on this weeks count, I was too busy enjoying the holidays and all my new toys. Hopefully next week will be a little more productive.

Dec 26-27, 2009

Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	2
Carolina Wren	1
Chipping Sparrow	3
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	4
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	4
House Sparrow	5

Photo Friday - New Year Surprise

2010-01-01T16:50:00.003-05:00

It looks like the neighborhood Sharp Shinned Hawk started his new year with a full stomach.

Photo Friday - Holiday Edition

2009-12-25T14:03:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!!

Cute Little Sucker

2009-12-23T18:43:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we had a visit from the first yellow Bellied Sapsucker this winter. A Downy woodpecker showed up the next day, but I didn't have the camera handy. The red Bellied woodpeckers should be showing up soon. I'll keep the peanut butter suet ready for any new visitors.

96, 97, 98.... I know I can put two more in here somewhere.

Ugh.... almost there. I know I can reach it...

Project FeederWatch - Week 6

2009-12-23T18:17:00.005-05:00

Lately it seems to rain on almost all of my count days. The numbers were pretty steady this week. We did see an increase in the Juncos and the first Yellow Bellied Sapsucker showed up. The house sparrows are starting to get more numerous as well.

Dec 19-20, 2009

Mourning Dove	2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Carolina Chickadee	2
Tufted Titmouse	2
Carolina Wren	2
Eastern Bluebird	2
Northern Mockingbird	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	1
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	12
Northern Cardinal	3
House Finch	6
House Sparrow	8

Photo Friday - Where's the snow???

2009-12-18T17:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, the weather forecast called for snow/sleet/rain today and tomorrow. The snow moved into the western part of the state early in the day and slowly made it's way toward us. Around 1:00pm, we have about two minutes or barely visible flurries. That's it....
But I am sure the grocery stores still sold out of milk and bread

Hey mister, where did all the snow go?

Project FeederWatch - Week 5

2009-12-17T17:49:00.003-05:00

There wasn't a big change at the feeder this past week. A few more house sparrows showed up and they have been here all week. I am guessing the rain played some part in the low numbers because while the sun was out today, the yard was bustling with feathery friends.

Dec 12-13, 2009

Mourning Dove	2
Blue Jay	1
American Crow	1
Carolina Chickadee	2
Tufted Titmouse	2
Carolina Wren	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	1
Chipping Sparrow	3
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	3
House Sparrow	5

Where is my umbrella

2009-12-17T17:26:00.003-05:00

With all of the rain we have been getting lately, you would thing we are in Seattle. Any rain deficit we may have had is long gone sine we've gotten about 8 inches of rain over the last six weeks.

Today was dry, but now rain/snow/sleet is on the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday. Great things to look forward to since the entire state of North Carolina comes to a screeching halt with as little as 1/2 inch of snow. JOY!!!

I am not the only one that is tired of the rain.
Poor little Fuzzy had to use her own tail as an umbrella while she snacked on some sunflower seeds.

Project FeederWatch - Week 4

2009-12-12T06:30:00.003-05:00

The count was very low for this one. It rained all day on the 5th and it was pretty cold both days. Things have picked up this week though. We did have a visit from a Sharp Shinned Hawk one day. It was in hot pursuit of a dove, but never made the catch. At least not in our yard.

I really dislike the winter months. It is dark out side when i leave in the morning for work and it gets dark right as I am getting home. The weekends are the only time I get to try and enjoy being outside. That is also the only time I get for any backyard photography. It just isn't fair. I'll deal with it because I have no choice, but spring time can't get here soon enough for me.

Dec 5-6, 2009

Mourning Dove	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
Yellow-rumped Warbler	2
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	1

With the weather staying colder, the suet feeders are getting lots of traffic.

Photo Friday - Feline Edition

2009-12-11T18:58:00.004-05:00

Princess Sabrina, posing for a snapshot....

"Be sure to get one from my good side"

Project FeederWatch - Week 3

2009-12-11T17:46:00.002-05:00

Nov 28-29, 2009

Mourning Dove	4
Blue Jay	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	3
White-throated Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	2
Common Grackle	1
House Finch	2

Photo Friday - Holiday Cheer

2009-12-04T20:56:00.005-05:00

Since it is already December and our weather forecast is calling for possible flurries tomorrow, I thought it would be fitting to share a little holiday cheer.

A little Christmas village on the hutch...

The tree, stretching out in the corner

Dinner Guest

2009-12-01T17:41:00.002-05:00

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times

Our little friend Fuzzy stopped by this past weekend to say hi and see what kind of yummies we had to offer.
She cleaned out all of the peanut butter suet, then gave those pitiful squirrel eyes until she got a handful of peanuts. man, I am a sucker for any animal that comes in the yard.

nmm nmm....you let the birds eat this stuff... Are you crazy?

Just because you brought me peanuts doesn't mean I will forget about the bird dish mister

Project FeederWatch - Week 2

2009-11-28T19:15:00.005-05:00

We saw pretty much the same species for this count as the first. The Junco numbers increased, but that was expected. They will continue to go up through December, as will the yellow rumps and White throats.

Nov 21-22, 2009

Mourning Dove	2
American Crow	1
Carolina Chickadee	2
Tufted Titmouse	2
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	5
Yellow-rumped Warbler	2
White-throated Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	12
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	5
House Sparrow	1

Photo Friday - Fat and Happy

2009-11-27T19:24:00.004-05:00

Our feathered friends enjoy a good meal as well as the rest of us.

Some have to wait in line to get the goodies. Black Friday for birds I guess.

Photo Friday - Winter lodging

2009-11-20T17:28:00.003-05:00

We have seen some weird activity in the backyard lately. A pair of bluebirds have been inspecting one of the nest boxes for the last few days. Today, I saw them bringing in nest material.

I hope they are setting up a winter house and not confused by the warm and cold weather cycles.

This little fellow isn't worried about winter housing, he is having too much fun with the peanut butter treats.

Project FeederWatch - Week 1

2009-11-20T17:03:00.005-05:00

This years Project Feeder Watch began on November 14th, and I was ready. It gives me a good excuse to do a little more backyard birdwatching and photography. I picked Saturday and Sunday as my count days and even though it was rainy and cold, we had a few visitors.

Nov 14-15, 2009

Mourning Dove	1
Blue Jay	1
Carolina Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
American Robin	2
Northern Mockingbird	2
Yellow-rumped Warbler	3
Chipping Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	4
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	4

Photo Friday

2009-11-13T16:35:00.003-05:00

A break in the clouds...

The remnants from Ida have finally cleared out, but not after dumping just shy of 6 inches of rain over the last 4 days. It is still pretty windy and cold, but at least thing can start drying out. It's supposed to be in the mid 60's on Saturday and mid 70's on Sunday.

A little fall color is a nice change after all the gloomy rain.The few leaves that are left probably won't be around long, so we have to enjoy it while we can.

Return of the Flashers

2009-11-09T18:25:00.003-05:00

For the past month , the wildlife activity in the yard has been pretty quiet. Allot of the regular summer residents have already begun their fall migration. The seed and nut producing plants seem to be providing abundant sources of food, so our little feathered friends don't need to visit our feeders right now.

About a week ago, we started to see a few Juncos. They are normally the first of the "cold weather" birds that we see every year. Then, this past weekend the flashers started showing up. At first there was only one or two, but by the end of the weekend there were at least a dozen of them throughout the yard. The yellow rump warblers are here!!!

These flashers like to prance around the yard, showing off in front of everyone. Sometimes they only give you a peek....When they have you looking, they show a little more...
Then they show the full monty...

Photo Friday - On the hunt...

2009-11-06T17:43:00.004-05:00

Spotted him on the prowl in one of the flower beds...

Here he is on the window, checking us out

Photo Friday - It's official

2009-10-30T17:45:00.003-04:00

Fall is here. I spotted the first pair of Juno's today so the cold weather must be on the way.They didn't waste any time finding the peanut butter snacks I left out.

Photo Friday - Spooky, spooky

2009-10-23T19:04:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year, so I thought I would take a stab at some pumpkin carving.
Stab... pumpkin carving... I couldn't resist.

Lights on...

Lights off...

So long summertime

2009-10-19T18:39:00.002-04:00

It is official, fall is here. The days have gotten much shorter, the leaves are changing colors and it is getting cold. Cold is a relative term, depending on what you are used to. Two weeks ago our temps were in the mid and upper 80's, the last few days they have been in the 40's and 50's. We are actually under a frost advisory tonight. I really don't like cold weather.

It seems the garden plants don't like the cold weather either. The tomatoes and cucumbers had all but dried up, but our beloved peppers were still hanging on. We made one last harvest, about 5 pounds of bell, hot wax and cayenne peppers, then pulled everything up. The beds are empty, but the compost bins are full. We decided not to plant any cold weather crops so the garden will have to wait patiently until spring.

With the arrival of fall we may not be able to do allot in the garden, but we have several flower beds that we can play in. We normally pull up all of the summer annuals, add a little compost, and fill in the bare spots with old faithful... pansies. Yea, they are common and simple, but they last all winter and don't require anything from me when the temps are in the teens.

Fall is also time to plant bulbs. Normally we may only plant a few bulbs to fill in spaces we didn't like during the summer. We have a few narcissus, some grape hyacinth, and lots of tulips. We planted several hundred tulip bulbs that we got from Roosengard a few years ago. They have the best bulbs and fresh cut tulips you can find. Side note, if can make it to Seattle in the spring, they have a tulip festival where you can tour the fields. It is amazing.

Anyway, we had several hundred bulbs... until last winter. Let me explain. In the summer, we normally get visited by a large number of June bugs. The June bugs make "friends" and lay eggs in the yard. The eggs hatch and within a month or so of the June bug arrival, then the yard is taken over with June bug larvae. The grubs come out for a few weeks to find the section of the yard they like, then burrow in for the winter. A good number provide juicy meals for the birds, but the majority camp out in our yard during the winter.

I don't have a problem with the grubs. They are a minor annoyance, but nothing more. They do however attracts moles. The moles are voracious insect eaters and will tunnel all through the yard in search of the fat little grubs. They do make the yard lumpy from their burrowing, but they don't seem to do much more damage. At least they aerate the yard. The biggest problem with the moles is that they make perfect tunnels for other animals, like voles.

Voles are cute little animals that look almost like mice. Then have a habit of burrowing in the mulch of flower beds and they use mole tunnels to travel. That can be a big problem when the moles have tunneled in a bed with bulbs because voles love to eat bulbs. Most people blame moles for disappearing bulbs, but more often than not voles are the culprits. In our case, I have caught several tunneling in our flower beds.

That was allot of rambling to lead into our problem. This past spring, we dug up a few of the tunnels to find over 100 tulip bulbs missing. I hope that little rats enjoyed them, because those are the only bulbs they will get. We ordered some replacement bulbs and it it time to get them in the ground, just one problem.... how do we protect them this winter? I give you the vole-en-ator.

Here is the first of several cages I am making to keep our little bulbs safe. I used hardware cloth with 1/2 inch openings, so this should keep out any critter that might want to make a snack out of our bulbs. I have a few more to make so this weekend we can get them in the ground with the new bulbs. Next spring we will find out if they worked. We will keep our fingers crossed.

Photo Friday - The Last Remnants of Summer

2009-10-17T01:16:00.003-04:00

Our wildflowers are holding on to the last bit of color in the yard, but you can tell they are fading quickly.
Like it or not, fall is here.

Photo Friday - Lazy Bum

2009-10-09T20:19:00.004-04:00

All tucked in, now time for a bed time story

Photo Friday - Little Nibbler

2009-10-02T19:46:00.004-04:00

Oooo... Is that corn you have there??

Oh yea.. sweet, yummy corn

Big Weekend - Finale

2009-09-29T19:36:00.003-04:00

Now, here is the real reason we made the trip to DC.....

Just like a big teddy bear

Big Weekend - Continued

2009-09-29T18:47:00.006-04:00

After seeing the white house, capitol, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson memorials, we visited some memorials that had a little more meaning to me. If you don't stand behind the troops, feel free to stand in front of them.

This statue stands guard over the Vietnam wall, a very sobering reminder of how many people didn't make it home.
Korea war memorial

A small part of the new WWII memorial
You can't go to Arlington cemetery without seeing the marine corp memorialAnd tomb of the unknown soldier

Big Weekend

2009-09-29T18:18:00.004-04:00

We were bored, nothing was on TV and we wanted to get out of town... so we decided to take a weekend vacation to our nations capitol. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive, that turned into 4 hours after missing our turn and making a few laps around the pentagon. I really hate interstate exits on the left side.

We were able to see the big house. No one answered when we rang the door bell though.

And the building where the big decisions are supposed to be made.
This one kinda looks like a library from a distance. We didn't see any books there.
The really big guy in the chair was kinda cool. Lots of people came to see him.
And then there was the tall, pointy building. Kind of like a light house, without the light.

Photo Friday - Monday Late Edition

2009-09-28T19:23:00.005-04:00

Photo Friday is late because we were out of town this weekend. More on that later....

Hey buddy, you finished yet?

Oh yea, all mine!

I don't think I can eat all of this...

Maybe I'll come back later..

Wildlife Wednesday

2009-09-23T18:24:00.002-04:00

Little Hunter

We had a new visitor in our yard the other day, a loggerhead shrike

It's snack time...So many grub worms, so little time...

Photo Friday - Anniversary Edition

2009-09-18T19:07:00.003-04:00

10 years ago this week, eastern North Carolina experienced the worst natural disaster in it's history. Having already seen three hurricanes that season, another fairly week category 2 storm wasn't much of a concern... or so everyone thought.

The previous hurricanes had dumped about a foot of rain over a several week period. What no one could predict was that this little category 2 would dump another foot and a half of rain over night. When the storm passed and daylight broke, this is what I woke up to.

Some of the neighbors had seen enough and are hitching a ride to higher ground. Good thing because about 5 hours later, water was in the second floor apartments.

Those of us that were still at the apartments were taking bets on which car would be the last to disappear. You can still see the tip of a van in the distance.

After getting out of the military, this was my first apartment and I had only been there about 6 months.

I was lucky, the water never made it to my apartment. My car along with every other vehicle in the parking lot stayed underwater for almost three days. All of the ground level apartments and about half of the upper level ones got flooded. They eventually leveled the entire complex along with several hundred houses in my town. There are lots of empty areas and vacant lots where houses and neighborhoods once stood.

It took a long time for the area to recover and get back to normal. People rebuilt, businesses reopened, slowly but surely life continued. Anyone that lived through hurricane Floyd will remember it forever because we will always carry the scars.

Photo Friday - Just a little cat nap

2009-09-11T19:14:00.003-04:00

Her highness, princess Sabrina

Miss curiosity, Samantha

The little angel with horns, Zoe