pear pals

The hard green pears are falling from the tree, assisted by the squirrels and raccoons that can't wait for them to ripen. Never soft flesh, but tasty, crunchy and sweet when ripe-- In the past we sliced them and made pear cobblers or pear pies--doesn't look like many will make it that far this year.

stormy skies

rain pouring off roof


Last evening a "cold" front came thundering through clashing with the hot humid air mass that had been over us for days. A wild electrical storm flashed and boomed around us for hours seeming to strike things very near repeatedly. One bolt rocked the house and later we found the satellite receiver was fried and one of the wired house phone transformers was split. I have walked outdoors looking for any object that may have been struck--no tree, no post, nothing obvious--just the damaged electric devices in the house. I had unplugged various computers and the internet satellite--and so they are ok.

There was a good amount of needed rain and some wind that blew part of one the live oaks down. It was one of the double trunked ones that often split as they get older. We lost power for an hour, but I am grateful that it was possible to have it returned so soon after such a powerful storm.

picking peppers

After planting them on a cold rainy day and watering them through many dry weeks, we are finally picking peppers. As always, we planted too many--jalapenos, anchos, poblanos, and some I don't recognize--those grown in our soil are usually full of fire and one or two would be enough--now we have bags of them! Fiery jewels--they are beautiful to look at and fun to grow.

berry picking

While picking blueberries this morning we were serenaded by a summer tanager. His song had been absent so far from the spring musicals, and I was glad to hear him on the place.
He moved overhead, but stayed out of sight.




Later he swooped down into easy view and I was able to get a snapshot of him singing--it turns out he was waiting for his turn to eat blueberries.

Later we found a patch of blackberries that was ripening and picked enough for a cobbler. Two kinds of berries-- but I think we'll do the blackberries tonight. It has been a long time since there has even been a cupful ripened on the place. We are not certain why there have been so few--deer may eat the young shoots, the drought has stunted the vines...or?--but the bushes have sprung up vigorously in recent weeks---and I have not seen a deer in a while...



We barbecue tonight--have homemade potato salad, and garlic bread--later a blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream---a nice start to summer!

killdeer family

The killdeer family was skittering around the drive when we came through this afternoon. There had been a heavy shower earlier, and they all seem to have fared well. Now we need them to escape crows, owls, and wandering "hound" dogs. Gosh, they are so cute--they are all doing a teetering or dipping motion and making little calls to their mother.

fuzzy "rocks"

After weeks of detouring around the nest in the drive, we were rewarded with killdeer hatchlings. Round, fuzzy balls that match the rocks in the road so well that it is difficult to focus
the camera on the correct spot. The parents tried to lure us down the road away from the young--and one parent eventually hovered protectively over them. They are nestled closely together and not moving about--I will try to get more photos when they begin to walk. We have tried not to attract attention to them because I have seen crows flying over this week with young birds that they have stolen from nests.

The garden is coming along nicely after some rain the last two days, and we picked blueberries for the first time this morning. Squash will be on the menu tonight--we picked some very young tender ones for two days now--the tomatoes are still a long way from ripening.

blogging from the swing

We placed a new swing under our live oak. The shade is deep, and because we are on a hilltop there is usually a breeze. The view is of rolling hills and cows grazing in green pastures. Usually there is a blue grosbeak singing along a fencerow--sometimes a painted bunting. Nesting birds are in shrubs and trees all around.

I hung a small windchime from a suppport beam, and the soft notes sing in the wind.

Pots of bright impatiens and petunias glow in the shade, and I have added a jasmine and gardenia for scent. Nectar plants for hummingbirds are next.

My husband has his cell phone and business materials on a table next to the swing and is conducting business from there while he trims trees on the fence row.

My wireless laptop seems to be connecting, and I am writing this from my swing many yards from the house---ahhhh--sweet technology.

late spring

Things move fast in the bird world--I was surprised to find that the cardinal young had already left the nest day before yesterday--they came to the low shrubs that line the front of the house, and I was able to watch them for a while from the window. They look so strange with no tail and gawky legs.

Two bluebird nests have fledged from the houses I hung from pecan trees, and a third house had a successful chickadee nest. The Carolina Wrens have carried what seems like a bale of hay into a potted plant on the baker's rack as they construct their covered nest.

Martins are still busy feeding their young, but were interrupted for awhile this morning by the passover of a Cooper's Hawk which they ganged up on and chased out of sight. Many years ago before I had the plastic super gourds, a Cooper's Hawk landed on the aluminum house and cleaned out the babies from the apartments as they were about to fledge. I hope the gourds are more difficult for them to access--I have heard the owls in the garden at night this week. They like martin babies, too, and perhaps little unwary bunnies. I have not seen the bunny today, but there is also an enourmous yellow lab/greyhound dog that has taken up residence here the last few days, and nothing we have done has managed to make it leave--maybe it likes the taste of rabbit?

The hummingbird numbers are up and so I hung a few more feeders out for them. However, the yard is planted with nectar flowers that they love, so they are not really dependent upon the feeders.

shades of green

A very dry spring was rescued by drenching rains last night and today--over 4 inches! The ponds have come up and the trees are washed clean of pollen, dust and bird poop. Blueberries and blackberries can ripen, and I don't have to rotate 4 or 5 hoses around all day trying to keep things alive--at least for a few days. The rose blooms were beaten to pieces, and the leaves will probably turn all blackspot and fall off (I have a chemical free rose bed), but it will be worth it to see things green up in the countryside.

The killdeer nest survived the rough night--the 4 eggs were still there when we detoured around them, and the cardinal is still bringing food to her young. The bunny was in the yard, but probably flooded out of his spot under the deck--there are lots of good hiding places under shrubs.

The heavy rains greened the resurrection ferns that cover the limbs of the live oaks that shade our yard and home. It is easy to forget they are there since they are usually shriveled and brown between showers--and it's been a long time without rain.

A picture from this morning during a break in the downfall when the rising sun filled the space under the oaks with a golden glow --then it was back to another 2.5 inches of torrents.

bunny tales

A few weeks ago we noticed a tiny young rabbit nibbling grass in the garden. I ran to get the camera hoping we could sneak a few photos before he disappeared and was happy to get a few closeups.

The bunny was not going to be a one time appearance, though. He continues to move about the garden munching on clover and paying no heed to us. Sometimes it is difficult to keep from stepping on him. I still take photos of him, thinking that any time he will disappear --eaten by a hawk or owl. He seems to feed the most in day light hours when activity in the yard is heaviest, and maybe that is his protection from predators.

The aging dog, nearly blind and deaf, pays no attention to the rabbit, nor it to the dog. Not good for a tasty morsel that needs to be wary of canines in a location named Coyote Oaks and spiced with fox dens.

The adventure continues and my camera is filled with bunny photos and films. By the way, rabbits really seem to enjoy clover blooms.

roses

Today is my husband's birthday, and we found a perfect bloom for his celebration. Beautiful in form and color, but a photo cannot convey the wonderful fragrance of his favorite rose--Crimson Glory.





Another rose which has had countless blossoms this spring has been Perle d'Or--not as fragrant, but much more generous with its flowers.

nests

Cardinals are ever present in our garden--summer and winter. A pair has decided to nest in the rose bush beside our door---the door we use all day. So far they seem unaffected by our constant movement as we do our chores, and today when I peeked into the nest I found that one of the eggs had hatched. Not the best photo, but I have tried not to disturb them too much.




The killdeer pair have returned to our drive after an absence last year. We were surprised to find 4 eggs this time--the largest clutch so far. We have placed markers on the road and hope various delivery persons will take the hint and go around them

a few birdy days

Inca Dove

It is the peak of the spring migration season for birds, and there have been some nice ones passing through. A vibrant, fiery male Baltimore Oriole came through early this morning. It has been some years since they nested here. Long ago I would put little lengths of string on the clothesline and watch the female snatch them up for her nest. Sometimes the nest would dangle over the yard from a downward hanging branch on one of the live oaks. Orchard Orioles have been feeding on the coral honeysuckle in the garden, and one spent part of the day challenging the rival he saw reflected in the sliding door window.

Yesterday we had an Inca Dove (western bird rarely seen here) visit the tilled garden for a dust bath, and I heard Summer Tanager calling from the woods.


This evening the grand event was 50-100 Mississippi Kites that burst across the sky at about 5:50 pm. It happened so fast that there was scarcely time to say "look up!". One group was lower and kettling, and the following birds were at a higher altitude and spread out across the sky. They were out of sight before a proper count could be taken.

Every day holds bird surprises during spring migration.

passalong plants

While working in the garden this morning I thought about the number of plants that were passalongs -- plants given to me as cuttings or for other reasons. Some of these have been with me for more than 30 years.

Two came from my parents who passed away almost 30 years ago...

rabbit tracks, grand duke jasmine--



" the grand duke"

a rose which has been passed down from my paternal grandmother--she gave my mom the first piece, mom passed it on to my brother, he gave it to me when he divorced and moved into an apartment--this plant or a piece of it has been in the family for more than 60 years--I call it the Dodie rose in honor of my grandmother--wish I knew how she came by it


"the Dodie rose"


an aloe from my mother-in-law and a "Fairy Rose" bush from my sister-in-law--

all sorts of plants given to me by my students through my more than 40 years of teaching--

a few cacti brought to me by one of my sons from a field trip out west--

an African violet that the other son gave to me to rescue--and which has been resurrected more than once--

and all sorts of snippets and starters from along the way--

my husband has brought many little pieces home given to him by various people and they have been nurtured like all the others.

I love working amongst them all--giving a thought to each person or occasion that brought them into my garden.

fox den

My neighbor reported this fox den to us. We were amazed to find such a large excavation right beside a state highway. He has seen the young sitting near the entrance---hope to get a chance to see them soon. We caught a glimpse of an adult crossing the road near our home recently.

double treat

I chased from window to window trying to get a photo of the indigo buntings that arrived with the rain---sometimes 4 or 5 visible at a time---but suddenly a painted bunting flew into the frame and then an indigo--and I got the double treat!

planting in the rain

A big surprise--rain! We had attempted to turn the rock hard soil in the garden yesterday hoping that we could plant a few peppers, squash and eggplant, so we were happy and not daunted when it began to rain lightly early this morning softening the ground a bit and adding some moisture. We rushed out to finish rototilling, and I began to dig holes for the peppers. By the time we finished we were soaking wet---but all the plants were in the ground.

Last evening I had planted the tomatoes in bales--a technique we have used with success to avoid a wilt virus that we have not been able to eradicate from our garden and which wipes out the plants about the time they are loaded with ripening fruit.

Retreating indoors we watched the rain fall softly while we sipped tea by the dining room window and were delighted to see the arrival of indigo buntings to our yard!--

what an electric blue!--so far they have been too shy for me to capture a photo--but I am still trying.

no freeze

The big "Easter Snap" came, and I am thankful that it wasn't as cold as predicted--37 with sleet all night, but no hard freeze in the 20's. It has been reported that many fruit blooms and newly sprouted crops were lost throughout the south and east, but we were spared major damage. It is a good thing because the continuing drought is affecting the growing things enough already.

On my walk this morning, I heard great crested flycatchers and yellow throated vireos, but not much else in the way of returning birdlife. Some of the singing kinglets and chipping sparrows are still here.

Killdeer are missing from the landscape. They would nest in our rocky driveway, and I could always hear them at the ponds or in pastures--a result of the droughty spring?

During the cold windy weather last weekend we had an increase of hummers at the feeders, and an unexpected surprise was a group of orchard orioles that came to eat honeysuckle blooms. I was able to get a few photos, but they were in constant motion.

Today, after walking 5 laps, I began to bring the plants back out from the greenhouse and from under the tarps, put some tomato plants in bales, and planted various perennials I had bought for butterflies and hummingbirds. We also rototilled the vegetable garden, and in a few minutes I am going to place a few pepper plants in the garden--more things for me to water!

good friday

Though I am not Catholic, I was raised in Catholic New Orleans, and my family always honored the tradition of eating fish on Good Friday. It was usually a seafood gumbo and fried speckled trout---the seafood was sometimes bought from vendors that sold fish from small trucks that cruised neighborhoods selling their catch of the day.

So yesterday we drove to Manchac and bought a few small crabs to combine with shrimp for a gumbo-- some catfish to fry--and we will keep the tradition going tonight.

My mom and dad also felt we should be quiet and thoughtful on this day--and if my memory serves me correctly, the movie theaters all closed on this night.

It is pleasantly cool this morning--in the 40's with a north wind--after a week that had temps in the mid 80's --old timers used to call this last blast of arctic the "Easter Snap"--and would knowingly nod--"Yes, we always have another cold front near Easter."
One forecast is for sleet on Easter morning--I sure hope they have that one wrong since I have already placed all my plants outdoors, and bought veggies for the garden.

Lots to do today--it is supposed to be good luck to plant the veggie garden on Good Friday--maybe we'll pass on that one.

thunderstorm

The sound of thunder seems almost strange. It has been so long since we had an actual shower that sprang up with black clouds and rumbles. We are in another droughty spring time, and I am having to water most days trying to keep bushes and trees from being permanently damaged.

When I was younger Louisiana winters and springs were wet. Coldfronts would come rushing through, and the warmer moist gulf air would collide with the cold arctic air and create regular downpours that made the ground soggy. Back then we would wish for a break so that we could turn the ground for a spring garden. Now we wish for rain to dampen the ground so that we can break the rock hard earth. Everytime we get a few showers I think the "old cycle" has returned, but thus far the dry winters and springs are continuing for us.

Now the hurricane "experts" are predicting another big hurricane season-----they did that last year and nothing came of it. I wish they would admit they can't predict anything. It is just more crying , "Wolf!". Weather is so variable, and with our changing climate no one knows what the new cycles are going to be---just get ready the best you can and prepare to leave if things get really bad.

So in the time it took for me to type this the shower has moved off, the rumbles are distant and not a drop of rain has fallen----just another false alarm----

turtle love

Box turtles are one of my favorite creatures--I really can't say why. Maybe it's their coloring--often bright orange, yellow or red---including their eyes--or maybe it's because they are so long lived --surviving for many decades in the same places. I've always rescued those I found on highways or busy roads and released them away from traffic. Many years ago I had a few in a large pen that came to me for strawberries and crushed snails--they were surprisingly observant and quick to learn.

In recent years they have become quite scarce, and we rarely see one crossing a road or on the place. So I was thrilled to find one in our shady pasture this morning--a lovely plump. colorful female. I took photos of her, and then released her back into the pasture hoping she stays safely on this place.

gone fishing

When I was a girl my dad would take us fishing often in the spring and summer. We lived in New Orleans and places to fish were everywhere. On the West Bank we would go to Lafitte or Grand Isle---later in Gentilly we would go to Lake Pontchartrain--or drive to the Rigolets or even the Mississippi coast.

It was nothing fancy or complicated. Early on it was cane poles, and later we had cheap rods and reels. We always brought crab nets, and if fishing was slow we usually had some crabs to bring home for boiling or gumbo.


The smell of the ocean, the sounds of sea birds and splash of water, the colors of sea and sky were feasts for the senses. Gazing at my fishing line wondering what was happening beneath the surface, the excitement of the big "tug" and trying to reel in the "big" fish were all part of the magic.

For me going fishing was truly about the journey and not necessarily what went home in the ice chest.

rose garden

About 8 years ago I became interested in old garden or antique roses. It became an obsession as new interests sometimes do with me. My quest for information began on the internet as I haunted a forum on old roses--and then it spread to books which I carried around with me. Eventually I acquired a few and placed them in a new bed on the north side of the house. It was fun collecting each one and learning its history. The rose bed snaked across the yard and I added various perennials and shrubs. What I didn't anticipate was the amount of work needed to keep it all going. I was still teaching at the time, and weeding, fertilizing, pruning, etc became an overwhelming chore. It was about then that climate change was becoming evident, and I realized we were in drought mode most of the time. I spent the spring, summer and even part of winter running hoses to keep the bushes alive.

When they bloomed they were stunning! And most of them were fragrant. I couldn't believe how wonderful it was to have them in the garden. The deer loved them, too. After about three years they began to pass through the yard and eat the tender leaves and buds until they had pruned them to sticks.

I tried various deterrents--nothing worked--so I had to admit defeat and retreated to a smaller rose garden in a more protected area. They still bloom beautifully and smell heavenly, but every time I see a photo of the big garden I grieve for that large expanse of color.

yellow rain

We had a shower yesterday--it was a small one --just a little over an inch, but it really made the grass turn green overnight. Some of the pollen washed out of the air making a yellow coating on the pond and giving us some allergy relief.

While trying to get a photograph of the pollen I heard a bird call from the other side of the pond--a sandpiper!--I was startled, tried for a picture--and got a quick one before he flew. It is distant and blurred--

update: maybe a lesser yellowlegs--gave a yu-yu call as it flew away--but leg color is not clear in this photo

old homesteads

Many years ago when we first moved to our place in the country there were still many old overgrown homesteads scattered across the countryside. On weekends we would hike to them and hunt for old bottles or other evidence of the former residents. One of these places was the "Rout Place", and the walk there seemed rather long because it was through fields and woods, and there were gates to open and close. The old pear tree stood witness to the old site. In our youthful enthusiasm we carried bags of green pears home only to find they were as hard as rocks and therefore too difficult to peel.
While walking this week I looked up to see the old pear tree in full bloom glowing across acres of pasture. The woods have been cut down, and suddenly the pear tree doesn't seem so far away. People have come and gone--houses rotted away--perimeters of pastures and places have moved back and forth--but the pear tree is still there stirring memories of long ago times and happy rambles through the woods and fields.

it looks like spring

The weeks have flown by since I posted on blogger. Spring has exploded onto the scene--trees are budding out, insects are buzzing in the yard and the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of the flowering sasanqua and winter honeysuckle. The last two mornings have been cold, though, and lows of 27 and 37 have nipped all the early blooms. My thoughts are turning to gardens and hummingbirds--

Small bluet flowers sparkle across the lawn--how can something so small make such a nice presence?--they float like a blue mist on the grass.

The martins have returned and gurgle overhead all day--happy music.....

timberdoodles

Large numbers of woodcock usually arrive in Louisiana in winter. I can often find evidence of them by searching for the small holes that they make in wet areas as they search for food. In recent years it has been difficult to find them because drought conditions in winter had left the ground hard and dry. Lost of woodland habitat is probably part of it too.

There have been some heavy winter rains lately, and the fields and bottom woodlands are moist.
So this morning I decided to check out the soaked bottom of the hill and was jolted backwards when 2 woodcock flushed from under my feet!! What a surprise..and what joy to know they are back!

Now I will listen in evening and early morning for their booming displays and wonder if they could possibly nest in my very small damp woods.

deer on frosty morn

It's a love/hate relationship--they come across here every morning --lovely pieces of wildness drifting across like shadows in the dawn. Always a thrill to view them-- and on a frosty morning positively poetic, but the down side is that they have a taste for roses ..vegetables..fruits.. and ornamentals that I have nurtured through drought and hurricane.

These are does and their fawns..some born on the place..we have seen the spotted fawns hidden near brush piles and avoided them on our walks. The bucks are more secretive or maybe have already been thinned out by the hunters--we rarely see them.

pileated woodpecker?

I hear them calling across the place and catch glimpses of them as they fly away, but it is very difficult to sneak up on one and find them at work. Katrina and drought damaged trees are everywhere creating a pileated feast of grubs buried under the bark.

It must be tough to sight an ivory bill if they are as shy as their cousins.

a partial albino robin

Robins are present in good numbers this year searching for grubs and worms in the damp pastures. Yesterday flashes of white coloring caught my eye and closer inspection showed a robin with white wings and lighter coloring. I quickly snapped a few photos--something flew over and the flock flushed and was gone. I have not seen him since.

hermit thrush

While on my morning walk I heard a different bird call from the brush. It turned out to be a hermit thrush--a winter resident that has been absent here for the last few years. Usually I could find at least two on the place in the woods. It was great to see and hear one again!

White-throated sparrows have returned in big numbers again after being almost totally missing last year after Katrina and record breaking drought.

Update:3-7-07
The hermit thrush has become a regular morning visitor to the yard!--and is still showing up to feed in the gardens and under the windows. I took this photo (rather blurry) from the bedroom window this morning.

early morning

An early start this morning--4am, but it was a great morning to be up early because a small cool front had come through and dropped the dawn temperature to 66--pleasant after lows of 80 or so. Cooler temps usually means clear skies so I brought my coffee outdoors and drank it on the deck. Perhaps I would hear migrating birds or the coyotes might serenade, but it was unusually quiet.

The big bonus turned out to be falling stars or meteors. There were several nice ones that dropped out the sky while we waited for the sun. I have spent some exceptional mornings on my deck witnessing meteor showers, full moons, the passing of the space station, and the incredible gifts of Hyakatake and Hale-Bopp.

butterflies

Most of the things that I planted to attract hummingbirds are also favorites of butterflies. The small turk's cap attracts the sulphur colored butterflies that appear in late summer and early fall. It is neat to brush the plant and see the clouds of yellow butterflies fly up. They also love the cardinal flowers, vitex, mexican sunflowers, and salvias that are blooming throughout the yard.

One of the best butterfly magnets is the penta that I planted in pots on the patio. Watching the parade of swallowtails, gulf fritillaries, and monarchs while I wash dishes somehow takes some of the sting out of a boring task.

purple martins

First Arrival in February


Every spring the arrival of the purple martins is a big event for me. Most years they return in February with a big swoop and a lot of happy gurgling. The circle is closed and they are back with me for spring and part of summer. After the young leave the nest, the flock returns most days for flights around the place, and the sky is filled with their calls. But at about this time in July they finally quit the daily visit, and I have not seen them today although they were here yesterday. They are often seen roosting in larger flocks as they begin the "big gathering" for migration. It will seem quiet without them---however----a bluebird pair has already built a nest in one of the gourds.



Gathering to Depart

finally some rain!

This has been one of the driest May's on record-after an exceedingly dry fall, winter and spring. The hurricane ravaged vegetation has struggled to repair itself. I am amazed that the trees have managed to releaf with so little rain.

My lawn and garden have been watered almost everyday since late in the fall when it became obvious that rain was going to be scarce. This little shower popped up out of nowhere with not much lightning and a little wind. The rain gauge measured about .65".

manchac trip

When my husband said he had to make a trip to an equipment dealer in Kenner--on the western edge of New Orleans-- I jumped at the chance to ride along because most of the trip is through the Manchac Swamp. There is always a chance I might see bald eagles or ospreys. The damage done to the swamp still shocks me--fallen trees, thin vegetation and a wetland that is disappearing before my eyes. What used to seem a deep impenetrable wilderness is becoming more and more open swamp as the salt water intrusion causes the anchoring vegetation to die, and the trees topple in frequent and stronger hurricanes.
One of our favorite places to stop for a meal is Middendorf's . It is perched on the edge of the pass where water from Lake Pontchartrain meets with that of Lake Maurepas. Fried catfish is the specialty, but shrimp, crawfish, blue crabs and other gulf seafoods are all prepared here. Probably not a gourmet's delight, but hard to beat for local color and flavor. Though I usually pass on fried food, I always eat the fried catfish whenever we stop here.

hummingbirds return

Very windy most of the day yesterday-it flapped the loose tin on the barn and the plastic covering on the Katrina destroyed greenhouse. Dark skies for most of the day, but when the front finally blew through it brought little rain. However, the Ruby-throated hummingbirds rode in on the south wind, and at dusk last evening they were swooping at each other on the patio guarding the few potted flowering plants that I carried through the winter. Quickly, I scrounged for a hummingbird feeder and mixed a little nectar, and I was back in business watching and feeding hummers. It's great to have them back! It's hard not to smile when they buzz around while I work in my flowerbeds.