Hey everyone, it’s really hard to put into words how beautiful the wildflowers have been. And it’s almost a disservice to talk about them when they could be shown. Forgive me, I’ve left off the monarch butterfly and the hummingbird. I will need to make another video to showcase them.
I hope you enjoy this video and that wherever you are, you’re having a great weekend.
p.s. my categories selection isn’t working after some type of update, so if you never see this, I won’t be surprised. Thanks, WordPress. 
It’s late summer now, and the plants feel like they’re done. It’s been far too hot, far too rainy and the plants are tired. My eastern redbud is dying, its leaves have been dropping all summer and at the base of the tree, you can see the borers doing their damage. The shock of ERJ being sick combined with several other losses this summer broke my heart a little bit. But after some tests, the doctor says my heart is normal. It broke, but it is getting better. I saw a hummingbird a few days ago. I opened the front door and it was hovering above the red Zinnia, staring at me. It looked displeased. I apologized for the lack of selection, but most of the Zinnia had to be pulled because they got powdery mildew. A few days ago, a monarch butterfly arrived to the same plant, and was visibly irritated by the lack of selection. Hopefully they don’t leave me a bad review. I’d like more visitors next year.
I’ve seen a cicada shell, in the usual space I see them. On the clothes pole. I never catch the live bug – I arrive too late.
Ma’am has been here on and off. She had babies this summer, and her face is totally healed. I saw her last week. She’s looking good.
I have four fledgling robins in my backyard, two young squirrels, many sparrows, and very demanding Cardinals. My backyard is the nursery for all of the babies. There was plenty of water at ground level and above in the birdbath, and there are peanuts, served daily. I just wish the moms would come back and pick up their kids!
The hibiscus just finished up blooming. Acorns are dropping prematurely from William I, my 100-year-old Willow Oak. It’s likely due to the weather, or the small acorns not being pollinated. As I said, it was a rough summer.
We’re heading into spider season. I’ve got an office mate named “Stephen with a ph,” and he takes care of any fruit flies for me. I have to be careful not to bump him with my chair or he runs and hides. His cubicle is quite small, so I don’t insist he pay rent. Plus, he’s doing me a service. I only wish he could get the mosquitoes down to his lair.
Here are some photos of late spring and summer. I haven’t posted photos here in a while, and I have missed it. Watch the space for a 🕸️ post.
ERJ before the fatal diagnosisI had no idea these blooms were the lastSome type of Daisy like plant I couldn’t resistWild cloverMy mom’s clematis and a purple petuniaA bumble!Part of a wildflower mix – anyone know?Basil the pig and friendMa’am 💗Pink zinniaHibiscusBlack petunia, my favorite plantRed zinniaCicada shellAnnoyed Monarch butterfly on giant zinnia I DO NOT LIKE THE PINK KIND, LADY 😠
I’ve been taking photographs of flowers and trees and plants and bees…all spring and summer. Ma’am the squirrel makes an appearance in the video below. She’s got babies now and she stops by, but those babies take up a lot of her time. She’s fully healed, so it’s hard for me to tell if it’s her or not her. I ask all the squirrels if they are ma’am. I am pretty sure they think I am the strangest food lady ever.
Some sad news to report on ERJ (my eastern redbud tree, for those who are new here. He and William The First, my Willow Oak, are tied for favorite tree first place): I noticed he wasn’t doing well a couple months ago and had an arborist come look at him. He has borers. The arborist seemed to think ERJ would pull through, but I have serious doubts. I know my tree, and he doesn’t look well. His leaves are yellowing and dropping. He has tons of suckers and tons of seed pods. I feel like this is his last hurrah trying to create new generations. I have applied the insecticide three times now and I don’t think it’s working. You might remember ERJ from previous posts. I will be very sad to lose him, but at the end of this video, you will see I have another redbud in my backyard and its leaves are huge. I love the heart shape of the leaves. It’s truly my favorite type of tree. But don’t tell William.
I hope you enjoy this trip around my flowers, an (unnamed) eastern redbud, a lightning bug, a bumblebee and a squirrel.
Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.
I wouldn’t call it exciting, but I saw this scenario playing out last night and came up with a little video idea. I hope it makes you smile, or maybe even giggle.
Basil the Pig meets a new friend (a green leafhopper.)
I just posted this on Instagram and I thought maybe you all would like to know I chased this brand new to me butterfly around and captured this excellent footage. Somebody’s gotta do the hard work down in the trenches. 😉
My first sighting ever of a gray hairstreak butterfly 
OK, WordPress, but I have answered this 5711 times.
I feed the birds and the squirrels. And one bunny. I enjoy their personalities. You would think the squirrels would be the most problematic, but this is not true. The male cardinal chirps at me through the window if he misses the morning or evening feeding. He does not relent. He is quite the character. Sometimes he brings his wife – she has better manners. I haven’t seen a single hummingbird this summer, which makes me sad. I wanted the hummingbird from last year to rebuild her nest in the clematis on my porch, but it’s not to be this year.
Here’s a video I took a month or so ago of Ma’am. She’s the most tame and is missing part of her tail. I sat next to her while she munched on peanuts. I could see the brown iris of her eye as the sun hit it. She has gentle eyes.
Let’s convene here again in two months when WordPress asks us the same question once more, shall we?
I posted this yesterday on Instagram. Unfortunately, there’s some type of copyright on the song I used, so the video downloaded without music. I will put the link to the video below. The song is Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus, which is fitting and really added to the original video, which you can check out on my Instagram page.
This spicy child thinks the water trough is her own personal birdbath. She arrived with her mom (or dad) today. Parent had a short bath and left to forage for insects. Little Bit had a little bit more than a long bath. The smaller birds were getting annoyed, but what choice do they have? She is now foraging with her parent. I don’t think they have taught her yet about The Food Lady.
“It's Amy,” I said. 