Baby Opossum in the Compost Pile!

Yesterday, my girls were texting me throughout the afternoon. So, as I was gardening, I kept my phone in my sweatshirt pocket. As I took a wheelbarrow full of weeds back to the “dirty” compost pile, I noticed a movement in the “clean” compost pile right beside it. It was a baby opossum!

I watched him for way too long, wishing I had my camera. Then, I realized I had a phone! And people take pictures with phones!  So I took some pictures.

He was tiny – only about 6 inches of body. His face is next to a piece of celery for scale.  I took a lot of very bad pictures in a very slow manner. Then, I realized people take videos with their phones. So I took a video.  Baby Opossum Video

We’ll see if that link works. It was a windy day, so that’s the noise.  And he was eating the end of an onion! I went back after he had gone to be sure. Notice how he sees me inching closer, but doesn’t have the sense yet to be afraid of me. And look how his little ears move like a cat’s. It was a lovely experience. I never like to intrude too much on nature, so I backed away before I scared him off. He’s been back many times since. Michael put a little fence around the fresh veggies in the compost because Riley DOES like to intrude on nature.

Happy May, everyone. Be safe, be well. Hugs to you all.

snow day

It snowed again last night. We haven’t had any huge snowstorms this year, but we have had plenty of snowy days.

This chickadee found the one feeder with seeds not covered in snow.

Riley and I went out to investigate the back yard and see who had paid an overnight visit. Riley can tell by her nose, but I need the snow to see who’s been around.

I think these are bunny tracks. * sigh *  I hope to NOT have a repeat of last year’s adventures.   backyard nature

I got sidetracked with plans for the spring.

And Riley had to wait for me to catch up.

Then it was time for breakfast.

BUPDATE ***bunny update***

My daughter, Laney, was the first to see him. This little cutie is the first to emerge from the nest.  In backyard nature , I explained that I was afraid the mother had been killed. But, as you can see, all is well. This little guy is only a foot away from his nest. He likely got impatient waiting for mom to come and feed him at dark.

We’ll have to keep the dog on a leash for a while – at this point the little fellas could be anywhere.

Do you see the white mark on the top of his head? I hope he keeps it forever.

backyard nature

My policy concerning nature is to never interfere unless I must. Often I must. When our first nest of bunnies this year was found by our dog, my husband yelled at her to drop the (unharmed) bunny. I searched for an hour to find the nest and put the baby back where he belonged. I checked for a few days to be sure the mom was coming and going. Now there are tiny bunnies in every garden

The first bunny nest was behind the chairs in the jungle of plants.

The most recent bunny nest is out in the middle of the yard.

I found this nest before the dog did, and put a few layers of fence around it. Again, I checked for a few days so I knew the mother was visiting and feeding her babies, and I hadn’t scared her off with the fencing.

But this afternoon, we saw an adult bunny that had been killed by a car. We’re really hoping it’s not the mom of any babies.I put this marking over the nest, so I can tell tomorrow if mom has been by.  I’m really hoping she has, because I don’t want to be faced with a nest full of hungry babies.

THE NEXT DAY:  When I first checked the nest this morning, the X of straw was still there and I was crushed.  I assumed that the mom hadn’t been there. But then I checked the picture I had taken last night, and nothing was the same. The X wasn’t at right angles, as it is in the first picture. There was no visible fur, and that brown and green leaf was nearly buried. So if anyone ever is faced with a similar situation, taking a picture is a great idea. The changes are subtle.

 

too big for my britches

It started with a sad clematis.

Then I noticed a lilac had taken over the party garden.

The lilac in happier times.

I decided to dig up the lilac and put the clematis in its spot, where it will get the sun it so desperately needs.

So I dug. And I pulled. And I snipped and clipped. And I dug.

This is after day 4. Party garden disrupted. Wall collapsed. Tools strewn about. Lilac stump not even budging.

This is after day 9. Looks like you could just pluck it right out of there, doesn’t it? . . . Nope

Finally, two weeks later, things are looking up. The clematis is still just a bitty thing on the trellis (right in front of the blue jungle gym). But we all have hopes for a better future.

volunteers

I first noticed the gardening term “volunteers” while reading a novel. I immediately took it and made it my own. I pictured little seeds jumping up and down, raising their hand: “I’ll grow!  I’ll grow!”

My lemon balm sends volunteers all over the yard, as does  my catnip. Sometimes I let them be, but usually I relocate them to a place that pleases me more.

The native sedum that my brother planted in my mom’s yard (that I stole a piece of)  is spreading everywhere. Here I put a clump on an old stump. It’s happy as can be.

This crepe myrtle started a few years back beneath the mother tree. I transplanted it to fill up an empty corner.

But this yucca is the best volunteer ever. It came from a neighbor’s yard, I suspect, because I have not seen one elsewhere. It flew over the street and plopped down in the perfect place in the corner of a street garden.

Backyard Solutions

I’ve been living in my yard for a lot of years, and I’m learning what works for me.

When our children outgrew the swing set my husband made, we pulled down the kid’s swings and replaced them with a swing everyone can use. I planted wisteria on one side and after just a few years we are getting nice shade.

I go through birdbaths like Snickers bars. I try to remember to empty them before a hard freeze, but the water containers always seem to leak after just a year or so.  I’ve learned that a big dish from Goodwill and a rock is all it takes to bring back the bathers.

My yard is a nice size, but gourds and cucumbers and all of those sprawling vines seem to take over everything. This year, I let the birdhouse gourds overtake the trellis and continue right up a nearby tree. The garden stayed neat, and this totally appeals to  my love of the quirky.

The hummingbird likes it, too.

And the solution here? . . . Keep the birdseed in a metal container from now on.

a most unusual morning

It started out as any July morning:I enjoyed a cup of coffee in the party garden at 6:00 am while Riley stood guard and patiently waited for her run. While we were running, I saw a hot air balloon. We stepped up the pace, got home, and I grabbed my camera and drove out to track it down. (Riley had a drink and a nap on the sofa.)The balloon had a friend.When I got home, I noticed a pair of Cedar Waxwings nesting in my yard. This is unheard of. I am thrilled to see them once a year, in a group, in winter. I have never seen Cedar Waxwings during nesting season.They are very active, so the pictures aren’t great – but I have high hopes for the future.

garden structures and a special guest

My husband spotted him first while I was at work: a Rose Breasted Grosbeak at our feeder. SO exciting – I’ve seen them before, but rarely, and NEVER in my own back yard. Just plain old sunflower seeds on  a platform feeder did the trick. He was here for several days and I got a good look at him, the little cutie pie.My husband has been my best garden supporter this year; he signed me up for the organic herbal gardening course that spurred me on; he  gave me a gift certificate to the best nursery in town; AND he spent his birthday money to make me three of these excellent new planters.

This one is sporting cabbages (I’ll pick the biggest and let the little ones continue to grow), rosemary, nasturtiums, and sunflowers.

Happy Mother’s Day!

garden structures

I finished my main vegetable garden excavation and rebuild (pictures soon) using untreated scrap wood my husband has saved from our many house projects. That kind of got me loving the idea of using up the rest of the scrap wood by making structures for the garden.

Here’s my first little project – a trellis for my Heirloom Cardinal Climbers. I’ve read two biographies of Frank Lloyd Wright lately and am feeling quite architectural. Who knows what else I will come up with?

I got the Cardinal Climber seeds from the great library seed bank we have in my area:  Library Seed Bank  Can’t wait until they get growing!

 

spring garden

I am doing a lot of plant watching, lately. This time of year it seems that the weeds grow while my seedlings sit and pout.

I did have a new plant bloom this year: 

Me: “Mom, did you give this to me?”

Mom: “Yes.”

Me: “What is it?”

Mom: “I don’t know.”

seedlings

I am worried about my seedlings. They are thin and long, not bushy and hearty like so many I see at my blogging friends’ sites: handmade.homegrown.beautiful life

I decided to get them outside into the sunshine, even though it’s early. I put them out  a bit every day for a week and just recently started keeping them out. I built a “greenhouse” for them (rocks on the sides to retain heat and old windows on the top.They look to be adjusting (haven’t died yet).

I’m most concerned about my heirloom Golden Jubilee Tomatoes . . . they were SO good last year . . .

companion gardening

I just finished an organic heirloom gardening class, and I am wildly excited about companion gardening. That’s the art/science/voodoo of grouping plants that are beneficial to one another. I am planning small clusters of companion plants instead of one large plot with everything lumped together.

I can feel a full garden re-do coming on . . .

a winter’s tale

Mockingbirds love our yard. They spend entire spring days here, singing to me as I garden. They nest here, raising their babies and dive bombing the dog if she gets too close. I’ve watched dozens of these sassy birds over the years, but I’ve never seen anything like the mockingbird who is spending this winter here.

He flies in to meet me at the compost pile every day, and by the time I’ve emptied the bucket and turned around, he’s in there rummaging around for fresh tidbits. Where does he come from, and how does he know when to meet me there? Does he hear my feet crunching the snow on the long walk back there? Is he watching the house all day, just waiting for me to head to the back? It’s a mystery so far, but I’m on the case.