Nature post

 

I will get back to the beach vacation pictures eventually, but these guys were just too pretty to not share. I've turned them into my cover photo on Facebook, but since not all of you are on there, check out our gorgeous hostas. Hosta? Hosti?

 

 

Disclaimer: Carrie took the rest of these photos. I did some slight editing, including text.

 

We've really enjoyed our feathered friends this year. Our wrens out from have several different songs and lots of energy. And now, new babies. We're being scolded when we're weeding too close to the wren houses, but it is so much fun to watch them flitting and feeding and singing their hearts out. Biiiig vocal chords for such tiny birds!

 

Okay, that one is not a wren. He may be one of our super naughty piggies squirrels who dismantle birdfeeders and sneak our suet. We do get a kick out of watching them scamper, though!

 

Yes, these are not wrens either, I know. Carrie has developed an affinity for frogs this summer. She's caught them and named them and tried to band their legs with blades of grass. Apparently the smart, best hider is Einstein, but there is also Bleep, Beep, and Bounce. Our frogs don't say "ribbit" or "kneedeep"... they definitely "bleep" and "beep!"

 

I think she wanted to show you that we have trees? We have lots of trees, and the apple/buckeye/walnut/pinecone/leaves mess is already starting to commence. Yellow leaves from locust trees are drifting across the driveway. 

 

Our butterfly garden is doing its job- we saw several friends gathering within it yesterday. I weeded some of the jungle courtyard yesterday before it got hot, but there's more work to be done there. The apple trees' branches are so weighted down that backing out the mower is a two person job. One to drive and the other to attempt to lift the branches out of the way so they don't lose all their apples. We are already looking forward to applesauce.

 

The garden is a bit pitiful this year. After swimming for so much of early summer, the weeds moved in and proceeded to choke off just about everything. We've had not even a dozen of our cherry tomatoes- so sad- and the regular sized ones aren't nearly as tall or as numerous as they should be. The melons look okay, even growing their way out of the fence; my pepper plant is a disaster, as someone or something got into the fence (or leaned over it) and nibbled most of it. I should probably go check it and see who needs rescued before it's incredibly hot today and tomorrow...

 

This is the last weekend before school starts, and we're as ready as we'll ever be. Things One and Three can't wait to start. Thing Two is asking to be homeschooled. Happy end of summer vacation and happy first days to all y'all!