Rain, rain, go away!

I think it's time to grow gills. This constant rain and dismal grey is beginning to wear on me. Kudos to those inhabitants of the Pacific northwest. I don't know how they do it!

I've neglected the garden (not that there's much to do except weed), leaving the lettuce beds to the slugs and snails. We finally had a brief respite last evening. The sun actually shone! I grabbed my hoe and made a dash to the potatoes which needed some serious hilling. Then I tackled the greens. Bolting spinach and slug-chewed lettuce were on last night's menu. Our basil, well it's just throwing in the towel. The plants are yellowed and chewed by some critter. I may have to dash to the greenhouse and see if they still have some potted plants so I can start anew. Yet, Ocimum basilica (Genovese basil) really needs some hot temperatures and strong sun, so maybe I'd be wasting money. Same for the tomatoes--very lush green, but the flowers.....hmmm....

Bucky versus Bike

I've been foiled by weather much of this spring. My plans to start biking to work back in April have slipped all the way to June. To date, only two days of riding! I feel guilty when I have to drive, on yet another, rainy day. This week, my schedule changed, eliminating Mondays as a riding day since I'll be working the evening shift. Yup, another guilt trip. As I watch the price of gas climb, I tell myself I need to find a safe route for the entire way so I don't drive the first five miles (even that makes me feel guilty). An alternative route would add a few extra miles (not a bad thing), but I'd have to get my rear in gear much sooner! Half the battle is being organized the night before so I'm not running around gathering items and gear every morning. If I'm going to continue driving Bucky, I need get my carbon credits biking more!

What to do today

There's a steady rain plinking in the gutter, the birds are downright quiet, holed up under the tree boughs. I think Callie Lou has the right idea...take a nap, read a book, take a nap, read another book, snooze....

The Cabin Garden

Just in case we didn't have enough to manage, John and I recreated the Cabin Garden (or Garden #2) down in Eliot. This is where we planted everything that won't fit in our Maple Corner plots; crops like corn (which is up 3 inches), and more varieties of beans, brussel sprouts, excess potatoes, excess tomatoes, beets, etc. Note Bucky the Trucky backed up next to the garden. With no access to water, we hauled it and watered by hand. And the fence isn't to keep out just 4 legged varmits, but the 2 legged variety too! Yes, local neighbors think it's their free CSA, so we are hoping to deter them with the fence.
Check out John's snazzy new sun hat!

It's all about gardening...

Each morning, I take my coffee and perambulate around the gardens to see what has come up or flowered. Callie sniffs the borders, checking where last night's visiting skunks and raccoons passed by. We added more garden space (yes, less lawn to mow) but I haven't decided what to plant there yet. We're munching our way through the first crop of spinach and lettuce, with a few French Breakfast radishes thrown in. I have a few rogue potatoes I missed last fall, sprouting amidst the Swiss chard and lettuce. I may have to dig them up early before they shade out the smaller leafy green.

Stunning bird life

I saw him! Yesterday morning, high in the tree canopy, in the early morning sunshine peeking over the hilltop--the elusive scarlet tanager sang in the treetops! Now I'm on the prowl every day, listening and looking. I wish that photo was mine! Unfortunately, he was way too high up in the trees.

Other spottings: two Baltimore orioles, great crested flycatcher hopping about in the maple, and the catbirds have returned.

May Songsters

With the arrival of May, an entire crop of warblers and songsters have returned to the woods and fields. The musical song of the mysterious wood thrush echoes through the woodlands, camouflaged by the newly open leaves. The oven bird hops around the forest floor, then flits up into the trees as I walk down the street. Out at the cabin garden, a black and white warbler wheezed in the trees, and a field sparrow accompanied our gardening with a pretty song from the apple tree. Tonight, I heard the elusive scarlet tanager--one of the birds I need to see for my life list--but no sign of him. Each day the woods become denser as the leaves pop open even more.

Another recent arrival

The red-bellied woodpecker has returned to our remaining stately maple. This species has become more prevalent in our area in the recent years. And what a striking bird it is--that flaming red-orange crest!

Morning and evening chorus

I love listening to the day fade away, serenaded by the birds and frogs. First, the robins sing, and lastly, the cardinals. Once the sun disappears, then the peepers start up in the pond. What a lovely sound to lull you to sleep. And come morning, it's the reverse, starting with the cardinals. This morning was even more special when I heard a few white-throated sparrows singing, "Mrs. Peabody, Peabody, Peabody." I haven't seen too many of these little sparrows around over the last few years. Word was, they migrated further west. So it was a pleasure to hear their song at 6:30 this morning and see them scratching at seeds under the feeders.

Too hot too soon

Alright, if there's any proof of global warming, how about 82 degrees on an April day in Maine? Things are greening up, but the sunburn factor is pretty high when there's no shade yet! I transplanted all our veggies into bigger pots yesterday and pinkened up a bit in the process. Oops, forgot to put sunblock on the arms!