Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Wednesday’s Wanderings #6.
Good morning everyone on this wet Wednesday! It is beautiful outside this morning and even though it was cloudy, it was still nice to sit out there with my coffee and enjoy some time visiting my little friends. However, I wasn’t out very long when the first raindrops began hitting me, now it’s an actual shower. So I sit inside, which is fine, we definitely need some rain, it is so very dry still. We did have rain before, but only about 1/4 inch (6mm), which is barely enough to wet the ground surface. The gulls were here this morning, first Sir George and Lady Pearl, then Sir Henry.
There was quite a bit of singing going on this morning too, but nothing now. The only activity out there right now is the chipmunks. They are still running back and forth collecting their peanuts. They don’t let a little rain stop them. However, it’s getting to be more than a light shower now. And it has gotten very dark. I haven’t heard any thunder yet though, and Muffin is still sleeping, so no storm close by. Oddly there have been no squirrels this morning. Pocket was the first chipmunk, as usual. He put a peanut in each cheek, a single peanut in his mouth, then one more held by his front teeth. Not a bad haul for the little guy.
Now, he usually runs off through a box and down off the deck. He did the same this time. But his mouth was open wider than normal with the extra peanut. “Clunk!” He hit his head trying to go through the handle ‘door’ that he uses. He shook his head, then squeezed through. Then I heard “Clunk!” as he went through the other handle ‘door’. Guess he didn’t learn after the first time. I walked down to the river yesterday, it was so beautiful, just a light breeze now and then.
I saw 5 different types of dragonflies, got a picture of one. Sigh. One of those dragonflies was really cool but he refused to sit down so I could get a picture of him. Sigh. Perhaps next time. I also saw 6 different butterfly species, got a pic of one. I did better with wildflower pics. They don’t fly away. Also had 2 deer ticks, one was just crawling around, the other had dug in already. Deer ticks are not good. They are carriers of Lyme disease. Something has attacked my pansies, so I no longer have any. My poor flowers are having problems this year. Thunder has begun off in the distance. And it’s time for more coffee. I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Steve And Muffin’s Wildflowers #22.
Hi everyone! Today’s wildflower is the “wild sarsaparilla”. It’s flowers form a globular cluster from 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5cm) across. Each individual flower is about 1/8 inch (3mm) across with 5 petals that curve backward. There are also 5 white tipped stamens coming from the center of the flower. Each flower stem has usually 3 clusters of flowers and are normally hidden under the plants leaves with come up on a separate stalk. This is a native wildflower that grows in shade or partial shade in wooded areas. The plant grows up to 2 feet (60cm) tall and blooms in May to June. It produces a dark purple berry from each flower which are edible, but best cooked in jams or jellies. They can be found right across Canada and the northern half of the US, further south in the east to Georgia. Well, I hope you have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 