I had a very slow, relaxing weekend. Got into town only once the entire two days, which is unusual for me, and it was at the last hour–a quick trip to a nursery for a couple of buckets to put plants into to hang from the hooks I put up last October.
I had a lot of contemplation time as I puttered about, weeding and watering. I was outside most of the time despite the 85 degree heat, and while wandering my yard, I saw goldfinch, cardinal, baby chickadees that fledged Thursday, a freaking pileated woodpecker (second time, but we hear him/her a lot), downy woodpeckers, barred owl and what was probably a red-shouldered hawk, hummingbirds, red-faced skinks, anoles, two green frogs in the pond (huge) and a toad. Squirrel. Also saw a praying mantis, and a jumping spider that crawled up my foot. The anoles and skinks were especially cool. And the mantis was a treat this early in the year. He was only about two inches long, and they are hard to see when they are that little. I work very hard at hand weeding to keep pesticides out of the lawn just so I can seen them when I am hosing down the stone wall where they like to hide out. We’re lucky that we live next to people who don’t use them either, so there’s no run-off into our yard.
So there is my weekend totaled up by animal species. I am so tired right now, I can’t wait to sit at my desk and be still for several hours on end . . .
Kim Harrison 