Once again...a little bit of this...a little bit of that...
Once again this week, we’ll ponder a little bit of this...and a little bit of that...
We sure could use some rain. Last Sunday afternoon, it looked like we had a good shot at some precipitation, at least based on what the weather radar was showing online. However, not a single drop fell on our little corner of the world.
I suppose the good news is that as of Tuesday morning, rain was in the forecast. On the downside, the forecast was calling for the possibility of some very heavy rain...and some severe storms, too. Guess we’ll know by the time you are reading this.
A couple of sure signs that we do indeed live in the country...two tractors drove down the street in front of our house during the past week...and on Sunday afternoon I saw a helicopter rigged with what appeared to be spraying equipment fly overhead...twice.
The Other Half continues to face challenges from the various wild things that inhabit, or at least pass through, our neighborhood, on a regular basis.
Brazen white-tailed deer apparently have practically invited themselves onto our front porch during their frequent middle-of-the-night visits to munch on her flowers. I have suggested some sort of armed intervention, but I do not think such a response is possible in town.
I guess we should be grateful that deer can’t use shovels. Well, I don’t think they can. If they could, they would probably dig up all of the potatoes The Other Half is growing in her various agricultural operations.
Speaking of wild things...Bob and I were, once again, sitting out on the porch swing last Sunday morning. Bob seems to know when it’s Sunday morning, and when it’s time for him to go out on the porch. He watches the world while I do a little bit of reading.
Anyway, while we were out on the porch, I heard the familiar sound of a hummingbird in flight. The sound seemed to be rather close...because it was. A hummingbird apparently came to say hello and was getting kind of up close and personal...as within arm’s reach. We exchanged greetings...then the bird went on to its next stop.
Speaking of hummingbirds...fast forward to Sunday afternoon...I happened to notice a couple of hummers at a nearby feeder.
The two birds appeared to be engaged in rather fierce competition over access to the feeder. They would zoom up and down and all around the feeder. Every once in a while, one of the birds would actually get to take a sip out of the feeder.
During the encounter, the birds would actually make contact with the other...the humming sound of their flight would be interrupted by an audible smack. I did not realize that the little feathered critters were so aggressive.
I subsequently learned on the allaboutbirds.org website that hummingbirds “are aggressive for a good reason – they can’t afford to share flowers during times when not many blossoms are available because they may have to wander a long way after nectar is depleted.”
Maybe our drought is having an impact on hummingbirds’ food supplies. The Other Half has noticed that the recent extreme heat we’ve had seems to be keeping honeybees and other pollinators from doing their valuable work.
The hummingbirds I watched Sunday afternoon certainly did not seem interested in sharing the bounty they had found at the nearby feeder. Thank goodness people don’t behave that way.
Meanwhile...
Your writer has reached the point on The Journey Through Life that a simple “thank you for all that you do” means more than any award. The kind words were shared by a fellow traveler this week...
With that in mind...thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this column...