Friday, August 21, 2015

Last Days of Summer

The maple is turning red far too early.  The stresses of heat and drought are affecting trees all over Oregon.   We may not see the result until winter, when windstorms may easily take them down.
I don't know if my splinter trunk branch will hold.

 I cram the sunflower seed heads into branch crotches on the butterfly bush for the birds.  I can't keep up with them, nor do I have enough sunflower seed heads to keep them happy.

These are the only heads I have left, from cutting them off the sunflowers out front.  Once these are gone, I will have to turn out the lights, pull the curtains and hide!  I don't want attacked by angry birds.

I just got some new photos of a crew of House Sparrows that came in for the Sunflower Diner.


They all want the special---fresh sunflower seeds on the head.  Fine!




The yellow jackets are aggressive this time of year, after food.


The art and air festival began this morning.  I toyed with going over to watch the balloon launch, then didn't.  They drifted south anyway, not far from the house.

I can see I need to clean dead leaves off my roof.

In this photo, I can see the dirty roof even better.  

Looming up behind the houses across the street.

The Ancient Wonders of My World.
Miss D and Vision asleep on the bed yesterday.
As for any cat activity outside the house, I will likely be back at the darn trailer park soon. The old lady called, said kittens of all those lactating females I took to be fixed are showing up.  When I asked if she had talked to one of the shelters or rescues, about getting the kittens to them, young enough to tame, same old thing, she doesn't want them to leave til their older.  I said you know they can't be tamed once older, so I'll just get them fixed and bring them back.

On the one hand, she complains about having to feed all the cats.  On the other hand, she won't release any of them, not even tame ones.  So, there's nothing a person can do but get them fixed and urge her to get tame ones to a shelter.  She knows the shelters, so that's all I can do.

9 comments:

  1. Darn crazy lady. Sigh... Awesome photos, though I'm sorry about the drought. We've been blessed by abundant rain in Ohio. If you go up on the roof or a ladder, please be careful!

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    1. The drought is un Oregon. Hope the coming year will be normal, although I like the sun.

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  2. Sigh on the old lady front. Someday she will learn. Perhaps.
    Love the balloons.
    Sunflower seeds are the favourite here too. With quite a lot of different bird species.
    Love your ancient wonders too. It is early here, and both cats are asleep. Which is peaceful.

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    1. I think the old lady is over the learning hump, beyond where she'll ever learn anything again. Maybe.

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  3. As you may have noticed, I like watching birds and nature, so I especially love your pictures of the sunflowers, birds, and yellow jacket.

    I think you have the right attitude about the old lady. You can only do what you can do and you can't control her. You can always hope that maybe she will get it someday.

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    1. Thanks. It is all I can do, so I have to accept it. Better to do it now, be at peace with it, before I go out to trap again for spay neuter. I am enjoying the cats, the birds, the bees, the trees, very much this summer. Makes me happy to be in my yard.

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  4. Anonymous12:38 AM

    It's a great collection of photos. Our deciduous trees, non native, suffer like yours in the heat; burnt maple leaves, massive elm and plane tree leaf loss on really hot days and after winter, branches not producing leaves. I didn't know sparrows ate sunflower seeds and new to me are yellow jackets.

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  5. Great photos of the birds and the bees! Now, if the lady at the trailer park could understand the consequences.....

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    1. Shouldn't there be a song in that.......

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