Do You See What I See

Probably Not !

Because, I could not get close enough to photograph these tiny sweet birds that have been flitting about in large groups throughout my garden for days - and - weeks !  The little red stars represent where I could see a tiny bird .  When they approach it looks like confetti floating down into the bushes and trees .  

Let me  introduce you to the Titmouse . They look so tiny compared to all the other birds in the garden at this time of year darting here and there .
No , No , No , I was wrong . It is not a Titmous .  It is a Bushtit .

I thought it was one or the other . And , I checked with a close friend - who knows "her birds" .  The Titmouse travels singularly and the Bushtit travels in groups-flocks .

Well - A few days ago , my air conditioner stopped working !!!  So , after checking the filters and turning the power off I proceeded to take the outdoor unit apart ! Yep - I really did .

Unfortunately , the air conditioner is very old .  Probably , as old as the house which was built in 1972 .  It is Rheem Furnace-Air Conditioner combination unit .  It looks like the capacitor is failing to start the fan blade and possibly the compressor .  Just my speculation from what I have learned by studying repair videos on the Internet and taking a few things apart . Since parts may no longer be available I called for the Air Conditioning "guy" to come out . It took a couple days before he could come .  I really can not live without an air conditioner !  And , unfortunately the recent days have been very hot with the tail end of the heat wave . Surprisingly , he was extremely complimentary about what I had done and my opinion .  After he tested some parts and reconnected some wire connectors that were loose he said it was running great .  I'm surprised you didn't hear my sounds of delight ! I could hardly believe my good luck .  No expense for parts or perhaps the expense of a new unit which could cost around $5000.00 !  He double checked everything and put it all back together and it is just purring along and cooling my house .  He was impressed that I had labeled all the screws I removed and that made it very easy for him to put it all back together .  What a happy day it was !!

And , if that wasn't enough aggravation , my kitchen Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier System decided that it wasn't getting enough attention and stopped working which has left me without cold water at the kitchen sink .

If a turn-off valve had been installed at the time of the purifier installation I would be able to use cold water at the kitchen sink . Well again I started investigating the cause of the problem and I have discerned that the water holding tank needs to be replaced .  I have replaced all the filters and now I am waiting for the new tank delivery . The delivery has been over a week already and no confirmed delivery date . I have called to register my complaint .

 And , there is more . My bathroom toilet is misbehaving . The toilet tank flap needs replacing . What would I do without the Internet ? I had to go to two different places to get the right size . So , tomorrow I will work on that .

I still have some more power washing to do at the front drive way. So. maybe I can get that done soon .  Along with the garden maintenance I have been very busy and getting a lot done even though my body tries to put a lot of restrictions on me. Yes , I listen to my body and take a lot of forced "time outs" even though I do not like it .

The new Blogger format has just about sent me to the "Looney House" with frustration . I have read how others are displeased .  I thought I was doing OK , but not so .  This posting has taken forever and I had to return to the old format . And , that is not working well for me either . Not Happy .

All of this hard work helps me distract from the horrible world affairs as well as the turmoil on the United States home front!

Now , how is this for a traffic update in the local newspaper today.

Traffic Update - - - Hit & Run With Stolen Goats in Roadway Near Burson Rd & Carol Lane.

Yes , that is one of the charms of living in The Country !

A bright face growing among the watermelons in the wine barrel .

Hope you are enjoying the end of August and feeling well and safe .

Mary

Another One And More And More Even A Fox

Yes, another Zucchini . The first one became Zucchini Fritters along with Sour Cream .  So , good !

And , I think this one is going to become Spiced Zucchini Bread . 

The ingredients are -

• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini absorb moisture with a paper towel
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup oil

1. Mix together your eggs, yogurt, oil, sugar and zucchini till combined.
2. Combine your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
3. Add your dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and mix till just combined.
4. Pour batter into a greased bread pan and bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes.

From - https://www.domestically-speaking.com/spiced-zucchini-bread-greek-yogurt/

And , look - it's a Watermelon .  And , not just one but nine more are growing larger day by day. They are all over the place !!  And , look at all that growth from just two little plants . It has spread fourteen feet across in length and is still growing longer and longer .

This is Acorn Squash .  Growing like crazy trailing everywhere . Looks promising for some Squash but nothing so far. 

Delightfully , the Tomatoes are starting to produce a few on almost each plant .

Lovely late summer blooming Sedum that will open soon with domed flower heads packed with a profusion of tiny starry flowers in a pale pink that turns to a darker pink .  Every year toward the end of summer I look forward to these blossoms when so many other flowers have said goodbye until next year . 

This is another late in the season bloomer. A beautiful Rose of Sharon that resides in my White Garden .

And, this is an interesting plant that I call a "pass along plant" . It was given to me years ago from a fellow classmate when I was taking the Master Gardeners Certification class .  I am not certain about the name .  Perhaps a Sedge plant .  Possibly , a Japanese Evergreen Sedge . It never fails to produce a beautiful clumping border .

Why am I showing you a photo of this beautiful Red Fox?

(google image)

The answer is because these creatures have been visiting my garden at night time . All kinds of things have been pushed over like a small wheel barrel and different small garden statuaries. My security camera at the front of the garage has shown them at the front gate and also drinking from a bird bath on recordings from a couple different occasions at night time .  Additionally , people living in this area have reported seeing coyotes as well as foxes and have been concerned about their small pets .

Very surprising - two mornings ago at about 9 AM while I was hand watering at the front of my property I noticed an animal moving slowly in my neighbors yard about 25 feet from me on the other side of my fence.  It was a Red Fox ! It walked a few feet one direction and then turned around and walked the other direction .  And , then it was gone .  It was beautiful in color and markings . And, looked very much like this photo. I was surprised but I would have been shocked if I wasn't aware of their recent night time visits. It was the first time I have seen a Fox.  And , it was special !

I have had night time visitors like Skunks , Raccoons , Opossums and Mice and Deer . Oh , and a Snake recently . And , this year I have seen small Lizards almost every day . Also , there was a large Frog . Haven't seen one of them for years . But this was a first time for a Fox !

Just a few more sentences for my stories of a City Girl living in The Country .

California is experiencing an unbelievable number of wildfires primarily caused by lightning strikes over a period of 72 hours which started yesterday .  Currently there are 367 reported fires with 26 considered major . 124000 acres have been torched with 100 structures destroyed and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate . The air quality throughout a lot of California is extremely poor and unsafe . The Bay Area as well as many areas are in very dangerous circumstances .  It's difficult for me to wrap my mind around the reality of these emergencies along with the dangerously high heat wave and the pandemic . 

My immediate area has had many fires but they have been contained quite rapidly .  And , our air quality is slightly smoky and quite safe

 

Stay Safe . Stay Well .

Mary

Poor Performance

My tomatoes in the raised garden bed did not give me the results I was hoping for . There are only a few small ones on the  bushes .  It is disappointing after I did all the work to prepare the soil . There are a couple possibilities why the poor performance . Not enough sun .  Lack of fertilizer .  However , so far , I have one very nice zucchini that is planted at the far end of the raised bed and it gets a little more sun .  And , it looks like there may be more !

Now , look at this . I planted a couple watermelon plants in this wine barrel that has great new soil and is at the end of the raised bed and gets a lot of sun .  Since taking this photo it is twice as large and lots of blossoms !  It is wait and see !

This is my first attempt at using the new blogger format . I already had to research how to resize photos .  I had to turn off the image lightbox in blogger settings .  It seems to be working .  But , I don't know if there is now something else that is a problem by turning it to - off !

                     

I'm not in the best mood for all this change stuff !

I have had six months of very favorable results with the change in my medication  to assist with the symptoms of seasonal effective disorder . For which I have been extremely happy .  However, I started having some side effects that became concerning as well as intolerable . The most annoying was a disgusting  bitter taste in my mouth . Additionally , occasional rapid heart beat , swollen ankles and strange dreams . Not good .  Talked with the prescribing doctor and he was familiar with the side effects I am experiencing and has recommended reducing the dosage since the current dosage is high .  So , now I am waiting for the new prescription to be filled . The process should go smoothly but for some reason it is not and I have had to make several phone calls !  In the meantime I have resumed taking the previously ordered medication that I had been taking for years .  Of course , any disruption in medications can , but not always , effect how you feel . And , I have been feeling rather poorly . But , at least this should eventually smooth out .

I think it is worth noting that I probably am reacting somewhat to our current world affairs . I try very hard to not focus on the crazy insanity and it takes a lot of strength to not have some reaction to it .  I think I have been away from the house only about six times since all of this started with the pandemic .  As you probably know , my love of my garden has been a huge blessing that helps to focus on nice things but as of late my physical endurance is not what it has been in the past .  I expect to feel better soon .  Ivy says , "cheer up mom" .

I hope all of you are finding ways to take good care of yourselves during these very unusual times !

Mary