No Geranium

 Either the geraniums I planted yesterday were too small to smell, or they are an unscented variety, or woodchucks/groundhogs aren't deterred by them.  Of course another possibility is that the chipmunks or some other critter is eating them.  I stuck a stick into the hole, I know it will be out tomorrow.  It was a half-hearted attempt to deter them.  The worst part is that I haven't even finished securing the fence and the little buggers are coming in through a hole and chewing through the netting. Thank you for reading my vent.  Now to concentrate on happy things for today:

• People at work are learning my name.  I think that is a good thing... I wish I could say that I am remembering all the names as well.  Most of the people seem friendly too, and that is good.  
• I haven't posted anything from the wildlife camera lately.  I just took a look at the footage from the last week or so.  There wasn't a lot this time, but there was a crow.  It flew very near to the camera.  I thought it might be a raven rather than a crow, the more sites I look at though, the more I lean towards crow.  I will continue to second guess myself so let's just say it is a big black bird.  I just want it to be a raven.

It is a large bird.  😁
Then I thought, what does Lens think it is?
Lens' first hit is a common raven,
second is a forest raven,
third the American crow.

• The plants in the front of the house that were identified as wild sweet William early in the spring have finally blossomed and do seem to be that.  They are pretty, I am glad I didn't pull them as weeds.

Wild sweet William.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.

Geranium

 This year one of the goals I had was to grow geraniums to plant at the family graves for Memorial Day.  There were many obstacles that got in my way and that didn't happen.  Many of the geraniums are now much closer to planting in the ground.  I took three of the smaller ones and planted them near where the zinnia were eaten by the woodchucks/groundhogs.  

These three geraniums are much smaller
than most of the others.

According to this site, scented geraniums are resistant to being eaten by deer and groundhogs.  I am hopeful.  Happy things for today:

• I am still employed.  (Yes, I'm tired and weary already.)  
• The blackberries are starting to ripen.  I had one today and it was pretty good.

Amid the black-eyed Susan and grasses
are the blackberries.

• Many thanks to Reader --K who noticed that what I thought was a yellow jacket yesterday is most likely a sweat bee.  I seem to remember seeing some last year, too.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.

Some Summer Flowers

As I lay me down to sleep, I realize I need to write up a quick blog.  Happy things for today:

• Instead of doing the things I should have done early this morning, I took some down time/self care.
• Later in the morning I went for a walk with a friend for a different kind of self care.
• Lens identified a new to me plant-or at least I don't remember it.

The purple flowering plant is a
pickerelweed.

• Sometimes I take pictures quickly and look at them later and notice something.  This time there was a bee that I didn't see when I got close to take a picture of this bindweed.

Bindweed with a yellow jacket?

• When I got the SD card from the wildlife camera I noticed a vervain plant and some jewelweed.

Probably common vervain.

Orange jewelweed.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.

Happy Independence Day

 The zinnia that I planted in the garden have been consumed, most likely by the woodchuck/groundhog.  I missed the window of no rain today by being distracted by things to do inside so no changes were made in the garden.  I need to rethink my strategies.  Instead I will do my best to focus on the things growing well in the garden.  Happy things for this Fourth of July:

• The peaches in the garden seem to be doing well.

Marjorie.

• The basil and Egyptian walking onion are also doing well.

• Some of the inside plants that are waiting for a safe place to go outside are doing okay.  

A zinnia, blooming, even though it is getting root bound.

Petunia.

• After dinner I went for a walk in the sprinkles and rain.  I had a lot of steps to take in order to reach my step goal.  On the way back to the house, I could watch the fireworks being set off down the street from us.    

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.

Crown Feeder

 With my new schedule and need for sleep I have been keeping the cats out of my room.  Last night I decided to prop the door open for them and Nanni decided that she wanted all the attention.  She even woke me up at some point for more petting.  Perhaps I picked the wrong night since I had to get up early this morning to go to the Crown Feeder Tournament.  This was the first live SCA event that we have gone to since things closed down at the beginning of the pandemic.  This event was thankfully limited to 150 people and was specific to narrow down the prospective contenders for the next Crowns of the East.  More sleep might have been nice.  Here are other happy things from today:

• Getting to see people that I haven't seen in a very long time and being able to hug.
• Keziah did all the driving and we were able to provide a ride for a friend too.  Good company!
• Seeing the fighters be honorable and safe as they fought today.                                                                                     

• From this event, eight couples are advancing to the finals which happen in two weeks.  Two of those couples are from the Barony of Stonemarche and one lived in the Barony until just a few years ago.  It is exciting to think that the next crown may be from the Barony. There was another feeder tournament held further south with another eight couples to compete in the finals.
• Towards the end of the event I was peopled out.  I took a peaceful walk around the grounds of the event site and found a pond and a path through the woods by a river.  It is a beautiful area.

• After the event a bunch of us met for ice cream and got to visit.
• My garb today was fourteenth century and I had to braid my hair in the front to achieve the right look.  

All dressed up.

Before taking it all down.

WIthout the cap and veil.
Very silly by today's standards.

• My door is open again tonight.  Nanni seems a bit more tired this time.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.

Some more pictures from the event.

☮

Blossoms

 It looks like the holiday weekend will be wet.  This is good for what plants are out there.  For those following along with my woodchuck/groundhog problem, there is one less zinnia today.  

One of the zinnia I planted is gone, the other is a bit trampled.

Yesterday I spread crushed red pepper around them and in some other areas of the garden.  It is quite possible that what I used wasn't spicy enough or the critters just don't care.  It is also possible that they are suffering somewhere now because of it.  A third possibility is that the rain has diluted any ill effect that the crushed pepper may have had.  If the weather cooperates on Sunday, I will try to get some more protection for the things I still want to plant in the ground.  Happy things for today are:

• Waking up super early and being productive!  I cleaned a bunch of the kitchen and did laundry.
• Earlier in the week I transplanted the pumpkin into pots from the little seed starter it was in.  Today two of them have flowers!

Two pumpkin blossoms.

• Friday is Minecraft night!

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

    --I am hoping to finish this book by the end of the month.  It takes a long while reading small parts every day.

Thanks for the check in!  Stay safe.

Happy July!

 It had been my intention to work tomorrow and get some extra time in.  Yesterday and today I was given the opportunity to leave early and I took it.  Saturday Keziah and I have our first in-person SCA event in over a year because of the pandemic.  Since extra work is an option, I decided to be awake for the event and not tired from working the day before.  Tomorrow is payday and it appears the money is in the bank.  Yay!  Other things I am happy for today:

• Special thanks to Reader --K who suggested spreading the crushed pepper to help discourage the woodchucks/groundhogs.  I don't know if it has worked yet, but I feel good having taken this action.  
• To test the pepper, I planted two more of the zinnia plants.  They are getting very root bound so need to be planted somewhere.  If they survive the night, I might plant a few more tomorrow.

And so the ground is sprinkled with red pepper confetti.

• It has only been since last weekend, but it feels much longer, since I sat down with the family for dinner.  Zed cooked up some salmon and it came out perfectly!  Every once in a while it is okay not to sleep, right?

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.