October 6 - Sunday - Yard stuff

Sunday I did some yard work and wondered again about a series of holes where the neighbors took down a willow oak tree several years ago.  Something has moved in and apparently created a warren with several holes in a three-foot square.  I'm assuming they are chipmunks since we are currently overrun with them.  They are multiplying conspicuously and digging dens all over the property.  I think the neighborhood hawks are falling down on the job and I think the neighbors are killing too many black snakes.

As I was walking past the huge elderberry bush that I've been meaning to remove for about three years, I decided today was the day it needed to leave.  Besides the elderberry, there was a cherry tree, an oak, and another weed tree growing in there.  There was also a lot of porcelain berry, Virginia creeper, and thick poison ivy vine.

Somewhere around four hours after I started, everything was on the curb and I was sore as hell.

But hey, it was done.

Chipmunk holes with my reading glass case for scale.

Elderberry and friends on the curb.

Here's a photo of the elderberry (large bush on the right)
from last May.

After the battle.

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April 18 - Saturday - Around and about

Saturday I was out in the yard working on clearing some of the weeds from the neglected garden beds.  Some of that Johnson grass is so well-established it's like trying to pull out a clump of pampas grass.  I ended up cutting what I could with the hand clippers.

While I was manually harvesting the grass in (what was) the path between the beds I found a trail that the rabbits were using.  The under-grass was all hollowed out by rabbit traffic.  My fear was accidentally opening up another nest with infant rabbits as I did several years ago.  Saying I was cautious would be an understatement.  I was watchful with every move I made since I was worried about rabbits, mice, chipmunks and snakes.  When I got about seven feet into the twelve foot path an adult rabbit burst out of the far end of the path and ran around behind the garage.  That was my cue to quit.

I headed out to the front yard to pull weeds.  I weed the front almost daily.  I think they spring up while we're sleeping.  Since expanding the natural area to most of the front yard last Fall, the weeds are trying to have a party.  It's an uphill battle.

In the evening we got together with some friends for dinner at the Landmark Diner.  They have a HUGE menu and a killer dessert case.  I don't believe anyone left the table hungry.

I also tried using the panoramic function on my Android phone that I didn't know I had, until Karen showed it to me.  Being the gadget geek that I usually am, I'm embarrassed I didn't know about it.  Oh well.

I'm hoping chipmunks live in here.

Lady bug nymph (right) and
pupating relative (left) on my oregano.

On to the front yard...

The autumn ferns are doing quite well.

The hostas have exploded.

One of two oak leaf hydrangea.

On to supper...

My choppy panoramic shot.
Karen, Tom, Daniel, Lisa, Christopher, (me), Chip, and Pam.

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