All messed up

The temps have moderated here a bit, but many trees and shrubs are still confused. My FB feed showed some pix I had posted before on this date - the 'Golden Spirit' smokebush and 'Lemony Lace' elderberry, both fully leafed out. They are nowhere near this state today. The redbuds are *finally* starting to leaf out. Many trees in the neighborhood look half dead, not because they are but because they are still so leafless. At least my Japanese maple has recovered from last year's attack of the sparrows.

I've been sadly remiss about keeping the area behind the privacy fence to the west trimmed, so I took a look the other day to see how bad it was. I could tell the neighbors that own the privet beyond my fence had whacked the hedge a bit, but I assumed they had also cleaned up the trimmings. NOT. That kind of thing doesn't bother me - my backyard is in a constant state of flux - but I will try to trim around their leavings... sometime.

My SO and I attacked the raised bed that last summer contained a big wasp nest. (I wanted to believe they were bees, not wasps. I was wrong.) Then we moved the main birdfeeding station to that spot. It's a better location for viewing. I continue to weed, weed, weed elsewhere.

Several so-called neighbors on Next Door have reported seeing hummingbirds and orioles at their feeders. I was going to replace my unvisited oriole feeder with the hummingbird feeder, but instead I have both now. Remember the lonely Maytag repairman? I feel that way about my nectar feeders. At least the wrens are here, blasting away. There is a nesting box in the front yard and one in the back; hopefully both will soon be occupied.

I lied

Dropping all the privet trimmings off at the bio-solids site did not cost $3. In an effort to avoid making two trips today, SO really packed the pickup truck (plus some of the branches still had leaves, plus it rained last night, so some of what we transported was moisture). The result was being charged $2.38 instead of $1 today, so the total came to $4.38 (plus $30 to fill up the gas tank, plus about $24 in lunches). Also, weight lifting! Steps on the Fitbit! Fresh air! Being scolded by wrens! Listening to cicadas! Priceless! Still, we are exceedingly happy to be done with that project. It was blocking my creativity, plus those piles were just plain in the way.

Speaking of cicadas, they are so loud that I could hear them over the roar of my lawn mower the other day. And yet, their noise is so much more pleasant than that of mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers. Do you agree?

Another task off the to do list

The privet has been tamed, thanks to the SO and my new loppers.



See the power lines? Those were in jeopardy last winter during an ice storm. And see the grassless wasteland below? The privet had formed an arch across to the chain link fence which just about killed the grass.

Now we just need to figure out what to do with the brush pile.



The neighbor I catsit for mentioned something about buying a chipper. If he doesn't, I may rent one. That will be a new experience.

Oh, my. What do we have here?



Why, it's the first tomato of the season, ready to eat on the fourth of July.



It will go well with my Advil tonight.

What's that smell?

The privet hedge is in bloom. The aroma is almost too cloying to be enjoyable. The bees are loving it, though.

We have received quite a bit a rain this spring, at least an inch a week, I think. Another inch fell over the past day or two, and now the yard is starting to sprout mushrooms.



Gadzukes! That's not all that's sprouting.



Every year I am overrun with zucchini, but last year I did not plant any due to the renovations and I missed it. The stuff from the grocery store just does not taste the same.

Finally, a halfway decent pic of blossoms on the honeysuckle vine.



At A Way to Garden, they were discussing aphids on honeysuckles. So that is why the blossoms sometimes curl up and die. More come on, but maybe I should add an aphid shower to my yard regime.

The yarrow is starting to bloom.



But it looks like the pestimon has bit the dust. I will plant more someday because the hummingbirds really like it.

I have generations of rabbits in my backyard habitat.



The ones in this nest have since ventured out, but they are the equivalent of toddlers. They hide in the coneflower, and mama comes around to nurse them now and then. I tried to get a photo of the latter, but was too cautious because I did not want to disturb them.

This guy is a teenager, I bet.



He used to be quite skittish, but now he just watches me with that "What's YOUR problem?" look on his face.

Otherwise, I am harvesting radishes and scallions, mowing grass between showers, and losing the battle of the weeds. So what else is new?