Trying Again

I didn't have any luck attracting and keeping Hummingbirds coming back with the plastic feeder leftover from last year. It got mold spots inside it. I tried cleaning it but they came right back. I saw one Hummingbird visit, shy away, and speed off. So I tossed that feeder and bought a new glass one. I figure that glass will be easier to keep clean. I had some birdie juice in the fridge so I poured that into the feeder and hung it up this morning.

While I was out there I filled all the other feeders and the House Finches really got the message. There are four House Finches in this picture--one male on the crook and two females and a male on the platform feeder. I was surprised that the male in the feeder didn't shoo away one of the females but he didn't.

The scraggly old day lilies in the bed behind the house have thrown up some buds. Like the peonies, these day lilies don't get much sun and have to fight their way through the fern fronds, so they're kind of the red-headed stepchildren of the garden, but they're trying.

The blue star flowers are really blooming now. This one is right across from the patio door so I can see it adding star flowers every day.

And these are the buds of some weeds next to the star flowers. I don't know what plant this is but it isn't ugly and it has these small red violet flowers on it. There's a bunch of these plants all down the retaining wall and I hate to yank them out because they're kind of pretty. Maybe if I knew their name I'd feel better about them. If anybody knows what it is, sing out. Thanks.

I didn't paint and I didn't draw today but I did work on the manuscript that I've uploaded to Kindle Create. The good thing about that program is I can make edits in it so I'm not locked in just yet. Somehow seeing it in "book form" makes it easier to read and see where it needs a bit of attention.

It's late. I'm tired. Talk to you tomorrow.

--Barbara