We have a miniature garden happening on our deck. I tried planting tomatoes out in one of the beds in the yard but I found that the squirrels would pick the green fruit, take one bite, then discard it. It was very frustrating to watch the tomatoes coming along and then all of a sudden be ruined by rodents. So now we just have them in pots on the deck and it seems to work fairly well. This year it’s been a little too wet for them, but they are not doing too badly.

The other morning after it had rained overnight I took these photos. Some were taken with the Lens Baby. I particularly liked the way the drops of water clung to their skins.

We also have our herb garden planted in an old wash tub. We are used to using our sage, oregano, rosemary, and thyme whenever we are cooking with fresh herbs. It’s great to just step out the back door to get a quick snip of whatever we need. I was amazed that the thyme came back this year! Everything else did not winter and we planted new this spring. We have a pot of basil too but since it grows so large it is in a pot of its own.

We have grape tomatoes too.

This little guy is on a branch that broke off from the main plant. I figured what the heck? and plunked it down in a pot with the tarragon plant (which is struggling because Bella pulled it up and carried it around the yard early on) and lo and behold the silly thing is still alive! That just goes to show you how wet it’s been that it could take root with no help from me! It’s even putting out new leaves!

Our bay “tree” was struggling with some kind of sticky bugs when we had it in our sun room. I was about to give up on it and throw it out, which would have been a shame since we’ve had it for so long. (It made the trip from Colorado with us and we had it a few years before we moved.) Rick decided to put it outside and it is now thriving. In fact, it’s gotten so big I am going to have to put it in a tree-sized pot.

I think it actually likes being wet. And here all this time I was thinking bay trees liked it warm and dry!

P.S. All perfect water drops were supplied by Mother Nature.

Edited on 7/25 to add that we ate the nice ripe tomato at the top of the entry last night and it was dee-licious!

Did you know that toads can talk? I didn’t. At least not until yesterday. Rick was mowing along the edges of our back yard yesterday afternoon when he stopped, sighed, and looked at me. I saw the toad jump in front of the mower and knew what he was sighing about. He didn’t want to run over the toad. I picked up the toad to relocate him elsewhere and he started making a chirping sound not unlike a baby bird. I was so startled that I dropped him.

After Rick was done mowing I had a hard time catching him again because he kept leaping out of my hand. Finally I calmed him down enough to sit in my hand and take this video. Turn up your sound!

I know he was just giving out a distress call and not really “talking,” but a gal can imagine he was, now can’t she? I’m sure I heard him say hey lady, thanks for saving me, but would ya please put me down now and leave me alone .. and by the way don’t even think about kissing me!
See To Kiss A Golden Toad

I don’t know why I’m sitting here trying to blog today. I am kind of in a funk and not really sure why. I have no reason to be. I feel like summer is passing me by and soon it will be gone and I won’t have done any of the things I intended to do. I had a goal of keeping my flower beds weed free and it all started out so well. Then the rains came and so did the weeds. I battled them for a while but now I just looked at them this weekend and said go ahead, clog my flower bed, see if I care! I’ve given up. Plus, I think that in my zeal to weed early on I must have pulled out my coneflowers since not one do I have now. Bummer.

It is still not really summer here. More like an extended spring. The pool temperature I think has topped out at 78 degrees on a good day. Yesterday three-quarters of an inch of cool rain fell over much of the day and I’m sure the pool temp will fall by a few degrees too. It’s just sad. I do like the cool nights for pleasant sleeping but I really could use a little more heat. I think we may have broken 80 degrees once or twice. My day lilies did not bloom as vigorously as years past and we’ve not had the dragonflies we normally do. They usually love the lilies. Neither have I seen my little buddies the hummingbird moths, and only a few butterflies so far. We still have a few hanger-on fireflies, still looking for love (most likely in all the wrong places), winking high in the treetops. And the cicadas? I am really not sure they will make an appearance this year. I’m afraid it may be too cool for them. I associate the sound of cicadas with hot weather and it’s not looking good!

There are so many things to blog about that I have just let pass me by.

Like the day we had two trees removed from our front side yard. It was fascinating to watch how quickly and easily the tree removal crew took them down. And how their super-charged shredding machine chewed up huge branches and limbs into mulch in a matter of seconds. We kept the wood from the trunks of the trees and will season it for use in a year or so. One tree was a black birch and when they cut it the smell of root beer, or to be more exact—birch beer—permeated the air for hours afterwards. I can still press my nose to the pieces of wood and smell that wonderful odor.

Like the two tea towels I finished.

Like the rest of the photos from our trip to San Miguel.

Like the somewhat upscale dinner we gave for a few friends of ours on Saturday night.

Like the great walk we took through the old Jungle Habitat with the dogs on Sunday. (Jungle Habitat is a story within itself! Another abandoned New Jersey attraction.)

All likely topics to blog about, but yet, I didn’t. Or haven’t. I need to get on with it here!

Watch this space ...

Edited on Wednesday afternoon to add:
Okay, so I lied. But not on purpose.
I went out to take some photos around noon today and these three things were different than my post above.
It was steamy and very warm. My camera lens even fogged up!
I heard a cicada!
I found one coneflower blooming and several others about to!
So, there you have the latest.
I’m thrilled about all three things above.
Well…maybe not so much the foggy camera lens ...

On Wednesday I hiked with neighbor Luke to Terrace Pond. Although there are No Swimming signs posted both at the beginning of the trail and at the pond itself, Luke assures me this used to be (and probably still is) a popular swimming hole.

The trail, like the other hike that Rick and I took back in the fall, is an uphill climb with a few rock scrambles. Here is Luke at the beginning of the trail.

And up the rocky trail we go! See the blue blaze marks on the rocks?

The view from the first uphill climb. Pretty! It was a gorgeous day: clear blue sky with not a cloud in it, perfect temperature, and lower humidity.

A bit further up the trail the rocks got a bit more dramatic. I wasn’t brave enough to join Luke in admiring the view. Can you blame me or do you think I’m a wimp? (Actually I was mindful of twisting my back again since it’s mostly healed.)

Luke thought this mushroom looked like a slightly over-cooked pancake and I agree.

The trail was easier than I thought it was going to be and after a few more rocky places and a few bogs we soon reached our destination: Terrace Pond.

The water was clear and calm. Bullfrogs were giving a concert from the edge of the pond sounding very much like they were plucking guitar strings. We stopped to eat a bite of lunch before heading back down.

Luke showed me this cool sheltering overhang that made a sort of cave. It would offer a lot of protection from the elements if you needed it.

Are you getting the idea that New Jersey is one rocky place?

These Indian Pipe Plants took advantage of a mulchy spot on the rocks.

The hike back down took about half the time of the hike up. All in all a very pleasant hike and a great way to spend a few hours. Next time we need to find the loop trail that goes all the way around the pond for more of a challenge!

Tonight I held a baby bat in my hands. No, really, I know what you’re thinking (ewwwww!) but I really did. And it was very cool. Rick and I were out swimming tonight after it was dark by the light of the Tiki torches. We were doing laps in the *almost* 80 F degree pool water (finally!) when I noticed something strange crawling right along the edge of the pool. At first I thought it might be a frog due to its ungainly gait. When I got close I realized it was tiny baby bat!

With our bat population down here in New Jersey by a huge degree due to a fungus that has been affecting our bat population, I was ecstatic to see this little guy! He was insistent upon going into the pool no matter how Rick or I tried to redirect him. He seemed to be unable to fly. Finally I jumped out of the pool, let him climb on my hand, and transported him to the railing where he would at least be safe from puppy-everything-goes-in-my-mouth Bella who was also out with us. He felt strange to my hand. Not like the hummingbird which I held last year; not like a rodent-like creature either. I felt its wings a bit and maybe its feet. I can’t describe him quite. Not creepy though. 

When I put him down on the railing he started crawling along. We weren’t sure if it was hurt and unable to fly, or just too young to fly.

I jumped back in the pool and continued swimming. About ten minutes or so later I decided to get out and see if it was still making its way along the railing. I found it not too far from where I had left it. I spoke softly to it and said something like “are you still here” and with the breath from my voice it spread its tiny wings and flew away.

I can only hope in that instant it finally learned how to fly. Am I just plain weird that I feel quite blessed tonight?

See you next year, little fledgling bat ...