We had a really warm week in Maine with temps hitting the lower 80’s. Not my idea of fall, but lots of people were thrilled summer is still hanging on.
With cool nights and warm days comes fog.
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So much fog the deer who usually only show up at dusk are here at dawn.
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This next picture is of a poor starling who smashed into our living room picture window.
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He was okay and eventually flew away after recovering from the shock. But he sure drove our cat crazy.
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Yes, people here still believe caterpillars can predict the weather.
On a walk with Lord Dudley Mountcatten the other day I noticed he found something in front of the garage.
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Batting it this way and that, I stepped in to rescue the poor praying mantis he was harassing and carried it to my flower garden.
Our yard used to be full of these delightful insects (Females bite the males heads off after mating. What’s not to love?) but in the past few years we’ve seen their number drastically decline.
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And while I’m used to the green version, this mantis was completely brown.
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So I’m not sure if it was a different species…
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Or just going through some sort of molt.
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Either way, I was pleased with the rescue.
His Lordship on the other hand, was not.
P.S…. did a little research on the mating ritual of the mantis and have to share.
Males of some mantid species mate more effectively when decapitated. Why? A nerve center in the male’s head inhibits mating until a female is clasped. If this nerve is removed, such as when the female bites off the male’s head, all control is lost and the result is repeated copulation.
I recently joined a FB group that shares photos of Maine wildlife… and seeing that we have a backyard full, I was anxious to add my critters to the mix.
I started with our chuckers eating watermelon because what’s cuter than that?
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This post was well received with dozens of comments and over 400 likes on the first day.
After that resounding success, I thought I would share my helpful hint about putting mint leaves on hummingbird feeders to repel bees naturally and without chemicals .
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That’s when things started to go wrong…
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I never said they didn’t.
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I’m not killing bees, just stopping them from driving my hummingbirds away.
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Bee feeders? Well good for you, but I’d rather not attract stinging insects to my deck.
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I don’t use red dye, I make my own nectar and put it in a red glass feeder.
To be fair the majority of comments were favorable and quite a few people tried it and thanked me. But it’s like they say, no good deed goes unpunished.
You never know what summer in my state will bring. Last year it was hot and dry, this year we’ve had rain every other day. July was brutally hot and humid but most of August has been pleasant.
The other morning?
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It was downright brisk, which I love… but by noon it was almost 85 degrees, which I don’t. They say if you don’t like the weather in Maine wait a minute. Or in this case 6 hours.
Have you ever had a Facebook memory make you cry? Mine did today when it reminded me we lost our beloved Huffington 11 years ago.
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He was run over by a speeding car in front of our house and I swear I still haven’t gotten over it. I know you shouldn’t have favorite children or pets, but this little guy was special and is still very much missed.
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Talk about overkill.
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I like boats as much as the next girl, but this offends every New England frugal sensibility I have.
I’ve been battling bees on my hummingbird feeders for a while now. Once they find a sugar source, they’re hard to get rid of… but I think I’ve found a solution.
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Mint leaves.
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Bees hate the smell and hummingbirds can’t smell at all so it’s the perfect deterrent.
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If I can get the hummers used to the new leafy attachments.
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They kept buzzing around, not sure what to make of it.
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I didn’t think it would be a big deal. They drink nectar from flowers and flowers have leaves.
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A few brave souls have made peace with it so I’m hoping the rest will soon.
I took Lord Dudley Mountcatten out for a walk the other day.
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Or rather, I tried to… as all he wanted to do was sit.
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Granted we’d just had rain and things were a little wet, as proved by this photo of our newly completed deck I lined up and photographed.
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As this was happening, His Lordship spotted a woodchuck in the day lilies and it started squealing.
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I pivoted, climbed to the second step, took a picture and then the Tasmanian Devil I had at the end of the leash decided to wind around my legs and make a dash at the chuck. This resulted in me stumbling off the steps, getting wrapped up in the leash and falling butt first in the flowers.
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See the large depression to the left? That was me and my ever expanding posterior.
I’m not sure who scared off the woodchuck, but I’m guessing it was the sight of my giant behind coming straight at him that made him beat feet.
No worries. I picked myself up, dug around the bushes for my phone and went inside where all was well.
Until I woke up the next day with intense pain on the right side of my bad knee.
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Something’s torn or strained or pulled because walking is painful and flexing my ankle makes me grimace.
As you can see, Lord Dudley was completely unharmed.
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
River's world..... 