Tag Archives: backyard

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He really can’t help himself.

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My husband loves to talk. To anyone. At any time. Even if he’s paying them to work.

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This happened yesterday when the man we hire to bush hog our field every autumn showed up with his tractor.

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That’s the tractor under the arrow at the bottom of the hill. It was turned off and standing still because my husband went out to talk to him halfway through the mowing.

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Mowed field on the right. Unmowed on the left.

The worst part? My husband talked to the man for so long he wasn’t able to finish and we were left with a big patch of untouched field.

No telling when he’ll be able to come back and complete the job .

Things like this make me wish I could duct tape my husband to a chair.

With a gag in his mouth.

🤣

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Of fog and wooly bears.

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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.

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Looks like a mild winter to me.

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A mantis mystery.

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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.

So there is a reason….

🤣

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Tails down please.

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We have stinky visitors every night.

(Pardon the picture quality, I was shooting through a window in the dark)

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Thankfully they rarely spray each other and reserve their perfume for the raccoons or fox who get too close.

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But when I flip the deck light on and see four of the little striped darlings jostling each other for access to food?

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I want to holler tails down please!

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And enjoy a scent free evening.

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No bees were harmed in the making of this post.

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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.

🤣

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Miscellaneous Maine

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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.

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Random backyard woodchuck shots…

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Because I can.

❤️

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It’s weird, but it works.

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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.

The bees?

Gone!

👍

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