Tag Archives: maine

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It’s weird, but it works.

13 Comments

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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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This is not good.

21 Comments

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As you know, we’ve had a wet summer in Maine. For a while there it was literally raining every other day. And though that’s kept our grass a lovely green it also makes for saturated ground that can’t absorb a random downpour … which is what happened the other day.

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I know my blog name is River, but I really didn’t want to see one flowing past my kitchen landing.

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It was a crazy amount of water.

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And before long it was creeping right into the garage.

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We’ve never had this happen before and I’m beginning to wonder if the new smooth driveway is funneling it through the path of least resistance.

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Thankfully it was gone in an hour or two, but I’m glad I didn’t have to go out, that’s shoe ruining water right there.

🥴

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The eyes have it.

40 Comments

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My husband and I spent a few hours in a darkened room yesterday.

And sadly, it wasn’t the least bit fun.

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The room was an ocular surgeon’s office and we were there because my other half is going to have a cataract removed.

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This was just the pre surgery exam, the actual operation is scheduled for early December… because that’s the first appointment the surgeon has available. It’s nice to have a competent and skilled doctor, but waiting is the downside of popularity.

I truly hope I’m never in this position because while I have no problem with surgery and being cut open… I can’t have anyone near my eyes. Ever.

I can’t even put drops in. I’m that squeamish. I’d never have gotten through this pre-exam without heavy sedation.

Nope. Uh uh.

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Hum-azing .

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In all the years we’ve fed hummingbirds… 17 years in North Carolina and 21 years here…. we have never had more than two on a feeder at a time.

Ever.

They’re territorial little buggers and don’t usually tolerate companions when feeding. So when I snapped a picture of three hummers on the nectar together last week, I was thrilled and thought I’d seen something special.

And then yesterday I saw this…

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I have no idea why… but we are currently in the middle of a hummingbird population explosion.

Every day there’s a literal flock of the little darlings buzzing around our deck.

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I didn’t manage to capture a photo of the six, but I did get a few of these 5… which for me was an absolute delight.

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I don’t know what we’re doing right.. but I’m going to try and keep doing it.

👍

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Random bits.

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I’ve always loved bugs and insects, the bigger and weirder the better. My father used to swear he found a new variety in the garden every year and I believe it’s true. Their diversity is amazing.

That being said, you know I was thrilled when I found this little beauty in my flower bed the other day.

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Now that’s a spider!

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Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this product’s Amazon pricing?

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I think we’re down to four woodchucks now.

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I haven’t seen six together for quite a while so I’m guessing momma finally booted some of their big butts out of the burrow.

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Damn.

I wish they’d had these when I was young and in love with dinosaurs.

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Up close and personal.

11 Comments

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The other day my husband went to the woodshed to pull out his garden cart and came back in the house shortly after.

“I think one of your woodchucks is hurt” he said.

That made me drop what I was doing and rush out back to find this:

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Junior, momma chuck’s full grown offspring from last year.. the one who never left the nest, was wedged in between the cart, some wood and a few landscaping bricks.

Or was he?

I knelt down, spoke softly and determined he wasn’t stuck… just scared.

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We backed off, hid around the corner and waited for 10 minutes but he wouldn’t move.

Wanting to get on with his chores the husband slowly pulled the cart out of the shed and bam!

Junior was off like a shot to hide under the deck.

Not hurt, just antisocial.

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Hummingbird wars.

15 Comments

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We have two hummingbird nectar feeders on our back deck. (Sugar and water only please. Don’t buy that packet with the awful red dye. Use red glass feeders instead.)

2023 has been a banner year for hummers and I don’t think we’ve ever seen this many at one time. But with high numbers come battles, because while they’re beautiful … they’re also quite territorial.

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The minute one sits down to feed, another arrives to chase it off.

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Please appreciate the fact I had to take 20 photos to get these two of the little jewels in flight. Those little suckers are quick.

Here’s a short video of a male and a female. They drank together for a short while.

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And if that wasn’t amazing enough?

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Three hummers. Happily feeding together…

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That’s never happened before.

❤️

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