A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Image: Wikipedia

Yes,  I know I shouldn't fool around with things about which I know only a little bit and not near enough to do what I need to do. However, I recently completely ignored that understanding of myself and jumped feet first into a technological problem I should have left alone.

My cell phone had been "acting up," as I mentioned in my last post.  I occurred to me to access the phone's online user guide and find out how to fix the problem.  I read through pages of (mostly) non-understandable language until I found the section which referred to the problem I was having, and proceeded to follow the slightly-fuzzy directions for correcting the same.

I clicked here and there; deleted this and that, presuming that I was making progress.  I made progress, all right.  I progressed myself into a completely non-working phone with which I could do nada, zilch, bumpkis -- a piece of junk fit only for the trash-bin.

I took said junk to the dealer from which it came. "Uh, Lady. What in the world did you do to it?" 

After a prolonged visit, I came away with a new phone, which is working beautifully, thank you, and which has many more "bells and whistles" than my old one.  Thanks to Christmas gift cards from generous relatives, I didn't even have to shell out any of my hard-earned Social Security income.

I've made myself a promise that if this one should go wonky on me,  I won't try to fix it, but head straight to the dealer for, I would hope, a more educated approach to problem solving.

OTHER STUFF

One
I've read four books this past week, all actual hold-in-your- hands, turn-the-pages books.  The first one, a referral from Arkansas Patti at her The New Sixty blog, was The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, a Swedish author.   The title is a mouthful, but the story is absolutely delightful, and highly recommended!  Thank you, Patti! 

Due to budgetary constraints, I'm really tight-fisted -- about almost everything, including e-books for my Kindle. Although Jonasson's book was available in the Kindle edition, it came at a price, so I requested the paperback edition from my library. After a wait of a couple of weeks --the book seems to be very popular at present -- it arrived and was picked up. It took me several days to read it. I didn't rush; I savored it.
  
On April 4, while I was at the library to return it,  I browsed the Mystery section (my favorite) and selected an armful of books -- four "cozy" mysteries and one not quite so cozy, and have read three of them. 

Why the reading binge?  I'm sorry to say it's my one of my favorite avoidance tactics.  I need to be working on my taxes!

I did make myself pull together some of the more detailed information I need for my tax filing; I'm not completely ignoring the task, just dragging my feet.

Two 
What has the image of a hummingbird to do with this post, you ask?  Gardening Daughter called me last evening to report that hummingbirds are at her feeders. Too soon!  Too soon!  It's not even warm, yet!


Tomorrow is also a day.

Bits and Pieces

My neighbor's pretty dogwood tree

Bird sightings yesterday included the first hummingbird of the season. Gardening Daughter's advice to make nectar and put out the feeder was just in time.  The little bird lingered only long enough for three or four sips, and since the feeder has been up for several days, I need to inspect the nectar to assure its freshness.  I'd hate for a hummer to find my offering unpalatable.

Two Goldfinches, females, I think, made a brief appearance for a drink from the bird bath and moved on; their leaving was my clue to get out the Niger Thistle seed and refill the finch feeder.  

Blue jays, cardinals and sparrows of various sorts are routine visitors.  While Jays don't have what I would describe as a 'sweet' call, they, like the other birds, are more vocal right now, and the air around my home is filled with bird melodies.  At first light this morning, the crape myrtle in my front yard was the grandstand from which the cardinals were serenading their lady-loves -- a wonderful sound to start my day.

The weather front which moved through the state on Monday (very wet and blustery) brought clear skies on its skirt-tails, and yesterday was a beautiful day.  It's cooler this morning, and partly cloudy, but it looks like it's going to be a lovely Wednesday.

Tomorrow is also a day.

The Hummers (birds, not vehicles) are here

Image: Wikipedia

The first hummingbird of the season arrived at my feeder this morning; a beautiful, male ruby-throated bird.  A true spirit-lifter!  I was fortunate to be looking out the window at the time (an activity in which I engage all too much), checking my other bird feeders for visitors.

My hummingbird feeder has been up for almost a week, ever since I was alerted by Gardening Daughter that her sage is beginning to bloom, a sure sign (to her) that hummingbirds will be arriving soon.

I have been visited in recent days by a horde of flashing-winged male goldfinches. They are late-comers, having been preceded by the females by several weeks.  They are good eaters, those little birds; I have to fill their feeders every day. They prefer Niger Thistle seed, a pricy, but well worth the cost, bird food.  Ah, well --you know what is said about money: "you can't take it with you."

The perennial plants in my flower beds which have lain dormant through the winter are emerging. My Tropicana Cannas are back in full force, surrounded by weeds, I fear.  I've got a bit of work to do there; the chickweed is rampant. Fortunately, chickweed is easy to pull out -- the growth is in the stems, not in the roots.

I can tell my memory's going. When I look at the emerging shoots, I realize I've lost track of what's what in some cases. Lilies I recognize, but there are other plants about which I have no clue. I'll just have to wait until the blooms come to be sure what I've got.  Can I say create a "Garden Layout?" 

I've purchased a few new plants for the front beds. I lost my lavender to the excessive rain we had late last year. I intend to replace it with two different varieties, and think I may place them in a large pot where I can control the water input. Lavender doesn't like wet feet, I've been told. 

I also bought new herbs: sage, basil and rosemary.  My small rosemary also bit the dust over the winter. I know that rosemary can live for years if it's in the right place.  Just last summer, I finally removed a 20-yr old plant that had been damaged by an ice-laden falling limb.

It's a sort of gloomy day today.  Rain is in the forecast, and I hope it materializes. We need it, badly.  Our city is under a "burn ban" for the entire month of April.  I'm not a burner, except in drastic situations, preferring to send my yard "trash" to the city's compost facility.  Such stuff is picked up at the curb every Wednesday. What could be easier?

Wishing you all a happy week end.

More, later.

Look around -- "happy" could be anywhere

It doesn't take a whole lot to make me happy.

Yesterday morning about 7:30, I spied a single hummingbird trying to find nectar in some of my remaining day lilies. Since I did not yet have a hummingbird feeder up, I paid a visit to my local garden store yesterday afternoon and purchased a new shepherd's crook (7') and a basic red plastic container for nectar. I make my own H.B. food, 4 parts filtered water to 1 part sugar, boiled and cooled, which I did immediately upon arriving home, and put up the feeder yesterday afternoon.

My first "happy" for today happened at 9:32 a.m. while I was looking out the window, watching the variety of birds that visit my regular feeders. Lo, and behold! There at the new feeder was a beautiful little hummingbird. He/she lingered to take multiple sips of my homemade nectar, then flew off into the trees. I'm hoping s/he spreads the news that the new feeder station is open for business.



For some time, I have had a yearning for some Tropicanna Canna Lilies, and had been searching various Internet plant catalogs. I thought the price asked was a bit steep, but had almost resolved myself to order a few bare-root plants to be shipped in the fall. However, Fate stayed my hand, and I did not "click to order." A good thing! Because...

...I had another "happy" yesterday afternoon whilst browsing the plant section of above mentioned store. There, on sale ( I love sales) were Tropicanna Canna Lilies. Since I had already picked out a perfect spot for them, I bought four of them.

Gardening Daughter visited a little later in the afternoon and said she had spied some of the same, but nicer plants (she thought) at another garden shop, and drove me to said facility. She was right! They were much larger plants, in lovely condition, although at a higher price than what I had paid for the others. I bought two, anyway.

A serendipity at this other shop was a pallet full of odds and ends of mulch, top soil and sand. Some of the bags had tears, and daughter thought they might be on sale for half price, so she inquired. Amazing! The whole pallet, as is, no additions, no subtractions, could be had for a paltry $8.50. We came home with 3 bags of top soil, 1 bag of sand, 12 bags of cypress mulch and one bag of pine bark mulch. All will be put to good use in my yard.

Daughter has just showed up at my door to help me plant the items purchased yesterday, so that's another happy! I'm always happy for the assistance.

More, later; I'm off to work in the yard!

Today's Flowers, May 3

Variegated Weigela
Weigela florida 'Variegata'

Another gorgeous blooming plant in my daughter's garden. Most of the flowers and shrubs she planted were to attract birds and butterflies. Weigela is a favorite of hummingbirds; surely they will be attracted to these beautiful blossoms.

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.