Today a flock of Cedar Waxwings descended upon the spruce in our evergreen garden to savor the ripe berries there. Two or three bold Robins joined them. I expect that all of the berries will be gone by tomorrow or the day after. The Waxwings are such dressy birds, like men suited up for a formal event. Not flashy like the Cardinals, they are smooth and green, with a yellow border at the end of their tail and a small crest. I noticed them earlier as they gathered at the top of one of the Ash trees along the creek. They flew away then, but I suspected that they had identified the Juniper berries as a feast. An hour later they were back, devouring the berries. Couldn’t get any really good shots, but had a fun time watching.
Been cleaning up this fall more than usual, and have every good intention of being more disciplined next year. This summer was so wet and hot, and I couldn’t get out into the yard very much when it mattered. The vegetable garden was pretty bad, even though we did harvest at least 20 pounds of potatoes and 10 of onions. Tomatoes died early, peppers never got going, great cucumbers for the first half of the summer, and must admit I let the zucchini get overgrown. Next spring we will build raised gardens, with bark chip walkways between, and try to civilize the area once again.
The pond was cloudy all summer this year. But late in July I became aware that somehow the three fish that survived the winter had passed on their genes and created at least 30, maybe 40 offspring. Some of them are almost two inches long by now, and I hope they survive the coming winter. Working now to stabilize the Ph levels before we put in the aerator and heater for winter.
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