Peachtree Cafe Soon to Close

Local wildlife has been coming through our yard in droves enjoying the abundant fruiting of our peach tree this summer.  A steady stream of deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and various birds have been to the "Peachtree Café" every day for the past few weeks.  Almost all the bigger, juicy fruits have been consumed now and soon the tree-side café will close for the season.  We've enjoyed the regulars as well as those we rarely ever see, like the scarlet tanager who made a special appearance with his mate and young today.  The squirrels have been the most entertaining as they swing from the branches and go to all lengths, often hanging upside down, to reach the tasty peaches.  The tree has been stressed to the max by all the commotion, and we just hope it can survive to see another year and to host another bountiful feast for its wildlife patrons.

Cowbird

This morning, I spotted a female brown-headed cowbird grazing in our front lawn.  Her male counterpart has more distinctive coloring ~ a chestnut brown feathered head and black body plumage.  Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and rely on foster parents to raise their young.

Female Cowbird

Happy Summer Solstice

Enjoy the bright, sunshiny days of summertime!

Peaches, peaches, peaches ...

Love those juicy peaches.  Deer swallow them whole!

Why it's Called Bee Balm

Loved by bees everywhere!!!

 

Sleepy Squirrel

Picking peaches ...

... is hard work!!!

Art Show

Every July, our church has a friends and members art show.  The two paintings I'm submitting this year are pictured below.  They were both a joy to create!

Homage to Autumn

L'amour des Fleurs

So Cute

Chipmunks are inherently one of the cutest mammals we see in our part of the world.  They are so tiny and bright eyed.  It's always a joy to spot one of them busy at work, gathering food to save for later by stuffing their cheeks full.  The chipmunks are enjoying their fill of peaches this season.  We find the half eaten fruits strewn across our patio. Here are a couple of photos of a chipmunk busying himself right outside my window today.

Flower Feeder

Striking a pretty pose in the garden ... then ...

Munching on the day lilies!

Summer Brights

It's a special day for us here ~ our wedding anniversary. Nature gifted us with a bright, sunny day.  It's the time of year when some of our brightest flowers start to pop, gorgeous orange day lilies and hot pink colored bee balm flowers, loved especially by the fritillary butterflies, the first of which I spotted today.  The bee balm plants surround Jasper's memorial statue in a crown of pretty pink blossoms.  Jasper would have loved a day just like today.  Nothing pleases a cat more than a peaceful day napping in the sun ... and Jasper's favorite activity was being outdoors on the garden patio surrounded by flowers.

Bad, Bad Bear

It is very exciting to see black bears right outside our window from time to time ... but there is a down side to their presence.  Bears can be very destructive just by doing what bears do.  This spring, for the first time, our peach tree out back was so healthy and so full of ripening peaches.  In previous years, the fruit it produced was small and mealy and didn't ever reach full size.  In the photos below, you can see the tree before a big bear broke a main portion of the tree (no doubt after the delicious looking peaches), after the damage, and finally after we did our best repair and clean-up.