~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL
This has been such a windy week that it’s been hard getting plants into pots, but by yesterday I had planted petunias, dianthus and a couple of peppers I had split off and saved for their pots on the patio.
In the raised beds, there has been absolute carnage as the little crickets are out in full force and the pill bugs have been nipping at lettuce and chard. In fact, I was horrified today to see some very nice chard seedlings GONE!!!
Over at our sister site Open Range Ramblings, we’ve been focused on fruit. Here’s a bit more…
Apricot blossom
So far, that blossom is the only one on the tree. In case you’re wondering what that odd thing in the background is, it’s my new “rain barrel”. What rain we get comes mostly in the form of huge downpours during the monsoon season during the summer. So, I’m hoping “harvest” about 50 gallons of water this summer.
Yesterday was rather cloudy but no rain! This is typical of this area…you really think there’s a chance…but nothing materializes most of the time. However, the sky does do some interesting things…the light here is always fascinating.
No rain after all...
The squirrels are out, but I don’t see them too often. I’m thinking there’s some day care going on for little squirrels. The squirrels have been knawing at a cactus I planted last year, so I put water out for them near the wall. Nearly every day I toss the vegetable scraps over the wall for them to feast on. They must be fairly happy because this is the first year I haven’t found a huge hole being dug in the raised beds.
Obviously, my rock squirrels are pampered, in the hopes that they don’t have to rely on marauding through my garden TOO much. Chicago Correspondent Leslie sent this along awhile ago, and it describes the kind of life my squirrels receive:
...at the spa
Even though they need constant pampering, I have to admit the little ones are adorable, so I’ll be looking out to their debut and will hopefully be able to catch a few shots!
Have a great week outside!
Filed under: Life | Tagged: apricot trees, cactus, chard, crickets, dianthus, fruit trees, harvesting water, high desert gardening, lettuce, monsoon season, peppers, petunias, pill bugs, rain barrels, raised garden beds, rock squirrels, southwest garden |
InsightAnalytical -- Watching Our World 
Okay, how did you do that with the squirrels? You know by now that I feed about a dozen of the little furry tailed rodents and love to watch them. This is the best I have seen and is now my favorite squirrel bit of all time. Aren’t they cute? And don’t I sound like a pinhead.
Ohmygod, I’ve become a Squirrelbot! 😆
My father has been “plagued” for years by squirrels, and I have suggested for years that he put out a feeder for them so they leave his bird feeders alone. Alas, he refuses to listen and continues to have problems with them.
I used to have one fella that would try to get at my feeder, but he was too heavy for it, so it went crashing to the ground every time he hopped on board. I started tossing out corn cobs for him on the ground, and the problem was solved.
The video is very cute, Leslie. And no, Marge. You don’t sound like a pinhead.
[…] Saturday Sanity: The Antidote to the Madness (April 11, 2009) Carnage in the Garden; Blossoms; Harvesting Water; Empty Clouds; Spoiled Squirrels Jump to Comments Originally Posted at InsightAnalytical […]
I don’t understand how you are just now getting blossoms on your apricot tree down south, while mine are long gone. Of course, it could have been the wind that blew all my blossoms off the tree. We finally are getting rain in ABQ. My two rain barrels should be full by the end of the weekend.
Well, it’s windy and chilly today and I have no clue about why your apricots blossomed before mine!
Let’s face it, NM has some bizarre weather!~
MARGE..we are proud animal lovers..and birds too.love that squirrel.spa too…
Marge, I had a little wooden seat for a squirrel with a spike facing it that was to hold an ear of corn. It was like a little chair, and the little buggers would actually sit on that seat and enjoy their dried corn. It was nailed to an oak tree in my back yard of the house I used to have.
I had ten bird feeders and a couple of them were specialties – one for gold finches, filled with black niger seeds which they loved. The perches were too small for any other bird, so they had sole possession.
Another had a special ledge for the birds to land on, and if anything larger than a cardinal landed on it the door to the feeder closed and they couldn’t get the food.
This was kept filled with sunflower seeds especially liked by the cardinals.
Happy Easter to you,kiddo. I left a little Easter greeting for you on my old blog, Bad Habit
Love,love,love that squirrel picture!!!! 😀
I was there just yesterday, Mary Ellen, before this pic went up!!
Ooh, those peeps look HOT!!!
Loved the “Peep Show” Mary Ellen! That’s the best use I’ve ever seen for the silly things! Only in America could we come up with so many creative ways to mainline sugar.
Happy Easter/Passover to all!