Hiding in the Siding

| Flower Roberts

This story started with a sting in 2018. My husband was going in and out the deck door while grilling. He felt pain on the side of his flip-flopped foot. There was a red spot that started to swell.

The party paused for Benadryl and ice. We soon discovered that Yellow Jackets were hovering low at the corner by the door. We keep wasp spray on hand for just such an incident. That killed those present, but more arrived to the insect airport.

I looked up various remedies to fix the problem. None worked including sealing to opening. They quit coming and going above the deck and moved their traffic below deck. Mr. Flower even used some gasoline at the point of entry. This flushed some of the flyers inside the basement where Mr. Allergic watches television.

Finally, he rigged up some bottle to blow Sevin into the hole. The airport shut down.

This could have been the end of the story but there has been a new development.

Flower finally got her own television for Christmas. It was installed on the wall upstairs, after years of watching on an old box in a cabinet. The new TV needed to be hooked up to the dish cable that served the downstairs TV. More channels for me! It’s about damn time…

Ceiling tiles had to be moved in the Man Cave. This is when the huge nest was discovered. WOW! Mr. Allergic could have been killed on the couch as he watched his sports and scary movies. We all took turns climbing up on the cabinet to peer into the cavernous darkness using a flashlight.

Insects are amazing. I respect them. I usually leave them alone unless they invade our living space and threaten my family.

This nest is a wonderful work of art and architecture. I am so glad we found it hiding in the siding of the Man Cave.

FLOW

The Bulge

| Flower Roberts

Yes, I have eaten too much this holiday but I am not referring to myself.


A bulge appeared at the edge of the Clivia pot. I was too busy to investigate before Christmas.
The bulge got bigger. I assumed it was a pup forming even though I thought Clivia pups usually come up at the plant crown.

Mystery bulge.


I finally investigated when soil spilled onto the floor. I have been known to bring in stow-aways in my pots.
I carefully dug down expecting a toad.

Crowded Roots


Nope.
Just crowded roots that had run out of space. We know how that is.


I was a bit disappointed. I miss my toad friends during the winter.


FLOW

Stay tuned for a post on ‘ Hiding in the Siding.’ It’s one surprise after another here!

My Little Joy

| Flower Roberts

I am home for the holidays. We are frantically cleaning before our son, the sneezer, arrives.
All dust must be ousted.


I tossed out some dusty items onto the bench outside. I forgot that this is the spot where my little friend sits each morning. I call him “Stubby” because he is missing the end of his tail.

Stubby and the ousted dust.


He has never been frightened by me. I would like to believe he is the baby I rescued from the koi pond.

Chipmunk Rescue

Chipmunk Rescue


These are the things that bring me joy.
I consider them gifts from the Universe.
I hope your holiday brings your heart joy.

FLOW

Our New Airstrip

| Flower Roberts

There’s a new piece of land out front of our house due to sedimentation.

It is long and flat and clear of vegetation.

It has caught the attention of the pilots from the nearby private airport.

First a helicopter landed on it. (earlier post)

Now, we have observed PLANES landing on it.

The first time this happened was at dusk and I could not get photos.

It happened again yesterday.

I was worried about boaters landing on the new island! HA.

One yellow plane landed and took off while the other yellow plane flew alongside probably to film the feat.

There was a dip after takeoff. We thought it might go under the water but it pulled back up.

We may need to trim some limbs, so we won’t miss any of the air shows.

FLOW

P.S. My daddy would love this. He had a little yellow and red Piper Cub.

Limes Among Laundry

| Flower Roberts

Even when things seem rather dark my plants serve as green lights to cheer me.


I am home for a while catching up on housework and laundry.
I really do not enjoy these endless chores.
The brightest spot in the laundry-hanging room is occupied by my largest plants.


The biggest one is a key lime tree that I grew from seed.
Here it is now with lovely little limes hanging like Christmas balls.


This was my joy today, seeing these sweet( not literally) litte limes hanging among the laundry, lines and clothes pins.
My hope is green and my joy is green!

FLOWER and her fruits

Change Causes Change

| Flower Roberts

I use this saying often, especially now.

Our home is being surrounded by changes.

The latest change is a growing sandbar across the river.

The marina upstream has been adding many boatslips for renting.

We have watched the dredging off and on for months. The wet buckets full of mud rise from the water and dump the soupy sludge onto a barge. Muddy water streams off the equipment with each movement.

When things move water, water moves things.

The stirred up sediment goes with the flow of the water. It ends up somewhere else.

We are lucky that the island in front of us is on the other side of the river. Some neighbors to the north were not so lucky.

I hope the marina will do the right thing and clear the area in front of these piers.

Change causes change. Actions have reactions.

This last photo is a helicopter trying out the new sandbar. I suspect this will be a new hangout for boaters.

Here we go!

FLOW