Frustration

First it was squirrels trying to eat my porch.  Just recently it's pileated woodpeckers trying to drill into my house!  While I don't plan on killing the woodpeckers I will scare them off with my BB pistol.  As for the squirrels I have purchased a pellet rifle with a scope (don't laugh).  I figure if I can get enough of them with it it just might keep them away.  They are so stupid, though, they just might come back for more.  When I asked my critter guy what causes the squirrels  to gnaw on the porch he said it was due either to stress or over population.  I have noticed that they are smaller this year.  Heaven knows they have enough hickory nuts to feed them and the oak trees supplied acorns.  Of course there's a rivalry for the acorns with the deer.  The woodpeckers haven't been back, so far, after I fired my BB pistol in their general direction.  Guess they may have more brains than the squirrels.
Oh, the joys of home ownership.
Y'all have a beautiful day and remember.....it is what it is.

A little humor

The Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrels.  After much prayer and consideration, they concluded the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will.

At the Baptist church the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistery.  The deacons met and decided to put a water slide on the baptistery  and let the squirrels drown themselves.  The squirrels liked the water slide and, unfortunately, knew instinctively how to swim so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week.

The Methodist church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of  God's creatures.  So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist church.  Two weeks later the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water slide.

But the Catholic church came up with a very creative strategy.  They baptized all the squirrels and consecrated them as members of the church.  Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

Not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue;  they took the first squirrel and circumcised him.  They haven't seen a squirrel since!

Hope you enjoyed.

And now it's hot

I think we're breaking records here for the temperatures in May.  It was almost 90 yesterday and could be even hotter today.  And it's still May!  For a while it was much cooler...a "cold" spell if you like.  Wish it would make up its mind.  I have learned to go out quite early to do the weeding.  Which means I have to get up early 😒.
I decided to paint my two rocking chairs on the porch yesterday.  I used spray paint and almost wish I hadn't.  My hand was really hurting when I got through.  It was quicker, though.  Trying to find cushions to fit, however, was not as quick.  I finally found some and even those didn't quite fit right.  they'll do for this year.
Y'all have a pleasant day and remember....life is just a bowl of cherries (hmmmm, wonder how many remember that one?)...not.

Mother's Day

Wishing all Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day.  May your blessings be many.

This 'n' that

The list of people I used to follow is fairly long.  Now there are only two or three still posting here.  Don't know why or where they've gone.  It's a bit lonely.  I'll still be posting, though, as it helps keep me centered, so to speak.  And there are a couple of people who read me and post comments.  Oh well, onward and upward.

Taking the day off as far as weeding goes.  Planted a curly willow day before yesterday.  Hoping the deer don't eat it.  I have three more to plant and feel kinda proud that I was able to get cuttings to grow enough to plant.  Now I just have to figure out where to put them.  

I need to figure out where to put the mason bee houses, also.  They've been busy under the porch so I think I'll be setting one up there.  I didn't know what they were when they first appeared.  There they were making holes in the soil, going in and out.  Almost decimated them then because I didn't know what kind of bee they are.  Now I'm glad to see them as they are great pollinators.

The blueberry bushes are full of almost ready berries.  Pretty soon I'll be able to go down and pick 'em for my cereal.  Love fresh blueberries.  And they're good for you!

Looks like it's going to rain today.  I'm going to a brunch at one of the local restaurants.  It's being put on by a local clothing store so there'll be a fashion show.  The money raised goes to the animal shelter which needs all the help it can get.  It was overwhelmed when 300 animals were seized from a place where the neglect was horrendous.  Even the U.S. SPCA had to come in and help.  I don't understand how people can do that to animals.  It wasn't just dogs and cats but horses and donkeys as well.  Although there may have been extenuating circumstances I hope they are never allowed to have animals again.

If any of you out there in the blue nowhere are mothers I wish you a Happy Mother's Day.  

Weeding

For the past two days I've been getting up with the roosters so I can get out early before the sun comes up over the trees.  It's started to get warm and I need to get a lot of weeding done.  Last year a friend helped but she has a job now so doesn't have the time.  I might make it through 2 hours but that's about my limit.  This old body can't do as much as it used to.  My muscles are letting me know that, especially my knees.
I'm hoping to fill in the bare areas with  more plants.  That's for this weekend....maybe.  The goal, of course is to not have any bare areas.  I believe I mentioned before that there won't be a vegetable garden this year.  We're supposed to have another dry summer this year and I don't want to take the chance of my well going dry.
With all that said I'm off to get outside while it's still cool.  The weeds are calling.  Y'all have a good day and remember.....weed is a four-letter word.

Brrr

It was 40 degrees this morning on my front porch.  Brrr.  This is May for crying out loud.  Geesh!
I think I'll wait 'til it warms up a bit before going out to do some weeding.  Bought a milkweed plant yesterday in hopes of attracting Monarchs.  I'll probably have to wait until the plant is much bigger and producing its pods, etc.
Sunflower seeds have sprouted and are beginning to show leaves above ground.  The seeds are from last year's "crop" so I hope they are just as huge.
Stuck a sweet potato in a pot of soil.  Will see if it does anything.  A sweet potato vine would be pretty hanging off the porch.
Texas hibiscus seeds are starting to sprout.  Those are in a pot on the porch.  Until they flower they will look just like pot plants (Cleome do too) so if I get a visit from the local constabulary......
Not having a vegetable garden this year.  My friend who so generously helped me last year is working for someone and doesn't have time and I have too much weeding and planting to do out front.  My goal is to get the front to a point where it's nothing but flowers and decorative bushes (the rosemary has gone crazy as well as the oregano).  Just hope I have enough time on this earth to get it done (no I'm not on my way out at least not that I know of).  Maybe the elephant ear plants will take over.
The new gutters were installed just in time.  The day after we had a good gully washer.
As well as buying the milkweed plant yesterday I also bought English Tarragon and Thyme.  A great stone and iron crane sculpture now graces the garden as well.  The whirligig I purchased last week has been working hard at keeping the deer away.
Okay, onward and upward.  You have a glorious day.

Don't know what's going on with the weather.  It was in the 40's this morning when it's usually in the 60's.  Will only get into the upper 60's today.  Unusual here in Georgia for this time of year.  At least the sun is shining for the moment.  We're supposed to get some rain later.  I think it's trying to make up for the drought we had last year.  The pond is definitely full.  Went down there last week and noticed lots of trees coming up right where I need to get down to the edge.  Looks like there's work ahead.  The water level is maintaining somehow so I don't have to worry about that right now.  There is work to be done but it can wait for a tad and inasmuch as I'm not traveling this summer (at least I don't plan to) I can wait a bit until someone can go down there with me.  And I want to wait until it's dry.
Saw some bees down there but on't know what kind they are.  They aren't yellow jackets.  They are small, almost invisible but definitely bees.  And they hover near the ground.  Need to be careful there.
And, again, the bloody water lilies are taking over.  Sigh.  Oh well, will get things done as I can.
Y'all have a lovely, peaceful day.

And finally....

Here's the last of it.

a pace of asses
a pack of dogs, hounds, mules, weasels, wolves
a paddling of ducks
a pandemonium of parrots
a parliament of owls
a party of jays
a peep of chickens
a pitying of doves
a pod of pelicans, porpoises, seals, whales
a pounce of cats
a prickle of porcupines
a pride of lions,, peacocks
a raft of ducks
a rafter of turkeys
a rhumba of rattlesnakes
a romp of otters
a rookery of ennui's
a rout of wolves
a school of fish, opposes, sharks
a scold of jays
a scurry of squirrels
a shiver of sharks
a shoal of fish, sharks a shrewdness of apes
a siege of herons singular of boars
a skein of geese
a skulk of foxes
a sleuth of bears
a sloth of bears
a smack of jellyfish
a sounder of boars, pigs, swine
a sneak of weasels
a span of mules
a stand of flamingos
a streak of tigers
a string of ponies
a stubbornness of rhinoceroses
a swarm of ants, bees, eels, flies, gnats
a team of oxen
a tiding of magpies
a tower of giraffes
a train of camels
a tribe of goats
a troop f apes, baboons, buffalo, foxes, gorillas
a troubling of goldfish
a turn of turtles
a ubiquity of spares
an unkindness of ravens
a wake of buzzards
a warren of rabbits
a wisdom of wombats
a yoke of oxen
a zeal of zebras

I knew some of these but, for the most part, a whole bunch of new ones.  So, that's your education for this week.  There won't be a test.
Y'all have a wonderful day and.....surprise someone with an act of kindness.

a continuance

Here are some more group nouns...

a gaggle of geese
 a gam of whales
a gang of buffalo, elk, weasels
a gaze of raccoons
a glaring of cats
a grist of bees
a gulp of cormorants, swallows
a harem of seals
a hedge of herons
a herd of antelope, asses, buffalo, caribou, cattle, deer, elephants elk, giraffes, goats, horses,    
               kangaroos, moose, rhinoceroses, seals, swans, swine, walruses, zebras
a hive of bees
a horde of gnats
a host of sparrows
a hover of trout
a huddle of walruses
a husk of hares
an intrusion of cockroaches
a kettle of hawks
a knot of snakes, toads
a labor of moles
a leap of leopards
a leash of foxes
a lounge of lizards
a memory of elephants
a mob of emus, kangaroos, whales
a murder of crows
a murmurations of starlings
a muster of peacocks
a mute of hounds
a nest of ants, bees, mice, rabbits, snakes, toads
a nursery of raccoons
a nye of pheasants
an obstinacy of buffalo
an ostentation of peacocks

to be continued......

Nothing today

Have much to do and do it early.  Will be back tomorrow.  Blessings.

More nouns

Yesterday I started a list of collective nouns for animal groups.  Today I continue...

a colony of ants, beavers, gulls, penguins, seals, easels
a company of parrots
a congregation of alligators
a conspiracy of ravens
a convocation of eagles
a corps of giraffes
a coterie of prairie dogs
a covey of quail
a crash of rhinoceros
a den of snakes
a descent of woodpeckers
a dole of turkeys
a down of hares
a dray of squirrels
a drift od swine
a drove of asses, cattle, oxen, swine
a dude of doves
an exaltation of larks
a family of beavers, sardines
a flamboyance of flamingos a flight of doves, swallows
a float of crocodiles
a flock of camels, ducks, goats, sheep, turkeys
a flutter of butterflies
a fold of sheep

Okay, enough for today.  I'd never heard of some of these.  How 'bout you?

To be continued.....

Meanwhile have a gorgeous day.

Something different

The Hermit wrote about what some animal groups are called and I got curious to see if there were more.  I found a list that I'm going to share part of today then more later on.
These I found on Pinterest but they may have come from writeathome.com

an aerie of eagles
an ambush of tigers
an arc of doves
an army of ants, caterpillars, frogs
a bale of turtles
a band of gorillas, horses, jays
a bank of swans
a barren of mules
a bask of crocodiles
a bed of eels, oysters, snakes
a bevy of quail, swans
a blessing of unicorns
a bloat of hippos
a boil of hawks
a bouquet of pheasants
a brace of hounds
a building of rooks
a brood of chickens, jellyfish
a business of ferrets, flies
a cackle of hyenas
a caravan of camels
a cartload of monkeys
a cast of hawks
a cete of badgers
a charm of finches
a chattering of starlings
a clamor of rooks
a cloud of flies, gnats, grasshoppers
a clowder of cats
a cluster of cats
a critter of spiders
a coalition of cheetahs
a cohort of zebras

That's enough for today.  As you can see there might be more than one name for a group of animals, etc.  I wouldn't mind seeing a blessing of unicorns.
Y'all have a glorious day.