the toad lilies are blooming
I woke this morning, Sunday, to the news that the democrats held the Senate (50/49) with the Georgia seat still to be determined by a runoff so it's possible/probable (surely Warnock will keep his seat) democrats will have a 51/49 majority but even if he loses democrats will still retain the status quo. With 20 races still pending for the House, it's possible democrats can retain the majority but right now it's 204/211 favoring republicans. Either party needs 218 for control. If republicans do get control of the House, hopefully it will be a very slim margin, one that can possibly be overcome by bipartisanship with a few moderate republicans (if there are any of those). At worst, or best, if they do get a majority and start all those ridiculous investigations and impeachments they boasted about, they'll show the nation that they not only have no intention of governing but don't even know how to govern. If they shut down the J6 committee, the justice department should already have enough evidence and will continue their own investigations and indictments will still be forthcoming.
Friday was in the 80s and then a storm and front came through. When I woke up Saturday morning, it was in the mid 40s. At 1 PM it was 58 and windy but sunny. If you could be in the sun and out of the wind it was rather nice out. Hard to get out of the wind though. Friday night was supposed to get down to the mid 30s (it did). I have not moved a single plumeria or other tropical plant inside. This coming week lows will be in the 30s and 40s and then it will warm up some. So they may just have to sink or swim this week. I'm a little concerned about the nights in the 30s but I'm totally not prepared to bring everything in. (Haven't been out yet but looking out the windows on Sunday morning everything looks OK.)
I did something Friday that I never thought I would do as someone who thinks physical labor is a healthy activity. I always rake and sweep leaves out of the garage, the barn, and the concrete apron in front of the garage. Rake them into piles and then spread them out in areas of the yard where grass doesn't grow and then we had the deck built. Somehow when we did that it never occurred to me that I just added one more thing I would have to sweep leaves off of, being under a yew tree with an oak tree, small fringe flower tree and a crepe myrtle nearby. So Friday I bought a lightweight battery powered leaf blower suitable for those areas.
I have given up on the squirrel foiling hood, not so much because at least one squirrel overcame it but because I don't seem to be attracting any birds. No cardinals, chickadees, titmice of which there should be a steady stream this time of year hoarding nuts and seeds for the winter. No sparrows or wrens in evidence nor the little warblers that usually winter over here. Blue jays which I have never seen at a feeder and white wing doves are the only birds I'm seeing. So since it's been a hard year for the squirrels especially this fall with no pecans and no acorns I guess from the long very hot summer and no rain, I might as well let the squirrels have the sunflower seeds in my bird feeder so I put it back on the shepherd's crook.
This is the third year in a row I haven't gotten a single pecan and no one else in my neighborhood is getting any this year either, perhaps even the whole area, not even the big native down the road that always always gives a profuse crop.
It's been a full week since I last worked on the old garden spot clearing out the vines. Today would be a good day except that I have plans to spend it with grandgirl Robin so I guess I'll get back out there tomorrow.
Thanks for introducing me to the toad lily. An interesting specimen for sure.
ReplyDeleteThey are very unique.
DeleteThe toad lily is strictly a spring bloomer here, and growing wild. First time I saw it I couldn't believe it was wild, thought it had escaped from a garden. A botanist friend told me otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they grew wild! Interesting that they bloom in the spring there.
DeleteI love my leaf blower.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I will grow to love mine.
DeleteTOAD LILY! I have to see if they can grow around here.
ReplyDeleteIt's the most beautiful day here imaginable. The news from Nevada sure didn't hurt my feelings.
I think your new leaf blower is pretty darn cool.
They should. If they grow here, they ought to grow there. Mine are mostly in the shade or filtered light. Not sure if it gets any direct sunlight but I think they would do better if they got a little more sun. And yeah, the news about the senate was a big relief.
DeleteI was pretty pleased with this midterm election. Sad about Stacy Abrams, and NC is annoying, but still an excellent result.
ReplyDeleteWe're probably bringing the geraniums in tonight. I'm glad we just have the two plants that we overwinter - you might be older than we are, but we are not in good enough shape to be lugging plants hither & yon.
Well, I do have a hand truck I pull them around with though there are a couple that have gotten so big I need help. Too bad about Abrams but it is still Georgia. Won't tolerate too many black people in charge.
DeleteSo the squirrels have the day. Ah well, could be worse.
ReplyDeleteYes, I threw in the towel...this time.
DeleteHow weird about the pecans! And I don't blame you for throwing in the towel on the bird feeder. Sometimes it's easier to just feed the squirrels. (We're doing it with our peanut feeder too.)
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled with the election but I just had a terrible thought while reading those close numbers in your post. Could Manchin or Sinema screw this up by switching parties?!
I think the "King of Coal" Manchin is a lost cause Steve and with Sinema it is "follow the money." Hopefully with Warnock they can tip the scales. It would be even better if the Dems could control the House, but that looks dicey at this point.
DeleteI don't think either one will switch parties. I think if they were going to do that they would have done it already. I could be wrong though. They do appear to be wild cards but if they want to get re-elected in 2024 as democrats they'll have to be a little more cooperative.
DeleteI hadn't seen the news about the Senate - cool, although aren't there still a couple of senators that don't follow party voting? I'm thinking that coal dude who's against climate protections (and whose daughter leads the company that jacked the price of insulin up), and a couple of others. Not that not toeing party line is necessarily a *bad* thing, but a 1-2 vote advantage or a tie is no assurance that things will get done.
ReplyDeleteI may have suggested this before - we used a 4-5' piece of down spout over the bird feeder pole. We used a T-post in the ground, slide the down spout on, then wire the hooks to the T-post. Nice and sturdy so can't be knocked over, too tall for them to jump up over, too slippery for them to climb. Of course that means moving the feeder away from trees where the squirrels can jump down from.
I'm not a fan of leaf blowers (especially gas powered ones), but darn it - the older I get, the more attractive they are for getting things out from spots the rake doesn't fit. Gorgeous toad lily, the spots are so jaunty.
Yeah, Manchin is a wrench in the works but if we get 51 then if he votes against it's still a tie and the VP can break it our way, assuming Sinema votes party. And who knows maybe there will be a moderate republican willing to do some actual governing now that republicans seem to be drawing away from Trump. I think it's very possible that Trump will split the GOP just out of spite.
DeleteI don't care for leaf blowers either, loud and obnoxious. This one is supposed to be fairly quiet which was one of it's selling points.
I'll have to try the downspout thing. How do you attach the bird feeder to the top of the T-post?
The post mounted feeder we had was a cheap plastic one that used a small mounting post, a 2x2 inch piece of wood, that we cut several feet long. That was slid down inside the downspout and wired (or hose clamped) to the t-post. If your post-mount feeder needs a 4x4" post, you might have to abandon the t-post and use larger PVC drain pipe, not so large the squirrels can climb between pipe and post. Maybe even better - nail sheet metal directly to the post. I've seen the power company doing with power poles in the last few years to keep squirrels out of transformers.
DeleteAfter thinking about this a bit more, I think the downspout we used was closer to 3 feet long, but raised off the ground by about 18". Depending on how determined your squirrels are, various combinations might need to be tried.
The key things are - slippery enough they can't get a grip to climb, tall enough they can't jump high enough to get around it, small enough they can't fit between the post and barrier to climb the post.
The Toad Lily is gorgeous! We bought a blower in Tucson to round up the debris from the bougainvilleas. It was truly a game changer.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a problem raking leaves off the apron but the garage and the barn has too many places a rake or broom can't effectively get to which make it a pain in the ass and then the deck, which needs to be swept every few days as long as the trees are dropping leaves, just put me over the limit. I'm sure I'll find some other back breaking work to replace it with.
DeleteFingers crossed for Warnock- Walker is brain dead pretty much and GOPish. I remember every year - you going out to gather way too many pecans in your OUCH bare feet!!! Can pecan trees get too old to produce?
ReplyDeleteWalker has had too many concussions, too much brain damage and who knows how dumb he might have been to begin with. Or smart which would make it a real tragedy, not that what he suffers isn't a tragedy. Football is a stupid and damaging 'sport'. So typical of republicans these days. Don't care about his ability, only care if he can get elected.
DeleteI do miss getting pecans. I don't go completely barefoot anymore, wearing open slide ons outside. I finally had stepped on one too many things I would rather not have coupled with getting my big toenail removed last summer and that after the flood, we effectively lost our grass and the back yard is returning to it's original meadow/pasture state and I can't alway tell what I'm walking in to.
I've never seen a toad lily. Lovely flower.
ReplyDeleteIt is encouraging that the Republicans didn't get the sweep they were hoping for, but a clear majority in both houses for Democrats would have been great. The results do perhaps signal a beginning of the end for Trump, who clearly lost much influence in many candidate races. The way he is foaming at the mouth, spouting drivel makes it hard to believe he was once president and hopes to be again. Now, if only the media would start to ignore him, and not keep feeding him the publicity he craves.....
ReplyDeleteYour Toad Lilies Are beautiful!! I just love coming to see what kind of flowers have bloomed. You are so blessed with a green thumb.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame we didn't get an overwhelming majority in the House or Senate but at least Republicans won't pass any stupid bills that we can't over ride. Trump is laying blame on everyone but himself as usual. Really, there is no chance that he will go to prison for the crap he has put this country through. Instead of arresting him and costing the people money to house him in prison, why don't they just put an ankle monitor on him and tell him no more rallies, no more golf, no more leaving Mar-a-lardo to make speeches or anything that would bring in money to his grifting butt. Make it a hell on earth prison compound. Also no guests for dinner. I think that would likely just kill him.
I noticed when I was driving up to Brazos Bend last weekend that a place on FM 1462 with a pecan orchard had their sign out that the nuts were for sale now. I've ordered my supply of shelled Elliotts from a place in Georgia for years; they're small, native, and the best I've ever had. It seems strange that yours aren't producing, but I don't know a thing about what makes a pecan tree happy. I have one little gray squirrel now that's taken to trying to climb the window next to my computer. I've got to stop going out and giving him a few nuts when he does that, or I'm going to have him trained to beg in short order.
ReplyDeleteYou do have the strangest assortment of plants/flowers!! A toad lilly? It actually does look a lot like a toad, but it's a beautiful toad, to boot! My sister has pecan trees in her front yard (she lives in Abilene, TX) and will usually send me a bunch each year about this time, but nada nada this year. Wonder what's up with no pecans?? The price in the store is bound to be out of sight this Christmas. So much for fruitcakes! :/ And I do love me some fruitcake!
ReplyDelete