Still Cold

June 3rd and the temperature the last three days--five if we go back to last Saturday--has yet to crack the 60 degree mark. Of course, it's been a bit overcast and drizzly each of the last three days as well. The sun is supposed to come out tomorrow and we may get into the mid-60s or even up to 70 through Sunday. I'll enjoy it when/if it happens.

The flora are having mixed reactions to the chill. The beans and tomatoes are thinking of pulling up roots and picketing the house for some global warming. The strawberries are producing fruit, but I'm sure they are doing so in self defense. The zukes and cukes are probably wishing for a blanket and plotting late summer revenge by over production. Leaf lettuce and spinach are doing very well, thank you. Unfortunately the broccoli didn't germinate well at all or they too would be happy.

All the flowers and herbs are doing just fine since they are being kept moist, which is their primary concern. Sun is nice, but they need water more. They can get some sunlight through the clouds but the water around their roots...absolutely necessary. And this April-like showery weather is just up their alley.

The baby robins (turns out there were four of 'em) have left the nest and scattered. Hopefully none of the semi-feral cats that roam about the Aerie's environs had squab for breakfast yesterday.

If Goldfinches were made of gold, I'd be one very rich fella! We've had dozens and dozens of the bright little birds at the feeders since we got back for our western trip. It took them a few days to realize that food was again on the table but since then, scads of Goldies, Purple Finches, lots of Mourning Doves, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a few Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, Indigo Buntings, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Red-winged Black Birds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Eastern Towhees, Downy Woopeckers, and Hairy Woodpeckers have swarmed us. Add the Robins, House Wrens, Flickers, Crows, Ovenbirds, Barred Owls...well, you get the idea. It's been a busy--and noisy--place.

Mammals have remained small--Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk and Eastern Cottontail--which is a good thing. The raccoon hasn't been arround since last Saturday--that I know of--and the Bear and Deer haven't ventured back into the yard recently. They are probably waiting for the vegetables to ripen.

Of reptiles and amphibians there have been few. A couple of Garter Snakes, one Ringnecked Snake, a Red-Backed Salamander, and one unkown spotted by Terry. (Me: "What kind of snake was it?" Terry: "It was a snake! I didn't wait around long enough to be introduced.") I came across a couple of small toads, probably Eastern American Toads, while cutting the grass and watering the flora. As with the snakes, all of which eat insects and/or slugs, I do my best not to do harm to them. Occasionally however, they hunker down in the grass and the mower passes over them. This is NOT a sound survival strategy.