Summer is winding down here. I really hate to see it go. This
place is kind of dreary in the winter. Gray and dismal with a highly reduced
photo period. Hibernation is looking better and better.
The southward bird migration is well under way. A couple
days ago the Detroit River hawk watch had over 5,000 broad-winged hawks come
through. Sunday morning we got out to Fenner Nature Center. Saw some warblers on
their south bound trip, all in their dull non-breeding plumage.
Most of the flowering plants around here have finished for
the season. One notable exception in our yard is Lise’s New England aster,
bringing a last dash of purple to summer’s end. The aster is part of this really
messy garden we have out front. Mostly late summer bloomers and very untamed
looking. It isn’t pretty, but it’s very productive. The aster easily had a couple
hundred bees from at least five different species on it. The rest of the plants
have gone to seed and the birds are hitting the seed heads hard. In addition to
the locals we have had Nashville warbler and common yellowthroat in there the
past few mornings.
Bee with pollen on it’s legs.
Loaded with pollen.
Pollen covered bee.
Pollen covered bee.
Goldfinch feeding.
Goldfinch checking me out.
Grabbing seeds.
A quick nap.
I’ve been plugging away at my endless list of things to do
around the house. The tasks on my white board appear to have mastered mitosis.
Every time I wipe off one task, two more magically appear. One task I finally
knocked off was getting the African Queen up and running. This is a single
person pontoon boat that my now deceased brother in law Jack bought at an auction.
It was bought for fishing as a birthday present right before he fell to cancer.
Jack never got to use it and I came into it last October. Took a couple valves,
some gaskets, and a bit of patching, but it floats. I also found out that I’m
really good at rowing in circles.Straight lines are a different story.
African Queen.
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 