Working On A Quirky Graph

Nature always amazes me. So many different things are always going on without the input or need for humans. Birds looking for breakfast, bees checking out flowers for their nectar to bring back to the hive and squirrels looking for something to eat or stash for the next time they are hungry. All of this happens whether I’m out in the yard or not.

Yesterday I brought a cup of coffee out back to just sit as it is still tolerable in the morning and while I sat here, listening to bird song and the ongoing by drone of someone mowing their yard, squirrels came to check out my garden and see what I had to offer. Since I had some plain peanuts I absolutely haven’t been eating, I threw those in the yard and sat back down to watch. And while all the animals kept a weathered eye on me, they foraged for what they could find among the wood chips I have spread out trying to kill the grass and weeds. If they came too close I’d speak to them gently, but for the most part we existed pretty peacefully for a bit yesterday morning. There aren’t as many this morning and I take it that the nuts are gone as quickly as they went out. I know for a fact that several were buried in the garden so that should be interesting to see what happens.

This morning however, they’ve decided I’m not much of a threat and keep running under my chair. I’m torn cause if I still had Louie they would be no where near me, but I wouldn’t be able to watch them in my yard either. I miss that guy.

Again though, not just to quote Jurassic Park, nature finds a way and I have almost tufts of weeds and grass popping up all over. The yard is small enough that it doesn’t hurt my feelings and I can walk around and pull the weeds and vines up almost daily. The weeds I don’t mind as much but the vines are gonna drive me out of my mind. I’m trying to figure out the best way to kill the biggest one off my catalpa tree, but the vine is almost embedded into the bark so I’m at a loss.

I also want to think about what I will do for next year. There are some immediate changes I will make, like putting cardboard on the lawn again over the winter to see if that does a better job. I may also get some paving stones for the middle of the yard and cardboard around that.

Or I may save my pennies and get a landscaper.

Now that the year of the cicada is gone I can think about fruit trees for next year as well. The space may be limited but I want an area that is relaxing. One of the first steps may be to pull out the concrete pathway that leads to broken steps. It’s a waste of space and would be better suited for fruit bushes for privacy and a fruit tree like apple and cherry to feed me and apparently the local group, Association of Squirrel Settlers.

Meanwhile I have to get my thumb in working order. Some things are growing fine, but others are struggling and I’m not sure why. The azalea bush I planted in the front is dying and I’m not sure why. I may have overwatered so I’m leaving it be now and letting nature keep it watered. So far that isn’t working either. But I’ve been able to harvest a brine cucumber (I think I purchased the wrong kind and have no idea how to make pickles), several tiny onions, (maybe I planted too late?) and one jalapeño. There is a bell pepper struggling and several wildflowers growing in the veggie garden but I will take the small wins.