The Holloway Zoo

Guess what we had at our house today?

A possum

A rat

A skunk.

It all started because the ground hog is back and the hole has nearly doubled in size. Remember Phil? So we called a rodent guy and he set some traps. Well, this morning we had a possum in the trap next to the ground hog hole and no ground hog. Clever rodent.

There had been evidence of critters -- probably raccoons -- in our garage (I'll spare you the details), so the rodent guy set traps there too, which meant in addition to the trapped possum, we had a skunk and a rat greeting us this morning. It gives me the shivers just thinking about it. We keep our garbage cans in the garage but they don't have lids, so we need to get heavy duty cans that won't attract wildlife and we need to plug up the holes where they are evidently getting through.

These are the things no one tells you about when you buy a home.

Bye-Bye Binky

Yesterday was a big milestone for little Miss Genevie. But let me give you some background first. A couple of months ago I had cut up what I thought were all of her binkies. After all, she's three and well beyond a reasonable age for needing a soother. However, she found a lone binky that I had missed and had been hoarding it with her life afraid I would cut it up like the others. I promised her I wouldn't. Evidently that was too traumatic for her. This would have to be her decision.

So instead I took a different approach. I kept telling her the story of when I was also three and Nana (my mom) told me one day that the trash men were coming and that I was old enough to throw my pacifier away because I didn't need it.

Fast forward to yesterday. As we were all getting ready for church, Genevie came to me with her binky completely unprompted and said, "Mom, we can get rid of my binky now. I don't need it anymore." "Really?" I questioned her. "Yes," she said emphatically, "You can cut it and then put it in the trash." "Are you sure?" I wasn't convinced she had really made up her mind, but she was insistent. "I don't need it." And so I got out the scissors, cut off the tip of the pacifier, and threw it in the trash. You could just see the pride on her face.

Where's Waldo

It takes a very sharp eye, but if you look closely, you will see...

...a lazy bunny resting on a hot afternoon.

The male goldfinch is easier to spot than the female, but they are both...

...very well camouflaged. Can you see them?

Garden Bounty

Somewhere between last summer and this one I completely forgot that the berry bush I had planted in our garden was a raspberry, not a blackberry bush. Imagine my complete delight yesterday when I went out to examine the ripening fruit and discovered that what I thought were itty- bitty blackberries were in fact my absolute favorite fruit in the entire world, raspberries.

Many of them are not ripe yet, but a few gems had turned that deep fuschia which promises delicate, perfumey heaven.

We harvested about 1/2 a cup of berries, and they were every bit as delicious as they look in these photos.

The cherry tomato plant has produced a few stray tomatoes so far, but you can see it is weighted down with ones just about to turn.

Last year I planted this hydrangea bush, which boasts delicately pink blossoms. It has really done well this year, and I've enjoyed bringing the blooms indoors.

A ripening butternut squash.

Yesterday, we had a nice handful of cherry tomatoes waiting to be picked.

My zucchini have been off the charts in size. These aren't even the biggest ones I've harvested this summer, believe it or not.

Davis enjoyed playing peek-a-boo in the garden to find the fruit ready for the picking and helped me get these beauties.

American Goldfinches

This is what I wish the photos looked like, but alas an iPhone photo at long range just doesn't do the scene justice. Friday as I got into my car on my way to work I discovered a flock of American goldfinches in the patch of evening primrose in my garden. There were 4 or 5 pairs, male and females, perfectly perched on the primrose stalks eating their breakfast. Apparently, evening primrose is one of their favorite treats, and, of course, because the flowers are yellow too, the birds blended in perfectly. Can you spot any (hint: try clicking on the photo to enlarge)?

Burned House Update

The house across the street that burnt down is now gone. The demolition crew came and tore it down over a couple day period.

Now all that's left is an empty field. So strange to look out and see nothing.

Saga of an Unattended Camera

This is what happens when you leave your 5 year-old alone with your camera.

Thank you, Davis, for capturing the photographic evidence of just how smudgey the computer monitor is!