FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood:

Our friends enjoying some slices of bread:

BigTail always partakes:

MamaC as well and her children-what's yours is ours, Mum!

Buddy-roo enjoying some Dad therapy- he likes to snuggle along my thigh to have as much contact as possible. His wound is slowly healing-probably would do better without his constant raspy tongue licking-but, it is what they do.

Beautiful day outside-here the light is just right highlighting GF Birch's leaves against a dark shed:
 

We had a special and rare visitor at the Diner: Mr. Pileated Woodpecker, the largest woodpecker in MI! I have seen them a handful of times over the past 15 years-I suspect that he prefers a different environment than what we have here.

 

I was surprised to see him imbibe at the feeder as they are known to be mostly insectivores.

This gives you an idea of his size. 

It also shows the value of positive reviews on Avian Trip Advisor to attract new diners!

He meets MamaC and relations were cordial with each focused on their main mission: feeding.

With his big crest, he certainly bears resemblance to his ancestors:

~ 

Fun stuff:

We were watching Downton Abbey and saw on a playbill advertising a carnival coming to their village the words Helter Skelter. What is this we wondered? 

In the United Kingdom, "Helter Skelter" is the traditional name for a classic fairground and amusement park attraction. First appearing in the late 19th century, it features a tall spiral slide built around the outside of a tower, which patrons climb to the top and slide down in a chaotic, winding descent.

The phrase first appeared in the late 1500s as a rhyming compound, likely stemming from the Middle English word skelten, meaning "to hasten" or "scatter hurriedly". It is used as an adverb or adjective to describe something done without order or in a confused, chaotic manner.

For most of us, the term refers to the title of a Beatles song and a subsequent, horrific mass murder. In 1969, cult leader Charles Manson misinterpreted the song's lyrics as a hidden, apocalyptic prophecy. He used the term "Helter Skelter" to describe an impending race war, which he believed his followers could trigger and survive. 

~

Hand-carved wooden front door, Copenhagen 1930. The beak is the knocker.

Cat shaped kindergarten school, Germany:

Wood fence casts checkered shadows on path:
 

English designer Benjamin Bowden's 1946 bicycle, later dubbed the Spacelander. Too expensive to produce, only 500 were made:

 

1930's stork embroidery scissors by french master scissor maker Jean Marie Roulot, Nogent, France.

FUBARland:

2017 Time Magazine cover, as relevant as ever:

 

FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood:

Planting finished. East Garden is clocheville because of the bunthreat, with one of the problems already checking it out:

I am not sure if he is the only threat. This morning I was watering and I looked up to see Ms. Indydoe heading my way from Benny's. She stopped and looked at me for a few seconds before skedaddling. Either could be the culprit who is pulling out my salvia seedlings. I've lost 3 in 2 days! 

Meanwhile, the chuckette count has risen to 6!!! OMG🙀 

They've been out exploring and hoovering whatever they can chow down. I guess they will keep the Back 40 trimmed.

We were having supper on the deck when I spotted our resident Rocky with the russet-striped tail climbing Benny's maple. We're figuring this is where it lives. We walked over and said hello:

Many of the peonies are in bloom:

 

6/5 Rain and humidity forecasted. A chipper and a chuckette by the Giving Stone:

Two chuckettes explored the brush pile and had fun sliding down last year's giant day lily stalks:
 

The rain arrived by mid-afternoon and it was a nice soaker:

It rained on and off with more storms around 3am the following morning. Rainfall total: 1.5"!  

~

Buddy is hurt again. He's got a large patch on his chest that he has licked the hair away revealing a red patch. We see the vet this afternoon. 

Update: Buddy was wounded in battle again and the patch is the result of an abscess. Plus, the vet found additional healed scars. What is odd is that we haven't heard or seen The Black Kitty in two weeks. So, are they battling elsewhere or is there another player in all this?

His Lordship's medals:

Purple Heart 

National Defense Service

 ~

Fun pics: 

The Palouse is a geographic region, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area growing mainly grains and legumes and features beautiful rolling hills:

Pepperbox Pistol-popular in America in the pre-Civil War 1800s, its European version dates back to the 1500's.

I had not come across this before. Makes me wonder if this is the origin for all those multi-barrel weapons seen in cartoons.

FUBARland: Roach's POS DOJ made a claim in court this week concerning the Ballroom mess that they can bulldoze the Statue of Liberty if they want and can do it quick enough.

This administration cannot send a clearer message to the rest of the world about coming to America: "You're not wanted".  Especially if you ain't white, Christian and speak in some funny "ferrin" language. However, they'll make an exception for Afrikaners about their native tongue seeing that they are such oppressed white people. 

 

PLANTING DAY

We're experiencing UP Summer weather: sunny, mid-70's with very low humidity. Lovely. This year's goal is to simplify: no more growing from seed, switching over to perennials as much as possible in the East Garden. I began with planting the deck gardens. I left the middle planter empty so Bud could still use it as an outpost. The cages might be freaking him out a bit as I have not seen him use his tower since I put them in. 

Our wild neighbors were out enjoying the day as well. I encountered the young squirrel featured in an earlier post who sat up in Grandfather birch, hollering his head off because Buddy was on the deck. At the time, I thought he was part of the predator warning system but I was mistaken. He hollers if anyone is around that he doesn't approve of. I was on the garage back porch next to Mr. Locust tree and I got an earful:

I went to work in the Back 40 with the weed trimmer. In the back of our property is a berm between us and Sparrow West and its parking lot. East of this is a large field that I think belongs to the Farm Bureau who keeps it mowed. FB is directly north across Westshire. This is the first time this season I have been back there mainly to take out the burdock, giant thistles and other big weeds. I looked up from my work and I saw a young doe come trotting in my direction in the field. She saw me but instead of either immediately running away or freezing in place, she merely slowed her pace. I didn't move. She stopped about 50 feet away at the edge of the field and dipped her head to nibble on some grass, all the time without taking her eyes off me. She righted herself and we stood there, our eyes locked on each other for a good 8 mississippis.

Stock

Suddenly, she gracefully wheeled to return back to the field and the woods beyond. As she turned, she looked back, raised her white tail and kicked out both rear legs. I raised my hand in answer and she galloped off, vanishing in a matter of seconds. Two hours later, I am in my office checking emails and I glance out my window and see her out front heading West. By the time I can grab the camera, she is well behind Johnny's. 

I have a feeling this doe is part of the Pruners clan who turned up late last Summer during the drought. She, her Mum and sister were regulars during the Winter at the neighborhood Diners. She was the independent one, often seen foraging alone while her sis stayed close to Mum.

~

At the Diner, Mama Nutkin brought her 2 kids for a meal. I'm sure she needed to get out of the house as these two look to be a handful. Already there was a mature BigTail. Now, if you remember from a few years past, my tale of the Diner Kerfuffle between Stubbs and a mature Nutkin-the two clans don't get along, to put it mildly.  BigTail is minding his business getting a meal with MamaC and Mr. Redbird fueling up as well:
 

The Nutkin kids begin to annoy the BigTail with their antics...

He chases them off. Twice. Each time, their Mum had to intercede to save them and BigTail chases the three up GF Birch. On the second round, a very irritated BigTail attempts to nip one of the kids and comes close. Well, the kids decide to take revenge by coming down the Birch, splitting up and attacking BT simultaneously from different directions. He lost his shit completely driving the Nutkins completely away from the Diner complex in a obscenity-laden rage. The air was filled with the loud chittering in 2 squirrelese dialects. 

 

A half hour later, the kids returned to the Diner which was empty. Their Mum, seeing that they can take care of themselves, sent them back so she could have some quiet time at her spa.

How bold are these two? Well, one came within a foot from Buddy while eating a seed. Bud was tracking something or another in the grass and I saw him realize the Nutkin was there. Bud's head moved up slightly and his eyes widened. The kid ran off.

 

Late in the afternoon, MamaC brings out all of her children for the first time. She has four chuckettes this season and they were exploring the porch area in front of the apartments. Like most young mammals, they are cute and chubby-a bit smaller than the size of a bun. 

I discovered this odd red patch on one of the planters:

Meet the Clover Mites: tiny, bright red arachnids that frequently emerge and swarm in late Spring. Though they can number in the thousands, they do not bite, damage property, or transmit diseases. They either die off or go dormant once temps get into the 80's.
 

The pink peonies are in bloom:

 Deck yoga with C and Buddy