Another summer week has flown by.
We spent part of the holiday weekend (the 4th of July) enjoying time with family. It was my brother Jim’s 92nd birthday – quite a milestone. He told me afterwards that there were 45 and 8/9ths attending.
Let me explain. Great niece Kelly only has another week before son number two arrives. She told me his name twice, but at my age, I should have written it down…
It sure was a great time and fun to see all the youngsters, who are growing up all around us! The Richardsons seem to be quite a “clan” these days, and Jim, Jack and I were the “oldsters” at this holiday celebration. There were great conversations, boat rides on Brooks Lake and cool drinks in the shade. Summer at it’s best actually, especially when everyone was making sure we had plenty to eat and drink!
Now the 4th of July, the second holiday of the season is over again. Seems like the season is passing unusually fast with only seven weeks left until the next holiday – and the unofficial end of summer – at least in this household.
Coming up is Farwell’s Lumberjack festival, now only a week away and the week of the Clare County Fair. Lots to keep us enjoying the summer season!
I’m enjoying it, but mostly from the inside.
The last few weeks have been warm ones with lots of heat, humidity and rainstorms…and high pollen of course, a real problem for those of us struggling with allergies this year, so I spend as much time in the air-conditioned inside looking out as I can.
And there is a lot to see out there.
Recent rainfall has brought on an explosion of greenery and flowers, unfortunately not too many in this yard, but blooms and a wild profusion of wildflowers I’ve noticed along the roads whenever I have to travel. The grass still seems to grow inches overnight, keeping Jack busy on the mower between showers.
Recently, instead of watching TV, we have been watching the wildlife (birds at the feeder), whose antics put on quite a show. There seems to be a great many deer this summer and we have seen evidence of that when we travel by the number who haven’t made it across the roads.
Nothing up close like we have had in past years on the Tobacco. Facebook keeps popping up with pictures of the fawns that used to rest right outside our sliding glass door or play rambunctiously all over the yard.
We would often have up to six deer living in the little woods in our backyard and have even once spotted a newborn just off the little path through them, but have never had our yard made into such a playground as that last summer when we lived on the river.
It would make it hard for me to stay in the office and concentrate on my work, since they seemed to show up at all times of the day and especially towards evening.
Not a problem anymore…
We do have lots of entertainment around the feeders though. Luckily I can’t see them from this office…
Jack has a hard time keeping the feeders full even when they get empty, which is about every other day. We have a wide variety of birds who come up to the windows and peer inside, sometimes even tapping on the glass to see if he will come out and add some more seeds to their never-ending buffet.
We haven’t had as many hummingbirds in attendance this year, but the orioles are taking care of the sugar water feeders pretty regularly. They are such beautiful birds with their bright orange and black attire.
All of the other regulars are in attendance too. We have red winged blackbirds, vibrant yellow gold finches, little sparrows, colorful orioles and even grosbeaks all looking for handouts.
Gotta love summer.
