I go out and get the papers and discover that 1) the NYT has been
thrown (or placed) in a flower pot, crushing the flowers that are in
there (verbena) and 2) the flowers that are in there have been eaten by
something: deer, woodchuck, that rabbit? I got a picture of it in its prime yesterday
so at least I have that but what a double whammy. I think the flowers
will recover in time. I have moved them onto the table to give them a chance.

The flowers before they got crushed and eaten.

The geraniums. What is causing the yellowing? Maybe it's all the new
growth covering up the first growth? The reddish tint was on all the
leaves when I first brought it out from wintering in the garage.

The evening primrose. I had this same kind in CT. Glad to see they
are finally doing well. I think I planted these last year. The
woodchuck hasn't eaten any of them since I put the screen, which you
can see parts of, above them.

The day lilies about to bloom. If I hadn't put the screen over them
the woodchuck would have eaten them when they first came up, nipped
them in the bud literally. There are many more behind these that are
not ready to bloom, have no flower shoots, that barely have leaves.
'Course they are right next to the woodchuck's hole, one of at least
3 I've seen here.

My cat, wilted by the heat, has found a good place to hang out. She
prefers the side of the fan that draws in the air rather than the
side that you can feel the breeze from. I guess the breeze would be
too strong on the side you can feel.

Also saw the rabbit and the woodchuck today. The rabbit in the front
yard. The woodchuck eating grass on my lawn.

Just heard a wood thrush for the first time in a long time. This one
had a quite complex call. I don't know if it was one that has been
here before. I have a few recordings of the older one and one of this
one. I have uploaded it to my Yahoo Briefcase (http://briefcase.yahoo.com/lipwak) in the "sounds from around the house' folder. It is titled "wood thrush 062306.aif"

The catalpa is blooming like crazy and smells a little fragrant.

For your enjoyment, some pics of my poison ivy.

(It ain't easy to get these things to line up as I want... and then, when you have them in some sort of passable order, they look different when they are actually published...)



And, I thought this was the same butterfly I saw yesterday until I compared the two. This one has more of an angular leading edge. The other one has white spots along the trailing edge.

2 beautiful butterflies seen enjoying the privet for quite awhile
this afternoon. One is gorgeous orange with spots, the other a Tiger
Swallowtail? (yellow and black with possible purple towards tail)

The power went out at 4:53pm. I call the power company about a half
hour later. 'A car hit a pole. Power is coming on as we speak. It
could be instantaneous, it could be two hours'.... 5:45, it's still
off.

About 8:30 it came back on.

The guy from the NRC, who wrote me a few days ago for the second time
in about a week at a cost of $5 to mail each one certified delivery,
hasn't called back. Maybe he'll write again...

A cloudy, dark day here. Some rain. Cool, have to wear long pants. 70
but cool. A cool 70. I don't understand how some 70 degree days can
feel cool/cold and other one's warm. I guess it's the humidity but
it's still strange.

10:55 am
Sun's out now. Getting more humid too. May have to change into shorts.

UPS says they are going to deliver my reel to reel part today. Let's hope.

Heard a car horn this morning as I was lying in bed that sounded to
me like it was warning the fawn(s?) to get out of the road. Hope
they're ok.

The catalpa tree is blooming all over! I don't think I've seen that
before. Pics to come. Nice white flowers and a little fragrant. I
think the tree is happier, not surprisingly, without grape vines
covering a good portion of it. The vines came off two years ago but
this year it looks fully healthy, so robust.

Geraniums looking radiant in the luxuriant grass by the birdbath.

Looking out my back window, using a mirror I have set on the stereo
cabinet so I can see it sitting in my comfy chair, I see a landscape
that is close but not exactly the same as what I've seen in Sierra
Club books, Appalachian in particular. Weeds, bushes, young trees,
fallen trees and limbs, grass farther away, the thick cover of tree
leaves with some trees standing out, some thinner spots and if I
crane my neck, the sky is small sections. I look out there alot,
check it often. I am glad I have that to look at. Much better to look
at something beautiful than something ugly and man-made. Half the
year I complain about the garbage I see strewn back there but this
time of year I can only see very little of it so nature wins out.

Sometimes I see deer, other times Orthodox Jewish children, other
times birds. Squirrels, woodchuck, chipmunks.

Noon
Fabio, on FMU, is playing some greatest hits. Dante's Inferno - Hell,
What Condition My Condition Is In, Hendrix - (name?, early)... Nice
white southern preacher style psychedelia... (Sun's out), sounds
familiar...

Anyone know what this reddish plant is? It isn't spreading.

Senator Morahan

So, in today's paper there is an article on Republican NY state
senator Morahan being opposed this fall. So that's why I'm getting
glossy promos from him touting his great work and a phone call from a
poll that was obviously slanted from his perspective. I see that he
has done good work on mental health which is to his credit but his
latest promo touting his thinking that medicare fraud prosecution will
fix, lower the cost of, our health care system is just repeating the
national Republican talking points and a complete sham. Health care
fraud is not what is making health care unaffordable. It is just
another red herring from the Republicans who think that, like illegal
immigration, they can fix a major problem by solving a non-existent
one that is related to it. And pander to fear instead of leading.

Don't you think people are seeing through this, Senator? It is SO obvious.

They say he is desperate. Democrats outnumber Republicans 3 to 1 in
Rockland. Good.

Shallow Grave

(written last night)

Saw Shallow Grave on IFC. An even younger Ewan McGregor, a few years
before he did Trainspotting. Same baby as in Trainspotting... (The
Wicker Man was cameo'd) Don't need to see this one again.

Unrelated
I catch a whiff of New Orleans style mold. Much less potent but the
same type of mold. Summertime...

The first day of summer, pt 2

The privet smells nice. Reminds me of the beach club I went to as a
youth. Spent all day there in the summer. I think the privets I am
remembering were out front so I'd smell them as I waited to get
picked up when I was too small to ride my bike home. There were also
privets on the way to the men's locker room.

I am seeing all kinds of activity in the privet. Those common white
butterflies/moths, some bumble bees and other bees, some flies. Tried
to take a movie of it but so far its too hard to frame with all the
disparate activity. I did see two white moths fight it out as they
kept climbing higher and higher, heading directly into the sun. Are
they fighting or mating?

Saw the rabbit as I headed out to get the mail. Talked to it. It
stayed for awhile, frozen, as I talked to it, just my head appearing
to it over Judi's car. Then perhaps startled by a car passing by, it
hopped off. Some day I hope to take a movie of it and get better,
close-up pics of it.

Keith Olbermann, MSNBC TV, has grey hair all of a sudden.

Which reminds me. I've been keeping a list of people that I think
look old all of a sudden. Here it is. The latest was added in
February. I add to it when someone really stuns me with how old they
look.

Gee they're looking old these days...

(in order of the most recently seen)
diane ladd looks about 70, 2/14/06
gore vidal on hot talk, 5/11/05 linktv. looks fat, barely recognizable.
mickey rourke 4/12/05 on letterman
father guido sarducci(3/18/05
richard brier (of good neighbors) white hair
ricky nelson, son of ozzie and harriet. grey haired an wrinkly.
devo! 8/14/04 Summerstage
tony danza has grey hair. at last! 7/17/04
John Dean, ancient on cspan 4/14/04
Paul Gigot, WSJ reporter, looks fatter
Bill Murray - grey hair
Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records. (Make Em Dance, 1/13/04)
Patty Duke in tv movie, 1/10/04
Maggie Roach - grey hair and haggered (on PHC 12/13/03. see pics)
Bill Murray - has a grey beard 8/26/03 on Letterman
Hayley Mills (looks ancient!)
Lyle Mayes (of the Pat Metheney Group)
Barry Scheck! (OJ Trial lawyer)
Tom and Dick (especially) Smothers
Larry Hagman
Jackson Browne - looks older
Tony Danza (at last!) Looks very old.
Pauline Oliveros
Don Rickles
Jamie Farr
Burt Ward
Mickey Dolenz - wrinkles
Gwen Verdon - real old, still has a recognizable voice
Billy Barty (midget)
Jerry Stiller
Dennis Weaver - 'course it's nice he's still alive...
Patrick McNamee (the Avengers)
Norman Fell (Three's Company)
Jonathan Harris (on Lost in Space)
Larry Hagman
Pat Boone
Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead lyricist)
Dick Cavitt
Jools Holland
Jimmy Page
Robert Plant
Ron Howard!! at last!
the B-52s!
Bela Fleck
Sissy Spacek, she's finally grown up!. Looks like an old Diane Keaton.
Robert Redford
Malcolm McDowell
James Arness

The first day of summer

At breakfast, I see what looks like a wren going in and out of the birdhouse, which has been occupied by sparrows (song sparrows?) instead of the intended eastern bluebirds it was designed to only accept. Then I see three sparrows hanging around. Some go in and out. Mom and Dad and a friend? Three neighbors? I'm wondering when, if ever, I'll see baby sparrows there.

The first day of summer. Cooler than the hot few days we've had lately until yesterday. Low humidity. Nice. Summer started officially for me when this last heatwave started before this past weekend. It's been a cool June so far, sleeping covered up and haven't been able to wear shorts very much. Wet too. Good for the crops.

Some sort of construction going on out front. This was what the "Men Working" sign, that is blocking my vision should I want to drive out, is for. Cleaning the storm drains?

My poison ivy has peaked I think. Hope I'm done. Some new irritations have shown up on my face and neck but they seem minor.

Ah, summertime. Humidity. Smells that otherwise are unnoticed appear. I'm smelling a woodsy sort of smell, almost like rotting tobacco. It might be coming from inside the house, might be from outside. Haven't smelled it before. Am smelling a few smells that I haven't noticed before. Are some what older people smell like? I have noticed a few like that. I am getting to that age where these kinds of things happen.

On the other hand... I smell what smells like honeysuckle. I think it is coming from the unknown bush (on the right) by the side of the house. Sweet but not too strong. I don't think this bush was fragrant before. Yea! (See flower pics in the Yesterday's News, 6/21 entry.)

Birdbath is getting lots of action! There's a robin in it now. First it samples the water then splashes around in it. There's another bird up in a tree nearby that looks wet, ruffling his feathers. I've seen a few wet birds preening themselves nearby. Might be able to get some pics.

I now know that one of my unknown bushes on the side of the house is a privet. I am wondering if the other one is too.

Two pics of the unknown bush. (Left = May, Right = June)

6/20, pt 2

Went hacking through the bushes and vines. Found some grape and wisteria trying to spread. Cut a bunch of vines that were heading up a dead tree. They were visible so a target.

Dragged some fallen branches, which are in constant supply around
here, to the pile in the back from behind the hedge out front.

Explored the woods a little and found out that a large orange thing I
saw earlier in the spring was not another piece of trash as I had
expected it would be, but a large mushroom! There still is plenty of
trash back there which I'll see for another 6 months when the leaves
go away.

In one of my trips back and forth on the driveway, I saw a fawn, one
of the two I'd seen before. He/she was curious about me so I stopped,
put down my tools, and crouched down to appear less threatening. It
was curious for awhile as I talked to it, using the same voice I use
with my cat, with lots of love in it. "It's ok, hello deer", over and
over. Soon I noticed another one. This one was even more curious to
approach me. Something startled it so it headed away. The other
followed. As I walked away I saw what might have been mom or dad or a
friend (another deer), couldn't tell how big it was as it was behind
some bushes. Didn't get a picture. It is good to see they are still
around. Judi first told me about them awhile back so they've been
seen here for maybe a month or so.

I noticed that the apple tree has an apple on it! Or maybe it is a
turnip? And it has a face!

It is growing up from the stem, defying gravity. What impresses me
as well is that it is so soon for apples to appear. They showed up
much later last summer. Maybe all the rain is what is making this
happen to the raspberries as well. They have early fruit, and haven't
changed since I last mentioned it.

Found out the brown/black balls on the lily are bulbils, seeds, not
insect eggs. I look forward to seeing more lilies there!

yesterday's news cont.

Last night: Watched The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain again, Supper Troopers and The Last Seduction, again, on IFC. TEWWUAHBCDAM was pretty good, an amusing story. Super Troopers was surprisingly funny for a low-aiming comedy. Always fun to watch Linda Fiorentino as a pretty, bitchy NYer in The Last Seduction.

Yesterday: Noticed that one of the unknown bushes by the side of the
house (pic above) has flowers in some sections and they smell like honeysuckle!
This is the bush that had the black berries earlier. I've never seen
the flowers on this bush before. (6/21: I am now told this is a privet! Very exciting to now know what it is!)

And... on the bush to its left, there are very similar fowers although arranged differently on the leaves. I wonder if these are the same bush but different species? This one has lighter leaves.

Planted the catnip my sister Sue gave me. It never germinated so I
don't hold much hope that it will grow but maybe it will surprise me.
The Wandering Jew and Evening Primrose I planted last year surprised
me by blooming this year. The geraniums are doing well by the
birdbath, looking more radiant day be day.

Today, 6/20
I think I'll go vine hunting today. There are vines creeping up trees
I've pulled them from last year. I've already got poison ivy and it
isn't very hot today so I can wear long pants and a long shirt to
protect myself against ticks and more poison ivy, in theory.

The NRC wrote to me again yesterday. They say they will be looking
into the siren problem later this summer. Just wanted to let me
know. I called the guy back and said, you know they're replacing all
those sirens by next year. Maybe it isn't worth bothering with? I do
appreciate their looking into it though.

things found in the garden this morning

Bugs in plants. Buds.

Is this a lamb's ear?

This is the catalpa. I cut off the branch beyond this point about two
weeks ago but it really wants to grow! There are two sprouts coming
out. Otherwise the tree is very healthy and didn't seem to mind my
cuttin it.

Buds on the catalpa.

Buds on the dogwood right next to it.

There are seeds (bulbils!) on the lily I got a few weeks ago. I've never
seen seeds like that. I first thought they could have been left by some bug. Very cool!