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!

Went to a strawberry festival at St John's in the Wilderness church
in Harriman State Park today. A nice English style church. I grew up
Episcopal but not "high church". This church had a confessional! and
the Stations of the Cross! I've never seen that in an Episcopal
church before. For $5 you got stamped and could eat all the
strawberry shortcake you wanted, a good deal. The music turned out to
be two guys with guitars doing "bluegrass" and "mountain music". Both
were interesting and had a local point of view in their own songs
which made it very worthwhile. I didn't know locals were still upset
that the state flooded their villages when the land became Harriman
State Park. Maybe he only sang that song as a historical reference...

Saw this rabbit when I drove in the driveway. Always nice
to see wildlife here.

More primrose are blooming. The geraniums are surviving the wet soil
by the birdbath so far it seems though I will keep an eye on them. I
bet it will be too moist for them and hope I can remove them in time
if they start to die.

Haven't seen ants in the kitchen in a few days. Well, I saw one but
that won't count. Ever since I sprayed them with Fantastic and washed
the latest batch of dishes that usually sit in the sink, rinsed, for
many days, I haven't seen any others. None in the bathroom either.
Are they done? Let's hope.

I'm also hoping that my having sealed the tops of the storm windows
will prevent flying creatures from entering. I did have a lightning
bug by the window by my bed this morning but I figure he was caught
inside as I washed the windows there yesterday. I saw a ton of things
lined up on the other side of the window last night. Looks like the
small ones, gnats?, are going to get through regardless unless I can
figure out a way to discourage them too. Might spray something on the
screens but if I do something like that I would think it would have
only very short term effects.

Prairie Home Companion tonight. Morris practice tomorrow with more of
a turnout tomorrow.

More later if think of it and my fingers don't mind typing more.
(This is work!)

Oh, and the cat ate another pill covered with a Pill Pocket! I think
I like those things. What a relief! Thank you, Pill Pockets.

Thurs, 6/15

I find a tick (nymph? very small) crawling around my arm after
planing all those flowers today. I brush it off into the cat box
holding bucket outside. No sense in just brushing it off back into
the wild.

I'm also being merciless* to any and all ants I see crawling around
my kitchen sink/counter. When I go to Maine, if they are still around
they will get store bought chemicals used against them. The baking
soda and the Fantastick haven't eradicated them. This is the first
year they have appeared for more than a day. (It started March 13
when they appeared by the cat bowl. They haven't come back there
since I poured baking soda all along the baseboards. I also see some
spiders living nearby so they might be getting them too.)

The de-anting technique up until I go to Maine has been wiping them
up with a damp sponge and washing them down the drain. (Same thing in
the bathroom.) It took a long time before I stopped feeling bad that
I was murdering all these ants. Now I am just mad they keep coming
back.

This from a guy who escorts almost any other insect found in the
house, out. I haven't intentionally killed anything I am aware of. If
I know it's there I'll escort it outside. Now if I am stepping on
ants in the bathroom or kitchen, I am not concerned but I do avoid it
if I see them.

I'm hoping that my taping the top edges of the storm windows up will
prevent any or at least most of the bugs I get inside each summer. I
get way too many. At night when the lights are on, all kinds of
things glue themselves to the screens and storm windows, eventually
getting in. I want to have the non-sticky side face out so they don't
get stuck and die from that but that is too hard to do at this point
so I'm sure I'll find some bodies when I pull the tape off when it's
time to pull the storm windows down again.

Time for lunch.

Cat has eaten her pill wrapped in a Pill Pocket!! Let's hope this
will happen again!

A beautiful black and blue butterfly was seen briefly by my outdoor
table. Didn't have my camera and it flew away quickly towards Aldo's.
I may have seen one like it last year. I thought I saw baby Monarchs
in the grass yesterday as I cut it but I bet they were just moths.
Some definitely were.

Saw a woodchuck as I was planting the geraniums by the bird bath. He
saw me first and ran under the chicken coop/dog house. Later, as I
was planting I saw him poke his head out from underneath it. We
stared at each other for a awhile, me talking to it to reassure it.
Eventually he went back under and I didn't see him again but I heard
all kinds of poking noises from there for awhile.

Aldo's tortoise shell cat seen out front earlier. I took a pic from far away.

(Fri 6/16) 2 fawns seen behind hedge by road

On the way to pick up the mail I saw this bush has berries on it. Anyone know what bush this is? The wild rose next to it has interesting fading flower buds which I also took a picture of but it came out too blurred.


As I walked through Judi's yard, from the back to make sure everything's ok, I notice something move ahead of me. There are two fawns resting by the hedge which has the road on the other side of it. I back off so they don't run towards it. I then pass them from the other side. I see only one. I get the mail. On the way back I see the other one get up. I talk to them. "Hi deer" is all I say, repeatedly. Take some pics. I was far away, didn't want to get close because I didn't want to scare them into the street. These are probably the baby deer Judi was talking about earlier which I hadn't seen until now. I've seen young deer here but not this young.

Here is a pic of the cat taken last night. A black cat in a dark window. At least you can see her eyes. (The movie on tv is Waterland.)

I plant the rest of Judi's plants

I've planted the rest of the plants Judi gave me. 12 marigolds, 6
geraniums (3 red, 3 pink -ick), 1 dianthus, and 3 vinca vines. 6 of
the marigolds went to a section near her entrance path,

the other 6 ended up on either side of the mailbox. All of the geraniums ended up
around the bird bath in the back. Hope it's not too wet there. The
soil is pretty moist. The dianthus is by the corner of the shed. The
vinca vines are in a hanging planter by the corner of my house by my
car. I've moved the Bougainvillia to the other corner. They still
haven't quite adjusted to being outside. No new leaves but it still
has some old ones. No bracts yet. All the rain we've had started to
grey some leaves but that is gone now.

I've seen corn flowers(?) along the highway but the ones I transplanted from out front last year are not reappearing by the shed. Maybe later but probably not at all.

Primrose are blooming!

I had some yellow evening primrose with me when I lived in CT 4
summers ago. I guess got some new ones probably last year. I don't
think I transferred them. They didn't bloom last year. They probably
got eaten by the woodchuck(s) or covered by weeds. They are protected
this year and blooming as of today! I have one bloom and more coming.
Putting the wire screen over them as they were getting started was
what let them survive the woodchuck when they were budding earlier in
the spring.

The day lilies have buds too so they are going to bloom soon. That
has never happened here before too. The wire screen and keeping the
weeds from overshadowing them seems to be what worked this year.
Basic stuff. Don't let the woodchucks eat them and don't let the
weeds cover them.

I am amazed that they have survived all these years without being
tended to. There are a whole lot more day lilies right around the
woodchuck hole just beyond where these are. Maybe some day I'll
protect those too. It'd be nice to have them bloom. It will be hard
to keep the woodchuck out of them though. I'll need more screening...

These pics are so I can record that they really exist before someone
eats them. Woodchuck or deer.

I am also going to plant a bunch of marigolds and geraniums and one
other plant that already has flowers that Judi gave me. Pics to come
of that too.

Wild strawberries!

Wild strawberries are popping up all over. Two years ago there was a patch in the back where it hardly gets any sun. They didn't appear there last year. This year there are patches in several places in the lawn. Plenty to feed the woodchucks and birds if they are interested.

It's Johnny's birthday... (written 6/13)

Hi all,

I'm enjoying my birthday.

Shaver didn't burn much today. I'm getting used to it I guess.

Found a daddy long legs, the first one of many to be found indoors
for the season, in-between the kitchen windows that I cleaned and
sealed yesterday. I guess he got closed in there; hope he didn't find
a way in since I just tried to close off all the places insects can
get in...

Read the paper in the back yard in the sun after breakfast. That
could become a new habit in the summer. There's a sunny spot there
and I've put a chair there by some flowers that are blooming so it's
not bad. Grass needs to be cut though.

I'll probably finish up the Joe Ely transfers to DVD today and will
probably start the CDs.

Am hearing some mournful crow noises. Not sure if they are normal or
a sign of distress. Might capture the audio and post them in my Yahoo
Briefcase. Might not.

Newspaper delivered to end of driveway, not to my house. Hope this
doesn't start a trend.

Cat has eaten pill left in food overnight. Hope this is a way to do
it. Coated it with butter. She doesn't like people food but maybe
this will appeal to her.

Found another daddy long legs later that night. Where are they coming from?

6/14

I wake at 4:45 am. Feeling a little queasy. Some good friends gave me
a dinner BBQ last night, had boneless pork ribs, a burger and some
grilled corn on the cob. I did notice that one part of the pork was
uncooked enough but didn't think much of it. It was delicious. I'm
feeling better now, about an hour later.

Heard a cat moan a little after 5. It was Aldo's black cat. Saw it
walk along the wall in the back. Said hi to it. It stopped for a
second, then continued on. My cat wasn't interested.

Heard some "clops". I've heard them before. Not sure what they are.
Deer's hooves on pavement? Deer's mouth's closing shut as some form
of deer communication? Some other animal? I've never seen the animal
as it makes that noise.

Did see a deer about 5:45 am. The cat noticed it first but it got it
me out of bed to look at it. The newspaper got delivered just then as
well. The deer jumped back into the bushes but wasn't too alarmed. It
then wandered back towards the woods. I was hoping it wouldn't notice
my flowers and it didn't.

Cat hasn't eaten the pill I dabbed in butter and left in a small pile
of food last night. As I write, she knocked the calendar off the
stereo cabinet as an effort to get me to feed her. She'll do that as
well when she knocks the outdoor thermometer off the table by my bed.
So far, she hasn't done anything more destructive to get me to pay
attention to her.

I do feel a little bad that this may not be the best approach. She
is diabetic. Withholding food isn't a good approach for a diabetic
cat but it worked the previous night. Hasn't worked so far for last
night/today.

My writing isn't as interesting as the mental notes I make before I
write. There are several points I am forgetting altogether and I'm
writing about things I hadn't intended to write about. Getting the
balance right of what I want to write and what I actually write takes
some practice, discipline.

6 am.

BBQ

They have Curley's BBQ in the stores now. Great stuff. Hickory smoked
chunky chicken, yum. The local Stop and Shop also carries a spicy
pork but it's too spicy for me. The containers are impossible to
open, both the lids and the plastic covers. I've written them about
it and haven't received a reply. Very hard to track down their
website.

Stop and Shop also carries LLoyd's too but that is always too much
sauce and not enough meat and too vinegary. I love Curley's!

NRC sends me a letter

Last year I e-mailed the NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, about
the Indian Point sirens being hard to hear. The guy that ended up
with my mail called me and said they would look into it. He thought
someone from the NYC office would come out here in a few months. That
was last year. I got a letter from him today saying that they still
haven't come out but that as soon as he hears anything he would let
me know. All this in a certified letter(s) that cost ~$5 to mail.

That's our government hard at work. I do appreciate that they are
pursuing this but its a bit ridiculous to send out $5 letters just to
say nothing is happening a year later. But then, that is sort of the
point of why I wrote to them. To bog them down with minutiae like
thi, stuff that they have to deal with. Maybe then they will assume
closing Indian Point is cheaper...

A long shot I admit but it's just one small way I can help. If
everyone did their part...

other stuff

I'm worrying about the tree by Aldo's. Much of it isn't leafing.

Lots of chipmunk holes noted all along the railroad ties that line
the driveway. I see chipmunks go in them all the time, as I drive in
and out and as I walk to get the mail and back. Talked to one
yesterday. It sat by the tie and looked at me as I talked to it.
Maybe someday I can approach it or it me.

Haven't heard the red-tailed hawk in awhile. I suspect it has moved on.

Butterfly garden seems to be sprouting. Let's see what turns up.

The pot with phlox and violets doesn't seem to be being eaten
anymore. Whether they will recover is another thing.

Saw a rabbit the other day, on the lawn by my house. It scampered off
towards the out-of-control wild rose.

The repair shop, that fixed my Sony duplicating cassette deck and
Sony receiver, also fixed the idler wheel on the Sony 630D for free!
It was just a matter of adding a C clamp but they they did it for
free and didn't mention it. That was nice. Sun Electronics, West
Nyack, NY. (They don't fix camcorders so our old one is out of luck.)

The Sony cassette deck's left hand well now runs slower than the
right. Before it ran faster, but I probably can live with it. It
isn't too noticeable. What is weird is that when you engage the pitch
control, its normal position, the indent, is FASTER than with it off!
Did they calibrate the motor with it on? Weird. (Before the
normal/indent position would be the same as with it off)

I am also bidding on a 630D on eBay. Hope it isn't a lemon and that I win it.

Noted that the woman who sold me the Kenwood that arrived damaged
replied to my note about her on eBay: "Minor Ship Damage. Item does
work! Wanted something 4 nothing & Succeeded!" Um, It was a
duplicating cassette deck. One half of it didn't work when I got it
(because she didn't pack it properly. There was a slight dent on the
box and NO packing materials.). So I can't use it. I need a deck that
duplicates, that has both decks working. This deck is useless to me.

razor burns

So, I have a new electric razor. A Remington, after two Norelcos. The latest Norelco didn't last very long (5 years? compared with about 20 for the first one.) so I decided to switch brands. The new one says it may take 3 WEEKS for my skin to get used to it. From day one I felt it burn my skin after.

Here is a pic from today. (What an ugly stump of a neck and head this
looks like....)

The Remington is a bottom of the line, $30 one with no battery. Bought at (evil) Wal Mart.

Tonight, went to a local civic association meeting. What a waste of time. An hour for a presentation on why and how we should ID our kids (I don't have any) and then another hour or so on sex crimes on kids. Then a rambling uninformative talk on local animal control. Finally some Keep Rockland Beautiful kids interview me and another volunteer for the KRB website; we're heroes!

During the first session, someone offers the thought that by the end of this year, we'll need passports to travel within the US! Gads, that's a discouraging prospect. Let's hope that speculation is just that.

6/6 plant updates

See new pics on my Kodak Gallery. The raspberries I transplanted last year have buds/white berries appearing!!

There is a flower on the marijuana-like leafed plant that came with the anemone. I have more plants like that that are doing well under the wire cover. I wonder what they are.

Ants are finding a new path in the kitchen, running along the top of the backboard of the countertop. I added some more baking soda and sprayed cracks behind it with Fantastik, which kills them on contact and hopefully discourages them.

Cat still taking medicine. I thought I would have used it up yesterday but I still get more out of the bottle. Hopefully will use it up tonight.