Room For All

[paradox3]

Although it is beautiful to see birds at feeders, I find myself disagreeing with this practice more and more.

Who needs bears and raccoons visiting their backyard? To say nothing of the rodents which are attracted to the seeds that fall on the ground or get tossed out by the birds.

 

[Mendalla]

Raccoons are fond of hummingbird feeders too.

I don't have access to the photo, but back in the day at the cottage, we had a really nice wooden bird feeder. Forget if we bought it or Grandad built it. It was on a post in the yard fairly distant from the buildings. One day, we had a family of coons, not just one but the whole bleepin' family, all snuggled together in it. Cute as you please, but the poor birdies couldn't have been too happy.

 

[Mendalla]

Who needs bears and raccoons visiting their backyard?

Coons are a fact of life here in the London suburbs, though I haven't seen one in a while myself. And there was a black bear removed from Byron during the pandemic but really, in terms of large carnivores, coyotes are the one we watch for. There were rumours of a cougar around but that was a long time ago now. The eastern cougar is certainly native to this area and there are occasionally findings of tracks and scat up North of here.

 

[jimkenney12]

Racoons come into our yard anyway. I have a picture of a chipmunk on top of the frame that supports to our feeders. I put a platform on it for orange pieces to attract Orioles. It never did though a couple of orioles visited our hummingbird feeders. So I started putting a handful of Niger seed on the platform and it would take finches a week or longer to clean it up. When it was cleaned up overnight twice, I got suspicious and the suspicion was confirmed when I saw the chipmunk. It has been around here since we moved in last year. Our dog chased it a few times last year. She does not seem to notice it this year.

The hummingbird feeder attracted Yellowjackets. Most of them how now died in various ways. I think the hummingbird killed one that challenged it on the feeder. Some drowned. Some froze in our freezer. Some died by fliy swatter. One died when it got in my Holy Sole and stung my ankle. They seemed to be coming from two different nests out of our yard.

 

[BetteTheRed]

My sister lives in Honey Harbour. She has had to take down her feeders for the season; she went out to fill feeders a few weeks ago, and there was a bear (young, but not a cub), sitting on her porch railing emptying a feeder. She'll put them out again once the bears have hibernated.

 

[Mendalla]

When it was cleaned up overnight twice, I got suspicious and the suspicion was confirmed when I saw the chipmunk.

We have a chipmunk who is either nesting or hiding food in one of our deck boxes. At least I've seen them disappear into a whole in it as well as scampering around the deck. Cute little things.

The hummingbird feeder attracted Yellowjackets. Most of them how now died in various ways. I think the hummingbird killed one that challenged it on the feeder. Some drowned. Some froze in our freezer. Some died by fliy swatter. One died when it got in my Holy Sole and stung my ankle. They seemed to be coming from two different nests out of our yard.

I haven't had a nest on our property in a while and haven't seen them as much this year. Not sure why. I am somewhat phobic of them so not missing them in the least.

 

[Mendalla]

My sister lives in Honey Harbour. She has had to take down her feeders for the season; she went out to fill feeders a few weeks ago, and there was a bear (young, but not a cub), sitting on her porch railing emptying a feeder. She'll put them out again once the bears have hibernated.

The author Neil Gaiman had a tub of something appealing out on the porch of the little cabin he used for writing. Posted a nice pic on Twitter of the bear who came to investigate at his screen door. That was years ago when he was living in the US (Connecticut or some place like that).

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

I don’t think there is any need of feeding birds outside of winter. It is more likely to spread disease. With the right amount of plants in the yard, one can attract enough birds. Plenty of info online what to plant.

 

[BetteTheRed]

I don’t think there is any need of feeding birds outside of winter. It is more likely to spread disease. With the right amount of plants in the yard, one can attract enough birds. Plenty of info online what to plant.

Honey Harbour is all rock and trees. There's not too much you can grow, particularly on her lot, except for moss and a few struggling hostas. She does it largely for her own entertainment, and that of her cats. However, the view of the bear was less welcome.

 

[paradox3]

Coons are a fact of life here in the London suburbs, though I haven't seen one in a while myself. And there was a black bear removed from Byron during the pandemic but really, in terms of large carnivores, coyotes are the one we watch for. There were rumours of a cougar around but that was a long time ago now. The eastern cougar is certainly native to this area and there are occasionally findings of tracks and scat up North of here.

Yes we have raccoons in this city too. But there is no need to encourage them with bird feeders, accessible garbage and so on. Make them as unwelcome as possible, that's my philosophy

 

[paradox3]

Oh yes, chipmunks are cute enough but they can easily become a huge nuisance. It's not hard to tame them to take peanuts out of your hand.

But tame them a step further and you have trouble! They will be climbing up chairs, trying to get into your house and approaching people for food all the time. I have seen this happen and I don't like it a bit.

 

[Northwind]

I've vacuumed and washed the floor in our main living area. It's time for tea while finishing a sock for a mutual friend of @GordW and I. Well, she's also his colleague.

 

[ChemGal]

We have a provincial waitlist for patients without doctors. I don’t think docs should have an option to sort the patients they are taking on, that sounds very much like going against a patient’s right for healthcare.
I never heard of this in NS.

No such thing here. One doctor did decline me due to the number of health issues I have. Most doctors around here though are taking more patients already than what they want so aren't taking more. The others are just awful doctors. Ie. Asked one what he knew about HAE. Pretty much nothing. Then partway through a meet and great he tells me I cannot have a blood disorder and mentions how normal my tests are. I had my MRI to monitor the tumours shortly before that one. My MRI is definitely not normal, nor are many labs. That clinic also wasn't following the masking law for healthcare facilities that were in place at the time.
I was hoping Chemguy would have better luck as he was looking further away, 2 clinics closed this year which is making the doctor shortage worse plus it's still a growing area.

 

[jimkenney12]

i cropped off parts of the picture that showed runners going farther to the left and right. This is one or two butternut squash plants that are producing a great deal of butternut squashes. We harvested 7 that were about 3 to 4 pounds each too early and 6 of them are ripening in a window. We will probably get 20 to 40 more before they are done. Next year the butternut squash gets planted in a space away from the rest of the garden. It overran our peas, corn, and cucumbers as well as spreading across the grass and over hostas and lupines. The program compressed the picture to less than a third of its original width. I had to do a lot of cropping to make it small enough to load.

 

[ChemGal]

i cropped off parts of the picture that showed runners going farther to the left and right. This is one or two butternut squash plants that are producing a great deal of butternut squashes. We harvested 7 that were about 3 to 4 pounds each too early and 6 of them are ripening in a window. We will probably get 20 to 40 more before they are done. Next year the butternut squash gets planted in a space away from the rest of the garden. It overran our peas, corn, and cucumbers as well as spreading across the grass and over hostas and lupines. The program compressed the picture to less than a third of its original width. I had to do a lot of cropping to make it small enough to load.

Nice. My squash are fails this year. Followed by cucumbers- although I have eaten some. I do some cukes in pors, 3-4 seeds. Some pots didn't even have any that came up which is a first. Spring was too cold, germination was very slow and I gave up starting some inside.
Tomatoes are fantastic though. Cold spring gave them very thick stems and the hot summer was wonderful for the fruit.

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

My peppers are really good this year, its been warm and humid enough, so even the red peppers had enough time to turn red.

 

[Luce NDs]

The battle of nature should be moderated ... if very successful the conflict overcomes the original intent to get some balance into the sol foundation! But as always extremes causing stress ... and little stress management as in many busy spots stress is admired if not worshipped for self control! May hit as either agoraphobia or claustrophobia in the extreme as a soul turns itself inside out in space ... may appear as soliloquise ... leaving some queasy! Words do that to some ... listen to the silence and see if there are words taking place in there ...

Tis a strange thing in an alien domain said to be non existent ... right? Minus something ...

 

[Redbaron]

Good morning! Happy Monday! Who knew bird feeders would attract other, less welcome, critters? (The apartment building here has banished bird feeders, because of the raccoons and other rodents and such they seem to draw. Bit of upset for those who like bird watching). For the squash, peppers and tomatoes that are growing we give thanks. Meanwhile, the coffee is fresh and the tea water boiling. Come on down and gather round the coffee cart.

C(_)/ c(_) c\_/ c[_]

 

[Luce NDs]

Some remain overstimulated in the stripping down for the dark pool and getting into the sub mire gents ... after which it all goes down ... waiting for Don ... and the mad horse said to be dark ... insane activities?

What else to do when so confined by chaotic directives ... and diverse icons ... when one does not read or is said to be unread or literally deficient ... thus the media seems to have little to wit ... then Skye Dewed ide ... it was marked a whetted!

Those of blind fate cannot see the edge ... happens to chickens on automated process lines ... some of AI we cannot see approaching if not sentient! Automation thus becomes a monster ... the chimera that I was told does not exist! No one works or knows the skills of carrying out the crap called knowledge as hated matter ... thus immaterialized ...de ion ized thing ... I Zed so ...

 

[Carolla]

i cropped off parts of the picture that showed runners going farther to the left and right. This is one or two butternut squash plants that are producing a great deal of butternut squashes. We harvested 7 that were about 3 to 4 pounds each too early and 6 of them are ripening in a window. We will probably get 20 to 40 more before they are done. Next year the butternut squash gets planted in a space away from the rest of the garden. It overran our peas, corn, and cucumbers as well as spreading across the grass and over hostas and lupines. The program compressed the picture to less than a third of its original width. I had to do a lot of cropping to make it small enough to load.

My dtr planted a few butternut squash last year in her planter boxes, for the first time. They thrived and she was overwhelmed with harvest of about 75 squash! After giving some to friends, she took to giving some away at her bookstore, and then donated a LOT to the local foodbank, which were gratefully received. And of course she had plenty to overwinter at home! This year she planted only ONE plant!