Where is your mother?

I was cleaning Buggsy's stall this morning and was just about to scoop up a pile, when "wait, that's no horse apple!". It was the tiniest bunny I have ever seen. He did not even have his eyes fully open yet. I have no idea how he got where he was, but we carefully put him back at the hole that gives access to where many animals are born and live: under the tackroom, which is across the isle from Buggs' stall.

While he sat on my hand he wiped off his nose and rubbed his eyes, and licked the salt off my fingers. What a little cutie!

Sunflowers

This year most of the Lemon Queen sunflowers that I planted for the Great Sunflower Project have survived the rodent attacks, and several of them are blooming in front of the horse barn. Time has come to count bees. Frankly, we have plenty of bees here, but until I signed up for this project, I had no idea how many varieties of bees there are. There are 4,500 varieties in the US alone!


It is interesting is that the sunflowers by the horse barn are being pollinated by a different variety of bee than those in the garden. I think these are Diadasia bees, which are specialized pollinators of sunflowers. They are solitary bees that make their nests in the ground, and I wonder where that might be. Those in the garden have bumblebees and honeybees doing the work.


But I had better count bees quickly because the plants are now being infested with some kind of caterpillar that appeared almost overnight, and they are doing a thorough job of annihilating the plants. I submitted a request to Bug Net for identification. Meanwhile, I sprayed the plants with BT, but saved a couple that were put into the "cocoon jar". Can't wait to see what kind of butterfly develops.

Lying low

I am not sure if I should use Shawna's recovering hip as an excuse, or whether I should just admit that this is June and hot and that's why nothing much is getting accomplished at the WD these days. Shawna does continue to improve, and I am so glad that she appears happy and currently in little pain.

Early in the morning I patrol the garden of course; I have harvested the first zucchini and cucumbers and continue to pick peas. The winter squash is starting to take on frightening proportions and the garden will soon soon be in danger of being taken over by either them or the grapes. I also picked our very first apricots ever, just to test, and they are delicious. Hopefully I will beat the birds to the rest of them tomorrow morning.


I see another leisurely week in our future; I do want to observe doctor's orders and keep Shawna quiet and make sure that she is not licking her hip. Between the World Cup and our wildlife we are not in danger of being bored.