June 18, 2013

A meal fit for a queen ...


and a snack for some princes.


Green pasture is hard to come by in the desert this time of year, and the boys did not turn up their nose at some long-in-the-tooth lettuce from the garden.

June 8, 2013

It's time to fledge


It is June, and it is hot. The birds think so too. Above a Gambel's quail chick is finding a little shade under the bird feeder, and the 3 cactus wren babies are practically standing on top of each other in the nest box opposite the kitchen sink. They could be leaving any day now.


June 6, 2013

Defense, we need more defense!

The apricots are ripening. We were lucky enough to not have a late frost this year which usually does the always-early apricot blossoms in. I duly culled little apricots and have been watching the tree with anticipation. And so have the birds.

A blush was developing this week and the testing beak marks were not far behind. But it's war now, the birds are beyond pecking, they are eating. I have been testing too, and I think that for a fully ripe apricot I would have to wait a couple more days. By that time there will be no apricot left.

The gauze grape bags being already in use for the grapes, I used brown sandwich bags to cover some of the still undamaged fruit in hopes to at least have some ripe apricots for us to eat.



No idea whether it will work, but it is worth a try. While attaching the bags, first with tape, then with a stapler, some apricots fell off. They are good, could have used a few more days, but certainly edible.


Meanwhile, the garden is going great guns. We have already eating the first sowing of beets, some of the carrots and lots of lettuce. There are tomatoes, green still but likely ripening this month. Cantaloupes and grapes too.