The hummingbirds have been very busy around here lately! With all the hot weather, they have been busy as beavers humming around, keeping me busy as an ant supplying sugar water for them. I've had to change their sugar water almost daily! I think I have between 5-6 hummingbirds that have nests close by.
These amazing birds have gotten quite used to me being around their feeders, and now, instead of them being scared of me... it is me being a little scared of them! They have gotten quite comfortable having me around them, that they zip and fly around me so that I can almost feel their wings touch me at times!
Since they are so comfortable around me now, they even allow me to snap pictures of them, and it doesn't bother them a bit. They just keep drinking happily away.
Sometimes they stop what they are doing, and watch me, as I watch them. But things are never quiet for more than a second or two... as I've learned!
There is always another hummingbird hovering nearby waiting for its chance for a drink, and he'll have to fight off the current hummingbird to get a drink of his own.
But for now, this cute little fellow is content to take a drink, sit and let it digest, and then dive in for another big gulp!
Once in a while I've noticed two hummingbirds will drink together. I haven't quite figured out the logistics of it all. But, I've never seen more than two at a time at a feeder. If a third one shows up, all three go to fighting.
Hummingbirds are very VERY territorial. In fact, fighting and drinking go hand in hand for them. And their little "squacks" let you know exactly where they are, and they really go to "squacking" when they are fighting for their chance at the feeder.
This little guy really drew my attention a few days ago. I have a hanger for a bird house right below the hummingbird feeder. He seemed to think that this all was his. He would fly up for a drink at the feeder, and then back down to his perch and just wait.
He would flit from flower to flower around the feeder, and then back for a drink...
and then he would fly around to his favorite flowers in the area....
... and now he is back to guarding his feeder and taking a long deep drink.
Back at the other feeder, another hummer is manning the fort.
He sits still long enough for me to get a great shot of him as he fills up his tank..
Our cat, Mr. Simba is not far from the action. His head is on a pivot trying to keep up with all the activity of the hummingbirds. Luckily for them, they are far out of reach of Mr. Simba's claws, and all Simba can do is watch the action intently.
Another shot of a hummer coming in for a drink...
... circling the feeder to make sure the coast is clear, and there is no fight to fight...
... and then its time....
... to refill the tank.
Now, I wasn't able to get a picture of the fight that goes on between the wasps and the hummers... but they do fight too! I did not realize this before. But, the wasps spend quite a bit of time around the feeders trying to figure out a way to get some of the sugar. And I have seen those wasps chase the hummer away! The wasps do not like any interference from the hummers, and certainly the hummers are more than willing to put up a fight, but I have seen the wasps literally chase the hummers away.
I put together a video below for you to get in on some of the action going on around here, and maybe you'll understand why I am more afraid now of the hummers than they are of me! I think a pair of sunglasses are in order when out in the yard with these guys! One wrong move on my part could really hurt if their beak flying at a high rate of speed were to connect with any part of my body! Ouch!
Since they are so comfortable around me now, they even allow me to snap pictures of them, and it doesn't bother them a bit. They just keep drinking happily away.
Once in a while I've noticed two hummingbirds will drink together. I haven't quite figured out the logistics of it all. But, I've never seen more than two at a time at a feeder. If a third one shows up, all three go to fighting.
Hummingbirds are very VERY territorial. In fact, fighting and drinking go hand in hand for them. And their little "squacks" let you know exactly where they are, and they really go to "squacking" when they are fighting for their chance at the feeder.
He would flit from flower to flower around the feeder, and then back for a drink...
and then he would fly around to his favorite flowers in the area....
 |
| if you look closely, you can see Mr. Hummer perched on the table immediately center to the black pot... |
Back at the other feeder, another hummer is manning the fort.
He sits still long enough for me to get a great shot of him as he fills up his tank..
Our cat, Mr. Simba is not far from the action. His head is on a pivot trying to keep up with all the activity of the hummingbirds. Luckily for them, they are far out of reach of Mr. Simba's claws, and all Simba can do is watch the action intently.
... circling the feeder to make sure the coast is clear, and there is no fight to fight...
... to refill the tank.
Now, I wasn't able to get a picture of the fight that goes on between the wasps and the hummers... but they do fight too! I did not realize this before. But, the wasps spend quite a bit of time around the feeders trying to figure out a way to get some of the sugar. And I have seen those wasps chase the hummer away! The wasps do not like any interference from the hummers, and certainly the hummers are more than willing to put up a fight, but I have seen the wasps literally chase the hummers away.
I put together a video below for you to get in on some of the action going on around here, and maybe you'll understand why I am more afraid now of the hummers than they are of me! I think a pair of sunglasses are in order when out in the yard with these guys! One wrong move on my part could really hurt if their beak flying at a high rate of speed were to connect with any part of my body! Ouch!
Late summer is the time when the sunflowers begin to come into their own, and begin to show off their stuff. It seems to take forever, as you watch them each day growing taller and taller, but then finally the buds begin to form as they lift their faces to the east.
This was my first sunflower to open its face to the sun, and let its beauty shine. This past weekend at our fellowship meeting, my dear friend MH shared with us a few thoughts about sunflowers, which I thought was very timely indeed. At the time that she shared her thoughts comparing sunflowers to a believer's life, my sunflowers were not quite ready to bloom. But, just a day or two later, they pushed their green leaves aside to show their cheery faces.
MH used the illustration of sunflowers to compare a believer's walk with the Lord. There are quite a few characteristics about sunflowers that can be ascribed to a believer's life. Here are some that were mentioned, and I wanted to share them with you, along with some pictures of the sunflowers growing in my garden...
1. Sunflowers always lift their faces to the sun, and no matter where they are planted, they will turn to face the east. Always. It doesn't matter if you've planted them in a northern area, they will grow and turn in such a way so as to face east.
Just as sunflowers are eagerly lifting their heads to the east, so we as believers must follow the direction of the SON, who is Jesus. No matter where we are planted, so long as we look to the SON we will be able to continue our growth as Christians.
2. Sunflowers don't like to be transplanted. They love it best when the seeds are planted directly into the ground where they are intended to grow.
Just as believers, we must grow in the soil we are planted, and
be content with the ground where we are placed.
3. Sunflowers aren't fussy about the soil they are planted in, they can grow just about anywhere, as long as they can face the sun.
Just as believers, it doesn't matter where we are living in this world, as long as our focus is on the SON, we can grow where we are planted.
4. As sunflowers grow, their bottom leaves begin to yellow, wither, crumble, and fall off.
This is because now that the plant is sturdy and strong, the plant begins to put all its efforts into its bloom and to produce fruit (seeds), and therefore the less needed part of the plant is allowed to die off in order to put all effort into the fruit.
Which is a wonderful illustration in the life of the believer. At first, as we are young, vibrant, learning and growing, there is no pruning taking place. But, as we grow older, taller, and more mature, there are things that we once thought so necessary, that now are no longer necessary, and must be pruned away in order to put all our efforts into producing fruit. And as believers, when we are young in the faith, pruning would hurt, or perhaps even kill us. But, as we mature and grow, and become stronger as we face the SON, we are able to accept pruning, and recognize it is a necessary thing in order to produce the fruit we greatly desire. Perhaps this is the most difficult lesson of all that the sunflower teaches us. Pruning, or cutting away of things that we think are necessary, is never an easy process. It is often painful, sorrowful, and difficult. BUT, if our faces are turned to the SON during the process, this becomes our strength, and the pruning process is not so bad. But if our faces droop, and we become focused perhaps on things around us, instead of facing and looking to our Savior Jesus... it could suck the very life blood from us, and cause us to fall over, and wilt away.
4. One sunflower can produce up to 2000 seeds! Not just one fruit, not just one seed... but up to 2000!
What an amazing thing that is! If we turn our faces to the SON and focus our attention on Him, then our lives can bring forth fruit, much fruit... much more so than if we were focused on anything else around us. Only when our lives are focused and facing the SON, then we are able to produce fruit beyond number.
5. Sunflowers produce a very healthy oil from their seeds. This website, www.sunflowernsa.com gives more information about sunflower oil, and says "Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. It is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. The versatility of this healthy oil is recognized by cooks internationally. Sunflower oil is valued for its light taste, frying performance and health benefits." Check out the link if you'd like to learn more about sunflower oil.
Just as sunflowers produce a very healthy oil, so we as believers can allow the oil of the spirit to shine through our lives, keeping us healthy and vibrant.
These are just a few of the similarities found in sunflowers that can also be found in the lives of the believer. Why don't you visit this website, and learn more about this amazing plant that is native to our American soil, and see if you can come up with any more similarities between this beautiful plant, and the life of a believer?!
This was my first sunflower to open its face to the sun, and let its beauty shine. This past weekend at our fellowship meeting, my dear friend MH shared with us a few thoughts about sunflowers, which I thought was very timely indeed. At the time that she shared her thoughts comparing sunflowers to a believer's life, my sunflowers were not quite ready to bloom. But, just a day or two later, they pushed their green leaves aside to show their cheery faces.
MH used the illustration of sunflowers to compare a believer's walk with the Lord. There are quite a few characteristics about sunflowers that can be ascribed to a believer's life. Here are some that were mentioned, and I wanted to share them with you, along with some pictures of the sunflowers growing in my garden...
1. Sunflowers always lift their faces to the sun, and no matter where they are planted, they will turn to face the east. Always. It doesn't matter if you've planted them in a northern area, they will grow and turn in such a way so as to face east.
Just as sunflowers are eagerly lifting their heads to the east, so we as believers must follow the direction of the SON, who is Jesus. No matter where we are planted, so long as we look to the SON we will be able to continue our growth as Christians.
2. Sunflowers don't like to be transplanted. They love it best when the seeds are planted directly into the ground where they are intended to grow.
 |
| This picture was taken the end of June! The sunflowers have done a lot of growing in July! |
3. Sunflowers aren't fussy about the soil they are planted in, they can grow just about anywhere, as long as they can face the sun.
Just as believers, it doesn't matter where we are living in this world, as long as our focus is on the SON, we can grow where we are planted.
4. As sunflowers grow, their bottom leaves begin to yellow, wither, crumble, and fall off.
This is because now that the plant is sturdy and strong, the plant begins to put all its efforts into its bloom and to produce fruit (seeds), and therefore the less needed part of the plant is allowed to die off in order to put all effort into the fruit.
Which is a wonderful illustration in the life of the believer. At first, as we are young, vibrant, learning and growing, there is no pruning taking place. But, as we grow older, taller, and more mature, there are things that we once thought so necessary, that now are no longer necessary, and must be pruned away in order to put all our efforts into producing fruit. And as believers, when we are young in the faith, pruning would hurt, or perhaps even kill us. But, as we mature and grow, and become stronger as we face the SON, we are able to accept pruning, and recognize it is a necessary thing in order to produce the fruit we greatly desire. Perhaps this is the most difficult lesson of all that the sunflower teaches us. Pruning, or cutting away of things that we think are necessary, is never an easy process. It is often painful, sorrowful, and difficult. BUT, if our faces are turned to the SON during the process, this becomes our strength, and the pruning process is not so bad. But if our faces droop, and we become focused perhaps on things around us, instead of facing and looking to our Savior Jesus... it could suck the very life blood from us, and cause us to fall over, and wilt away.
4. One sunflower can produce up to 2000 seeds! Not just one fruit, not just one seed... but up to 2000!
What an amazing thing that is! If we turn our faces to the SON and focus our attention on Him, then our lives can bring forth fruit, much fruit... much more so than if we were focused on anything else around us. Only when our lives are focused and facing the SON, then we are able to produce fruit beyond number.
5. Sunflowers produce a very healthy oil from their seeds. This website, www.sunflowernsa.com gives more information about sunflower oil, and says "Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. It is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. The versatility of this healthy oil is recognized by cooks internationally. Sunflower oil is valued for its light taste, frying performance and health benefits." Check out the link if you'd like to learn more about sunflower oil.
Just as sunflowers produce a very healthy oil, so we as believers can allow the oil of the spirit to shine through our lives, keeping us healthy and vibrant.
These are just a few of the similarities found in sunflowers that can also be found in the lives of the believer. Why don't you visit this website, and learn more about this amazing plant that is native to our American soil, and see if you can come up with any more similarities between this beautiful plant, and the life of a believer?!
This past weekend was the annual Priest River celebration of Timber Days, where they celebrate the town's rich logging history with a parade, arts and crafts in the park, and loggers from all over the area show up to compete in the various competitions using only their axe.
The parade started at 11, and most of the town showed up to watch the parade. The streets were packed with families and excited children clutching their bags to stow away their candy treasures.
I loved watching the young children get so excited as they waited for the parade, and the impatience in their voices. I heard them asking their parents over and over, when is it going to start? How I fondly remember those days... now that my kids are teenagers, a parade is not such a big deal for them anymore!
The streets lined with people, and lots of children waiting for the candy throwing floats to begin!
First came the veterans carrying the American flag.
Lots of patriotism in this parade!
I think just about every fire truck in the area showed up to toot their horns, and throw candy...
And then came the log trucks, all shined and spiffed up, showing off their stuff.
Those were some pretty big logs sitting on those trucks... wish I had at least one or two of those logs split and stacked in my backyard ready for the winter ahead!
The Spartan cheerleaders stopped in front of us to perform. They are all ready for the fall season of football...
The parade lasted for thirty minutes, and there were lots of interesting floats, and some carried water guns, squirting the crowd, and others sprayed the crowd with red, white and blue crepe paper. It was a beautiful day for a parade.
As soon as the parade finished moving through town, everyone followed the parade down to the City Park where all the fun was getting started with the timber competitions.
As we arrived at the park, we watched this competition. There were three pine logs that the logger had to stand on, and chop away with his axe until they split in half. The logger with the least amount of time splitting his log was the winner.
The logger had to stand on the log and chop away, and the competitions were timed to see how fast it could be done. The logger who won this particular competition chopped that big log in half in 37 seconds... pretty amazing!
After we watched the logging competitions for a while, hunger and thirst drove us over to the park where we got a bite to eat and something to drink. Then we browsed around the various little tent booths that were set up in the park with many local people selling things they had made.
It was great to see the people of Priest River out celebrating their rich history in logging. As we watched those guys chip away at the logs with their axes, it made me realize how far we have come since the days where everything had to be done by the sweat of the brow. No longer do loggers use cross-saws or axes, but they have all kinds of fancy logging equipment to do the job that once required the sweat of their brow.
It is a good thing to stop and remember those "good ole days", which in many ways were the "tough ole days" if we're being truthful. Lots of hard work, sweat, blood and tears!
Our kids were at the 4H Horse Fair for the weekend, and so after going over there to see them, my husband and I took a drive together. We ended up getting out for a short walk along the Pend O'Reille River, walking down the train tracks close to the river right at dusk. These pictures are taken with a camera that I just bought to carry in my purse instead of dragging my big daddy camera with me wherever I go. I found that I really missed my big camera, as I couldn't adjust any of the settings on this camera to adjust for the deepening shadows of the day.
I guess I'll still be dragging my big camera with me from now on... I really missed using my manual settings to adjust for the aperture and F-stop settings as the light was constantly changing, and decreasing.
But you get a sense of the quiet and stillness over the river as the day comes to an end, a simply beautiful end. I never get tired of the beauty that the sun casts over the river as each day comes to a close.
It was a beautiful ending to a lovely day.
The parade started at 11, and most of the town showed up to watch the parade. The streets were packed with families and excited children clutching their bags to stow away their candy treasures.
I loved watching the young children get so excited as they waited for the parade, and the impatience in their voices. I heard them asking their parents over and over, when is it going to start? How I fondly remember those days... now that my kids are teenagers, a parade is not such a big deal for them anymore!
The streets lined with people, and lots of children waiting for the candy throwing floats to begin!
First came the veterans carrying the American flag.
And then came the log trucks, all shined and spiffed up, showing off their stuff.
Those were some pretty big logs sitting on those trucks... wish I had at least one or two of those logs split and stacked in my backyard ready for the winter ahead!
The Spartan cheerleaders stopped in front of us to perform. They are all ready for the fall season of football...
The parade lasted for thirty minutes, and there were lots of interesting floats, and some carried water guns, squirting the crowd, and others sprayed the crowd with red, white and blue crepe paper. It was a beautiful day for a parade.
As soon as the parade finished moving through town, everyone followed the parade down to the City Park where all the fun was getting started with the timber competitions.
As we arrived at the park, we watched this competition. There were three pine logs that the logger had to stand on, and chop away with his axe until they split in half. The logger with the least amount of time splitting his log was the winner.
The logger had to stand on the log and chop away, and the competitions were timed to see how fast it could be done. The logger who won this particular competition chopped that big log in half in 37 seconds... pretty amazing!
After we watched the logging competitions for a while, hunger and thirst drove us over to the park where we got a bite to eat and something to drink. Then we browsed around the various little tent booths that were set up in the park with many local people selling things they had made.
It was great to see the people of Priest River out celebrating their rich history in logging. As we watched those guys chip away at the logs with their axes, it made me realize how far we have come since the days where everything had to be done by the sweat of the brow. No longer do loggers use cross-saws or axes, but they have all kinds of fancy logging equipment to do the job that once required the sweat of their brow.
It is a good thing to stop and remember those "good ole days", which in many ways were the "tough ole days" if we're being truthful. Lots of hard work, sweat, blood and tears!
Our kids were at the 4H Horse Fair for the weekend, and so after going over there to see them, my husband and I took a drive together. We ended up getting out for a short walk along the Pend O'Reille River, walking down the train tracks close to the river right at dusk. These pictures are taken with a camera that I just bought to carry in my purse instead of dragging my big daddy camera with me wherever I go. I found that I really missed my big camera, as I couldn't adjust any of the settings on this camera to adjust for the deepening shadows of the day.
I guess I'll still be dragging my big camera with me from now on... I really missed using my manual settings to adjust for the aperture and F-stop settings as the light was constantly changing, and decreasing.
But you get a sense of the quiet and stillness over the river as the day comes to an end, a simply beautiful end. I never get tired of the beauty that the sun casts over the river as each day comes to a close.
I don't know if you've noticed that my hiking posts have kind of slowed down here lately?
Well, if you have... I can promise you that there is good reason for that. Summer is so busy, and full of things going on, not to mention the fact that we've had several weeks worth of temperatures up high into the 90s and even into the 100s... which means that our hiking adventures have been pushed to the back burner for a bit.
But last week, we decided to try a hike in the early evening, around 6:30 or so. We decided we'd go for a short hike to get ourselves back in shape, and maybe gradually work ourselves back up to the 2-3 hour hikes that we normally do.
I took Cosmo with me on this hike. Usually I don't take the dogs with me, as they can be a bit overwhelming together. Annie is a very strong dog, and keeping her on a leash with other dogs around ends up being more work than its worth. And because I don't want her to feel left out and only take Cosmo, I usually leave them both home. But tonight, my daughter took Annie on a walk, which left me free to take Cosmo with me.
Cosmo had just been to the groomers, and he was looking fine! He was pretty proud of his new sporty look!
There were a lot of wildflowers still bravely blooming, despite the recent heat wave.
And we found some Oregon grapes just about ready for harvest! We munched on a few as we walked. I didn't know that this particular plant is actually the state plant for the state of Oregon. Here is a link for more info if you are interested... Oregon Grape
Here is an excerpt from the above link:
So, I learned something new on this hike... that the Oregon grapes that grow here in the wild in our area are actually a state flower, and are also used for medicinal purposes!
As we continued on our walk, the dogs were feeling the effects of the heat too. They weren't quite as energetic as they had been in the past. Cheetah took her time following closely behind or beside us, with her tongue hanging out.
Cosmo and Cheetah got along excellent, and it was a very enjoyable hike with just the two of them. Had Annie been along... not so sure how the dynamics would have worked out... they say two's company... three's a crowd!
We stopped here to get our bearings, and to make sure that we were on the path we intended to be on. The logging trails, and deer paths criss-cross through the woods, and often intertwine with each other.
Another picture of some of the beautiful wildflowers along the path as we walked.
We heard a strange twittering noise as we walked along, and it wasn't something I'd heard before. We stopped to listen and investigate what the noise was. Soon, as I walked toward the noise, I realized it was a bird up in the tree twittering away at us with a very strange bird call. I'd never heard it before. Not sure what kind of bird it was either, as it was too hidden in the tree for me to get a good look. But he apparently was not happy with us walking through his territory, and wanted to make it known to us.
We continued along on our hike, and the sun began to set off in the distant horizon. The evening shadows were forming as the sun began its downward descent, creating a lovely scene before our eyes.
A picture of Hoo Doo Mountain off in the distance with the setting sun resting upon its banks.
Soon we were on the path that led back to the house, and we had timed our hike perfectly, and made a big loop that took us about an hour and a half or so. This evening hike was perfect for getting back into our hiking routine. For now, with summer here in all its glory, morning or evening hikes are best. And since I'm not real enthusiastic about a 2-3 hour hike starting at 6 in the morning, we'll probably settle on another evening hike soon!
Well, if you have... I can promise you that there is good reason for that. Summer is so busy, and full of things going on, not to mention the fact that we've had several weeks worth of temperatures up high into the 90s and even into the 100s... which means that our hiking adventures have been pushed to the back burner for a bit.
But last week, we decided to try a hike in the early evening, around 6:30 or so. We decided we'd go for a short hike to get ourselves back in shape, and maybe gradually work ourselves back up to the 2-3 hour hikes that we normally do.
I took Cosmo with me on this hike. Usually I don't take the dogs with me, as they can be a bit overwhelming together. Annie is a very strong dog, and keeping her on a leash with other dogs around ends up being more work than its worth. And because I don't want her to feel left out and only take Cosmo, I usually leave them both home. But tonight, my daughter took Annie on a walk, which left me free to take Cosmo with me.
Cosmo had just been to the groomers, and he was looking fine! He was pretty proud of his new sporty look!
There were a lot of wildflowers still bravely blooming, despite the recent heat wave.
And we found some Oregon grapes just about ready for harvest! We munched on a few as we walked. I didn't know that this particular plant is actually the state plant for the state of Oregon. Here is a link for more info if you are interested... Oregon Grape
Here is an excerpt from the above link:
The Oregon grape plant bears dainty yellow flowers in early summer
and a dark blue berry that ripens late in the fall. The fruit is tart
and bitter, containing large seeds, but can be used in cooking (used to
make jelly locally). The inner bark of the larger stems and roots of
Oregon grape can be used to make a yellow dye.
Oregon grape root is commonly used medicinally by
herbalists as an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial used in
the treatment of infection. Oregon grape root also has anticancer
properties and is used for treating inflammatory skin diseases such as
Eczema and Psoriasis
So, I learned something new on this hike... that the Oregon grapes that grow here in the wild in our area are actually a state flower, and are also used for medicinal purposes!
As we continued on our walk, the dogs were feeling the effects of the heat too. They weren't quite as energetic as they had been in the past. Cheetah took her time following closely behind or beside us, with her tongue hanging out.
Cosmo and Cheetah got along excellent, and it was a very enjoyable hike with just the two of them. Had Annie been along... not so sure how the dynamics would have worked out... they say two's company... three's a crowd!
We stopped here to get our bearings, and to make sure that we were on the path we intended to be on. The logging trails, and deer paths criss-cross through the woods, and often intertwine with each other.
Another picture of some of the beautiful wildflowers along the path as we walked.
We continued along on our hike, and the sun began to set off in the distant horizon. The evening shadows were forming as the sun began its downward descent, creating a lovely scene before our eyes.
A picture of Hoo Doo Mountain off in the distance with the setting sun resting upon its banks.
Soon we were on the path that led back to the house, and we had timed our hike perfectly, and made a big loop that took us about an hour and a half or so. This evening hike was perfect for getting back into our hiking routine. For now, with summer here in all its glory, morning or evening hikes are best. And since I'm not real enthusiastic about a 2-3 hour hike starting at 6 in the morning, we'll probably settle on another evening hike soon!
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