A fearless buzzer

Sorry, all you hungry people! There is no posting about food today either. I am addicted to birding for the time being....LOL

Here we go:
Yesterday, several hummingbirds were fighting fiercely around the sole feeder at the kitchen window. To put an end to the stress I put up two more around in our garden.
While doing so one of the birds constantly buzzed around my head. I thought that maybe I could get that fearless "bugger" on the screen, and I did.

First he checked out the feeder. 

..see the droplet of sugar-water on the bill...

Then he sat about 4 feet away on a branch and watched me all the time while I was taking photos of him.

.. checking if  anyone is watching me..

...nope...

OK, maybe I should show off a little bit for this nice female...

What a wonderful opportunity this was for me.
Thank you little bird!

Nikon 3100 DX, 55-200  mm lens, autofocus, multiple shots, hand held.
I guess it is a Ruby-throated-hummingbird, male, because I read that they are the only ones that are breeding up here in North-East America.

Progress in the garden department

Can you emagine? About this time last year we had a new project on the go. I wanted a vegetable garden patch. Hubby did me a favour and constructed two raised beds on a former raspberry patch, that had gone totally wild.

About to pull out tree roots with the Jeep.
The first raised bed is filled in. (April 2012)

May 19, 2012 , all is planted and fenced in against
hungry rabbits

This year I decided to fence in twice the size of the original patch and add two more beds. With four garden-beds I am able to do a proper annual crop rotation. Hubby hasn't had time enough to make new frames around the beds. But my makeshift framing keeps the soil from

moving downhill with the rain. Seeds of peas, radish, spinach, lettuce and parsley are already in the ground.

The rest of the area will be used for a new project.

Container gardening. Wait a couple of weeks and you will see. 

The new patch, fenced in and waiting for the plants.

At the birdfeeder was an intruder. A squirrel had jumped the distance from the tree trunk to the saucer. I will have to double the distance.

Uh-Oh! I am on camera!

A new chapter in our former travels i up. We have reached April 2006 and are on our way North towards home ( that was Alberta at that time). We drive towards Wichita KS and further on to Denver CO and Montana, visiting friends along the road.

A Golden Flurry

It's chilly here as well. The birds are hungry, not many insects around yet. There was a frenzy at the feeders, in particular the Finch-tube.
One male was especially aggressive; he dive-bombed several others away.
Finally he took his seat in the apple tree.

Tripod, 200 mm lens and setting for multiple shots.

A golden flurry of American Goldfinches:

Container gardening and another casserole

Saturday I went to a local container-gardening course held at our local school.

About 10 women and some kids showed up to learn how to make

a tomato container and a potato tower. We needed 5 gallon buckets,

drain tile and a piece of a clear hose.

Instructor Lauris L. in action..

Molly cuts the lid in shape...

Diane and Rogette watching Molly assamble the  bucket.

this photo is borrowed from the net so that you can get the idea

As it turned out, we all had the wrong drain tiles (we should have brought the flexible one), but nonetheless, the workshop was very interesting and we had a lot of fun. 

The fog lay thick along the coast and it rained the whole afternoon.

Molly and Tessa are waiting for the crumbs..

The best thing we could do in this kind of weather - indulging ourselves with good food!

A variation of the salmon casserole. This time with grilled chicken, shrimps and bell peppers.

Our guests from Germany enjoying the good food we ladies 

team-cooked 

I also added two more pages about our earlier travels....
About our stay in Seadrift, TX , and visits to Goliad, TX and Victoria, TX.