June.....really!? Where is spring? June 2, 2013

I took this photo of Toby getting ready to cross the creek, yesterday.  We had just had a storm the evening before so the water level was up quite a bit.  We had walked across, right there, on the tops of those rocks two days before.  I had to cross up above, just out of sight.....but, he wasn't paying attention and had to catch up.  Sometimes it seems like he doesn't want to get wet!  Then, he goes for a swim anyway!  Too funny some times. 
Anyway, with all the rain this week, it is not conducive to getting anything done in the yard.  It is just saturated!  Plus, yesterday it started out in the low 50s and dropped to 40 degrees......where it still is this morning.  At least the sun is shining between all the clouds today.  Usually, Memorial weekend is the time to start planting the gardens.  Not this year.  I think everything would sit there and rot.  Then, of course, when we do get a bit of sunshine and 70 with high humidity........we aren't used to it and it feels so hot you just want to sit out there and enjoy the fact we have some sunshine.
Toby and I have had our little adventures all week, rain or not.  It is drier on the shore....relatively.....and there aren't ticks on the Lake Superior shores either.  Right now....ticks are bad!  My tick jar on the counter is filling.  If we go in the woods.......we get ticks.  Picking Toby is just about a full time job. Frontline or Advantix or whatever.......doesn't stop the ticks from getting on him in the first place.  They will still try to attach most of the time.  I don't want any flare ups in his Lyme disease.....for sure.  So, I am vigilant.

The weather has been good for bringing the birds around tho.  The hummers are flocking to the feeders now.  I still have various types of little sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, bluejays, red-breasted nuthatches, rose-breasted grosbeaks, evening grosbeaks, purple finches, gold finches, and as of yesterday and this morning.....an indigo bunting.  There is no shortage of color out there.  Of course, there are the squirrels and chipmunks wanting their share too.  Haven't seen any sign of the raccoon lately.  It is probably frustrated that I bring all the feeders in at night.  Bear season now too.....so, they all have to come in.

I have even gotten to the point I bring the hanging feeders in at night because of the raccoons.  They don't necessarily break the feeders.....but, some are on hanging hooks that hang out from the deck railing.  They don't support the weight of a raccoon.  So, last fall some of them got bent too.  Feeding critters is none-stop fun when it comes to trying to keep everyone happy and have stuff that isn't broken and bent up from the wrong critter getting in to it.

"Can't you see I'm tryin' to eat here!"  Even the squirrels have a lot of ticks this year.  You can see a full one by his ear, there is one on his forehead between and above his eyes, there were two full ones on the top center of his back....that I could see.  Those ticks are such a pain!

The chipmunks are busy too.  I still have a good number of deer coming around.  Many are pretty slow to have their fawns.  Shadow still hasn't brought hers out for us to see.  However, she comes to see us every day.  I sure do enjoy them.  I sometimes think the critters know more about us than we know about ourselves.  They pay a lot of attention to what we are doing and if it means treats for them, for sure.  And, most are not bashful about following us around anymore until we take the hint either.  Many don't even pay that much attention to Toby anymore.  He is pretty settled on the deck watching them most of the time. 
Spring flowers and cherry blossoms are finally out.  It is fun to see some of spring arriving anyway. 
Maybe the weather will soon moderate too......we can hope.