Screen test

 

I am trying to learn how to manually adjust my camera.  The automatic settings work fine for quick snapshots, but for super close-ups or interesting framing, it seems useful to know what aperture and shutter speed will do.  So I went out this morning and did some screen tests.  The monarda seemed to enjoy posing!

This one was actually taken with automatic exposure and super zoom.  So pretty flitting around!

Goldie finally listened to her hormones and sat on a nest a week ago.  She's been holding tight ever since.  But even a broody hen needs a drink of water and a bite to eat every once in a while.  This morning she hopped off the nest while I was visiting, so I got a few photos.

She was moving fast, so I'm not quite in focus!  I love the way her feathers stay fluffed up as she moves around.  Fluffed up feathers hold more warmth and if there's something that incubating eggs need, it's warmth!  (Note that Rooster and the ducks gave her a wide berth.  Don't mess with a hormonal hen!)

 She had a few deep drinks of water.

Then a quick bite with Rooster to bring her energy back up.

After about four minutes, she was ready to hop back up on the railing and return to her eggs.

While she was out of the nest, Maria stepped in to keep the eggs warm.  Unfortunately one of the five incubating eggs broke -- not sure if it was Goldie or Maria who broke it.  That made Maria hop back out of the nest.  It didn't appear that the broken egg had a chick growing.  I cleaned up the nest and put in fresh straw so that Goldie could return to a fresh bed.

Stay tuned.  I figure another two weeks or so.  By the end of July we should have the pitter patter of little chicks!

After the rain...

Storm damage

Last night a thunderstorm blew through at about 60 mph.  I stood at my dining table window and watched.  It blew hard, but there was not a lot of thunder and somehow it seemed a more mild storm than others we've had.

Until I went outside afterwards and discovered this huge willow branch came down, smashing the fence underneath it.

It missed the house by less than ten feet. 

So while I'll have to pay to have it removed, and the fence fixed, in fact I'm really lucky!

Garden bed changeover

Over Memorial Day weekend I built this trellis.  It went into temporary placement over the bed where I grew daffodils and tulips for cutting, waiting for me to have time to do the changeover.

Today was the day.

I dug out all the daffodils and tulips.  This was the second season for the daffodils and they did really well, providing many vases of bright yellow to cheer my April and May.  The tulips had been an afterthought, just a mixed color bag I grabbed at the big box store.  The colors weren't great, so I'm not sure I'll replant them here.  Maybe I'll find another location for them.

But these bulbs aren't ready to be stored.  Instead, I dug a trench at one end of this bed and crowded them all in.  It's not ideal, but it will give the leaves a bit more time to absorb sunshine and store food.

Then I replaced the trellis and planted two cucumbers, two canteloupes, and a pumpkin under it.  All but the pumpkin I will train up the trellis -- the pumpkin can have the floor of the bed.  At the last minute I threw in two broccoli plants that had nowhere else to go.  We'll see how that goes.  It's actually kind of crowded in there, though it might not look it today!

Right now all the plants are getting a nice, gentle soaking in.  I can't wait to watch them climb the trellis and send out their fruits!