What's outside of your picture window today?

@sueinmn, @loribmt, @johnbishop, @gingerw, and all...oops, Sue. In my experience with mice and rats, where there's one there may soon be lots more. Our entire building in my condo community is having mice/rat problems. I've written about my huge mound on my patio in the garden area, from something, probably an armadillo or such. I understand rats don't burrow tunnels but will take over tunnels for themselves. I've had 2 tiny babies inside!!!! Just inside my sliding glass doors, possilby from outside??? They didn't have open eyes yet, were so precious, but I scooped them up with the broom and pan and tossed them outside. One I put into the tunnel in my patio as it was pouring. I still have guilty feelings about them, as I'm sure I killed those babies, which is ok, but I'd rather not and hate to think I killed an animal.

I've done everything possible other than taking down my feeders. Not doing that. So, there are several entryways from outside under the roof in a couple of places, the association is working on closing them which will help. But, we still have them in the attic and walls.

Now, my wonderful kitty, Samantha, broke the neck of a mouse in a spare bedroom. At least she left it there in sight for me to dispose of and didn't bring me the gift, as a dear beagle mix I loved. She killed a rat outside and brought it to me so proudly, laying at my feet and sitting wagging her tail so pleased. I freaked. First personal encounter!

But, covered my scream, got the broom and pan, and thanked the doggie for the present as I tossed it in the garbage. Nightmares always follow these occurrences.

I have my son's precious little white furball, Buddy, a Havanese. She's staying with me now as he can't care for her and is having seizures that frighten her. She's been quite traumatized, so I've been helping her heal and giving her lots of love. Love having a dog again, but can't do the walking she needs.

Rob's home now. Was on a ventilator for several days after stopping breathing in Rescue after EMS pushed Ketamine and he has a Dilaudid pump. They diverted to the nearest hospital, not one I like at all, to ED to get him breathing again. They put him on a ventilator and it's been a horrid experience for him and for me.

He begins seizure testing at Mayo next week and consults with a seizure neurologist. Finally! Then, neuro palliative care and some help, maybe. I'm so tired of the medical community's mistreatment of this man. Dystonia has about 60,000 patients in the US. So, it's quite rare, doctors have no idea how to diagnose and certainly don't know how to treat. It's been a terrible struggle for 18 years to get help...finally, Mayo is doing research and helping him. However, until we get information out and funding in, it's a lost cause. No cure as no one knows the cause. I'm hoping to help the Dystonia Association/Foundation with this after he is settled if it happens and I'm still breathing!

He's being evaluated for Deep Brain Surgery. It's a dangerous, difficult, surgery, awake...and a long recovery with no guarantee it'll help. But, it may well stop the seizures caused by Klonopin withdrawal and help reduce pain levels. If so, that's a huge win for us.

My poor birds and plants have suffered during his hospitalization. I've spent the last 2 days cleaning, filling feeders, bird baths, etc.

I am exhausted from the inside out but will recoup and get stronger. I'm beginning work now on an estate sale, emptying finally my storage unit, and including a lot from my son's home in the sale. Big job, but I will get this done and finally simplify this life! I hired a cleaning service to deep clean his place and begin regular weekly cleaning for both of us. I lost my housekeeper last year and really need this service.

Be well, my MN friend. And all. Be blessed. Elizabeth

Looking out on my pond from the porch, playing with my watercolors. For some reason my picture won't load.

Looking out on my pond from the porch, playing with my watercolors. For some reason my picture won't load.

I live on acreage, part of an old-growth spruce forest. As a result, we have lots of deer and sometimes elk, sometimes the entire herd of 40 during late summer when the golf course gets too dry to graze. I love flowers, although I can't grow many under all the trees. I had a big truckload of top soil delivered three years ago so that I can have a big flowerbed out near the road where there's lots of sun. People walk our road as it's somewhat sheltered from beach wind, and I get many comments on my flowers, and the lovely green sweep of the yard (almost an acre to mow, a constant round of mowing it in sections).

I only plant flowers that deer and elk don't savage. The most prominent bloomers are dahlias and daisies, with dianthus (pinks) coming in as less showy. In the spring, I have masses of daffodils, some of them beautiful doubles. I also have lilies, lavender, and butterfly bush. Since my flowerbed is often under water during winters, at least the lower part of it, I do lose some dahlias every winter because their tubers rot. When I plant new dahlias or pinks in the spring, both deer and elk will often pull them up before they've rooted, then spit them out. I imagine they're thinking, "Why did she plant this? It doesn't taste good at all." Elk especially will walk along a row of plants and pull each one out, then spit it out in disgust. No real damage as long as I check and replant every morning. I really don't miss the flowers that I can't grow because the deer would chew them right down. Every year, I try at least one new flower to see if it won't become deer salad. I do have wild fuchsias that grow tall enough to reach the gutters on the house; the deer nibble at them, but they still provide lots of blooms...these are old plants, not as tender as fuchsias in baskets fresh from a nursery. I've not yet had any deer come up onto the front deck to sample hanging baskets, even though there are only three steps. I do wish I could grow carnations and pansies, but it's rare that I even think of them. Pansies aren't gobbled up by deer as often as they're flat mowed down by our huge banana slugs. Sluggo discourages the small dark brown slugs, but banana slugs seems to survive anything!

Two years ago, it occurred to me that I have huge hydrangeas, planted decades ago, so I bought two plants about two feet tall, with several blooms each. They looked lovely in my flowerbed...until I checked the next morning: there were only stubs of stems sticking out of the ground. I surrounded each with a chicken wire cage, so that they could have leaves if not blooms. This spring they had pretty well outgrown their cages, so I removed the wire...and found stems the next day! I think I'll just leave them as is and see if, over time, they get tough enough to not be the perfect salad.

Here's the pic - better late than never! Today the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the pond is full to overflowing. But when I planned the colors in this little bed, I wanted it to be bright no matter the weather. Sometimes, if the rain is gentle, I will put up a patio umbrella & watch the rain fall from my favorite chair.
We got nearly 2 inches of very badly needed rain.
Sue

I think I may need to get some reflective stickers to place on my window. Every once in awhile I will hear a thud on the window and look out but the bird has already fled the scene. I fear this poor guy was one of the victims of a bad hair day from a window strike. 🙁

I think I may need to get some reflective stickers to place on my window. Every once in awhile I will hear a thud on the window and look out but the bird has already fled the scene. I fear this poor guy was one of the victims of a bad hair day from a window strike. 🙁