CATCHING UP

I have survived, I have prevailed. What began as a three day stomach flu morphed and settled in my throat. Three weeks of no voice, just a croak. To make matters worse smoke which has been blowing in from the wildfires in Quebec, Canada found it's way here to Southern Maine. Add pine pollen to the equation, and you have misery, plain and simple. Oh, and let me just state my best buddy my laptop became ill as well and needed to be sent to Ohio for treatment. But enough about that, lets catch up shall we? The Bluebirds have been busy raising their families, three sets of families to be precise-may I just add what great parents the Bluebirds have been, diligently providing food and removing waste...
The perennial beds are beginning to fill in and the clematis is spilling over my old picket fence, quite a garden show piece this clematis has been this spring...

My parents gifted me with this beautiful teal glass garden globe along with a black rod iron holder. How pretty the pink clematis and teal globe look together in the garden. Thank you mom and dad.
My girls are doing well, Gladys has fully recovered from her brush with death and every one's egg production is up to speed once again...

This is the face of Iris, her photo taken on a very hot and humid morning not so long ago.
Let me set the scene, I had been working in the pumpkin patch, DH had been lugging extra roof shakes to the cellar, (finally a new roof which means no more leaks in my bedroom closet, yippee) while Winslow Homer was placed on guard duty at the edge of the woods. Squawks with feathers flying alerted us to the now common sign of imminent danger. Iris was snagged by a fox and was being dragged down into the woods. I threw down my hoe, grabbed Winslow Homer, and we were once again on this all to familiar rescue mission. Down the sloping bank the fox and Miss Iris went, fortunately for me Iris is one heavy girl. The fox could carry her no further, dropped my girl, and Iris scurried for home just as fast as her chubby little legs could take her. Winslow chased the fox off (for now anyway) and everyone was no worse for wear. Well, maybe me- but we won't go there.

During our brief heat spell the girls seem to wilt right before my eyes. They would pant, spread their wings and drop anywhere they could find shade and a little breeze. Lulu took refuge among the violet's leaves.

Now the best news of all, here at Dog Trot Farm we have two new babies! Please meet Fern and Phoebe- Silver Laced Wyandottes. It is so nice to have babies in the house once again and Winslow is enjoying his new bunk mates.

These two girls appear quite feisty, demonstrating take-offs and landings as well as being quite talkative. I am positive they will afford me many future stories -please stay tuned!
A big thank you to everyone who inquired about my well being and for all your kind comments and concerns, blogging friends are just the best!