Stretch and what thrives in the hot

Stretch sideways

Meet Stretch, our resident pine squirrel, a furry creature who does not seem to be wilting as  are the rest of us in this heat, so unlike south eastern MN summers.  Stretch is so named because he is apt to be spotted stretched over any of the best pickings down at the bird feeders, he has his preferences peanuts to be sure, but also the apple cores and stale bread offerings coated in peanut butter that I toss along to the winged circus creatures.  Stretch can spot an apple tid bit from out of nowhere and immediately flies to the ground from above in the tree tops or below, pounces upon it, stretches out and guards it while chewing on a piece that he snatched amidst his pounce.  He is a remarkable acrobat, a flying squirrel.   Today I was checking  out back camera in pocket seeing what's thriving in  the heat when Stretch appeared; he makes a strange sharp noise to announce his presence; notice his sideways cling, still as can be and there he remained until I left. I have been trying to photo him for a few weeks, his activities can be annoying and yet simultaneously comical.  I suspect that the other squirrels  mostly greys and some black do not share our amusement of him.  In fact when they see him coming they flee; Stretch is the backyard bully and runs off other squirrels twice his size as well as a rabbit and some birds.  He is content to allow the doves to graze with him.  But  mostly when Stretch appears the feathers fly from the birdfeeders. He is small but mighty, from his nose to the end tip of his tail, maybe 10 or 11 inches.  Every year we have one or two of these creatures around,  thankfully not more of them because they do run the roost.  When we first moved here in 2005 we had a pair that confiscated a small birdhouse near the clothes line as their home, such chattering when I was hanging clothes.  Fortunately I spotted them and did not go near their house, where they stayed for a month or two, an unwary hand and I am sure I'd have encountered teeth and a squirrel bite can be dangerous.  Wikipedia says:  Pine squirrels are squirrels of the genus Tamiasciurus. This genus includes three species, the American Red Squirrel T. hudsonicus, the Douglas Squirrel T. douglasii and Mearns's Squirrel T. mearnsi. All are native to North America: pine squirrels can be found in the northern and western United States, most of Canada, Alaska, and northwestern Mexico.

Amaryllis enjoys the heat

But back to the heat, how unnatural for south eastern MN, yet the old timers assure me it was just as hot in the late 30's at times, but back then "we had no air conditioning and we just got used to it."  Used to it, indeed; I know that was the case in western PA  growing up as a child, sleeping on the second floor of a 2 story house with no air conditioning, no fan.  Who ever heard of cooling; go to the basement to cool off but we kids did not seem the least bit bothered.   I can say we were used to it.  For now, I have started my  morning walks earlier and earlier, today 7:00AM and that was even warm as after my hour I had worked up a drench sweat.   There are quite a few of us morning walkers usually about but today I saw only two other women.  I think everyone is either getting out even earlier or giving up the walking in the heat.  But I am engaged on my own health improvement project following my annual medical check up which had warnings, bit of weight gain which I do not need and some upcreep in fasting blood glucose and cholesterol numbers, nothing I have had before but I have not been 68 years old before either.  My Mayo doc advised I take this as a warning and indeed I am.  As he said, "you have really good health, do not let this get away from you."  I take the warning seriously and will be back with normal and below normal reading when he checks me again in December. 

So the week of heat is here which makes us even more so looking forward to our Alaskan journey all of August.  Ahh,,cool and cold, that's for me. But for now, some plants seem to thrive, here are just a few happy bloomers like these tiger lilies and the Russian sage along the side of the house where the sun beats hot in the afternoon:

 

Back in May when it was wet and windy, I knew summer would come so I visited the local nursery and spotted a new combination of pale yellows in a lemon lime coleus and vanilla marigolds for the back flower box.  I am pleased with the serene calm appearance they present in this weather. 

 

Blogger is not cooperating with my posting photos so I am out of here for now....isn't Vanilla lovely?

A morning sight and memories

November 13 Amaryllis just planted
out of the box into the container

November 13 twin Amaryllis
 just planted

I had an early AM blood test at the doctor's  (just routine) and so I was awake in the dark and all was quiet, as I walked down the hall toward the kitchen and  flipped the light switch I caught sight of the progress of my Birthday Amaryllis in our living room; I had been given two and now I  hearken back to my years of Latin, what is the plural amarilli, amarilla, amarillae?  I will have to find out, Miss Rohrbach and Miss Hood, our Latin teachers would expect me to know.   

We have been watching these twins grow at different rates, although ala  Jack & the Beanstalk as only a healthy amaryllis will.  Ours have sped up over the month.



Amaryllis November 22,  nine days from planting
The pilgrim  guy was Uncle Carl's



This morning  I recalled how much Mom  &; Aunt Jinx enjoyed these; I lived across the country and always strived to send them something that would be unique, really appreciated and enjoyable.  It was a challenge.  Today I fully comprehend why; at this stage of life and age we have been blessed and  own everything we want or will buy something if it appeals and we really want it.  The last thing I need are trinkets, knick knacks, etc and the like or more "what nots", Jinx' term.  



November 22, the other amaryllis
They grew at different rates

Mom's way of thanking on the phone was something I came to expect, "Quit spending money on these things, I really do not need them. But thank you."  Or, if I sent food, "Well we ate those but really we can buy them here in the stores too, save your money."  Other than the mandarin oranges we could ship direct from our Newcastle orchard to her in PA there was really little  I could come up with that she did not protest my spending  money.  Sometimes in frustration I used to think, "Mom!  For crying out loud just say thank you."  But she  and her sister and the entire clan were of the generation where money was not to be wasted; they  had survived the depression, World War II and strikes at the mills,  factories and mines.  They did not waste a dime.  Money was hard to come by and they valued saving. 



December 22 living room sight
both amaryllis;
one is31 inches tall and still in bud;
 the blooming beauty is  29 inches tall 

 But one year I ordered amaryllis and that absolutely enchanted her.  She had never seen one and was so curious, placed it on the mid stair landing near a window where it was the first  thing she would see when she was on her way downstairs each morning.  Each morning she measured it delighting as it grew and grew and then bloomed in full glory.  Voila, victory was mine. 

From then on I sent amaryllis at Christmas and birthday flowers, bouquets, arrangements.  I was fortunate to have a home town florist ; only a phone call away across country.  I'd  call and tell them how much I wanted to spend and they did the rest.  Steiner's Florist a reliable friend,  retired and is long  now closed up in New Kensington, as everything else.  Mom loved the flowers and the amaryllis and changed her advice to "I am so glad to have these flowers while I am still alive to see them.  They don't do a dead person any good."  I heard that she would brag to her sister or friends, "Patty sent me flowers" proof of her enjoyment.  



October 1996 the sisters visited us in CA
Jerry seated, Aunt Jinx to  left, Mom to right, me standing

Mom died suddenly in 2004 of a  heart attack, the youngest of the family of sister's and brother at only 80.  She was healthy other than the mind.  Her sudden death  was a shock but a blessing as her dementia was progressing and we had a diagnosis of Alzheimer's, the years ahead would not have been good.  I thought about her this morning.

Today we receive gifts of fruit arrays from the CA son and DIL and I feel like my mother, really we can buy delicious pears and apples right here, but I never say that because I know they are working, busy caring for DIL's mother and son's  mother (Jerry's long ago ex) who live with them.  So a stop at Costco or online suits them.  Still, I often think the same as Mom, save your money.   Jerry does not eat pears which leaves them all to me; while I enjoy one now and then I have these to share with others.  But , I do not say that, recalling my own frustration, "thank you" is the phrase. 


The shorter amaryllis shows off
8 blooms,  four per bud



This the taller of the twins
is 31 inches but it has
only one bud. 

I do very little with house plants, inside but these amaryllis are seasonal and after the blooms, the leaves will die back and I can store them down in the well cellar.  Perhaps they will rebloom next year.  I have a few  other  amaryllis bulbs given to me by a friend.  Some of those rebloom around Easter yearly but they are pink, so these Christmas reds are a welcome change of color. 

We have a jade plant and a Christmas (zygo) cactus that blooms on my birthday inside now as they could not survive outdoors here.  But come springtime, those potted plants will go back outside.  Living in CA and gardening outside as I did, I have little interest or tolerance for house plants.  I shudder when someone offers me one and I decline explaining that it would need a babysitter when we are on our travels.  I have seen RV'ers who travel with plants, or maybe they are full time RV'ers who travel with their house plants.  I do not want to do that and the other half of this house would strenuously object.