Lots Of Looking, But Little Action. Well...

 Like this baby robin, I have been watching the garden grow at an amazing pace, while my efforts to control it have been minimal up to now. I have another week to go before diving in, but I don't know if I can contain my gardening enthusiasm.

An early morning visitor on the deck railing.

I learned something new! I thought I saw loads of bumblebees visiting my flowers, but they seemed different. They hovered in a way I hadn't noticed before, and they were very skittish. Turns out, they are not bumble bees, but carpenter bees. They look similar, but do not have a furry abdomen like bumble bees. They are very territorial, and good pollinators so they are welcome in my garden. 

A carpenter bee with its shiny, fuzz free abdomen. 
They are harder to photograph than the gentle bumbles.

A fuzzy bumble bee sipping on baptisia.


I'm attempting much more observation than action in the garden and I've started a priority list for when I get the OK to resume strenuous activities. I'm thrilled to see many types of pollinators in the garden. There is one that needs identifying, but it won't sit still long enough for a photo. I use the iNaturalist app to identify many of the unknown plants and animals I observe. 

This foxglove reseeded itself in front of the lupine.

AJ invited a few of us over to her house and garden. Both are beautiful even though the house is in a deconstructed state. She is completely renovating it, mostly with her own skill and ingenuity, now that the infrastructure has been completed. It was nice to be among people again, though it tired me out.

Charcuterie at AJ's

I am now back to walking again as that promotes healing. AJ shared that a decent walking pace is 16 minutes per mile. She attempted a fast walk and only managed 18 minutes/mi. Always intrigued by data, I measured mine and got 20 min/mi. Something to work on, though I do love to stop and look at things. For now, a slower pace is fine for recuperating.

I ran into this dragonfly in the road and moved it to a less risky location.

I took a little tour of the new facilities at the town beach. 

The beach center, pavilion, and grounds are looking great, but maybe a little over the top for our little town. My taxes hard at work!

It's been exactly one week since surgery and I feel almost normal. That is dangerous because I've been in the garden probably doing too much. But I have so many seedlings to plant, and shrubs and trees to trim, and the lawn is getting high. AJ has offered to mow, but I think it should be OK until next week.  I'm doing my best to stick to weeding and planting, but I did haul a giant pile of brush to the curb for pick up - I am my own worst example. 

I finally got a picture to ID this Hoverfly, which is also a nice pollinator - yay!

I just lifted, weeded, and relaid part of my brick sidewalk - from a seated position. Even that seemed too much for my ear, so I'm going inside to read. Tuesday can't come soon enough!


Comments

  1. MargaretJune 5, 2026 at 1:21 AM

    It's so hard not to overdo! I can't stand letting things go in my garden or yard. It sounds like you've mostly been well-behaved! I walk at a 17-18 minute mile pace. If I don't, my shins give me trouble.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PamJune 10, 2026 at 3:38 PM

    That's quite fast! I don't know how fast I walk, but I remember that as a Girl Guide, it was said that one ought to manage 15 mins per mile. That was quite brisk for a shortish person, but I could do it. Then.

    ReplyDelete

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