It’s been so dry for so long and now we’re finally starting to get some rain now and then. Watering the garden 2x every day has been the only thing that allowed things to survive and keep growing.

I had a critter issue again. Something was eating my chicory plants off up high. I thought maybe we had a deer again like last year. Then one morning I looked out back and saw a big groundhog standing on his hind legs, pulling the tall chicory plants down so he could get the most tender shoots at the top. I grow the chicory for my 2 lizards, and thankfully there are more chicory plants around and they also recover quickly, so I could still have some of the blue flowers that are lizard favorites second after dandelions.

There’s a man who has trapped groundhogs for me before and he came with 3 traps and good apples he uses for bait. We left the traps in place for a week. I watched them close during that time so in case I caught the big rodent, I could move the trap into a shady place till the man came to collect it. The groundhog never came back in that week, but I did trap a rabbit, 2 squirrels and 2 birds, all of which were released very quickly.

We have been in a moderate drought, with brown grass that doesn’t usually get brown till July or August. Birds are having a hard time finding worms and grubs to eat and feed their chicks cos bugs aren’t up at the top of the dry ground. I can see birds quickly taking advantage of wet ground when I water the garden.

There have always been some bees on the birdbath, getting a drink. Lately there have been so many, all day, every day. It’s too hot and dry in the hives. The honeybees come to the water to get a drink for their own health, and get some water on their bodies, fly back to the hive and fan their wings to have evaporation make it a little cooler in the hive.

A beekeeper told me last week that the bees are so stressed by this dryness that no honey is being made right now. Their sources of nectar in flowers have dried up, even their favorite white clover not being useful to them now. Climate crisis promises us a very uncertain future.

One critter hopefully went away but there are still squirrels, so many types of birds and my favorite, chipmunks, out in the yard all the time. This chippy was very happy to have one piece of apple that came out of a groundhog trap.

With me watering 2x a day, things are growing good. 3 kinds of tomatoes, with tomatoes on all of them. Lots of peppers, both hot and sweet, have small buds on. Beans are looking good and I just planted 2 kinds of squash seeds a few days ago.

We need some nice color in the yard and flowers also help the pollinators. Sweet Williams did especially well this year. This old-time flower was one of my father’s favorites.

I almost forgot to post pictures of my lizards. Here’s the crazy character Chuckie. He’s currently shedding so he has pieces of skin that are loose around his neck. These 2 are so much fun and add a lot to life.

And here’s dear little Geyri, who will be 4 years old soon. She’s shedding too; you can see the loose skin around her leg.

There’s rambling to do about the state of our country and our politics, the state of the world and our climate, but it’s all tiring and serves no purpose to ramble on about any of it. I’ll just grow my garden and go along one day at a time, which is really all any of us can do.

Be well, and enjoy Today.