I'm joining several regular Wednesday parties and if you haven't visited these
blogs lately, please check them out today.
Don't get me wrong, some men can't be put in the following category ..... especially Mr. TLRT.
BUT, a lot of males, the following big ole bull is just an example,
can just ruin a lovely Fall afternoon.
He just didn't pick up on the amount of stress I was feeling and just stood there
doing NOTHING!
One of the month old calves in the herd that grazes the acreage outside my walled garden had lost his Mom. He called and called and called for her to no avail. This guy, who could easily have been Dad to the calf, did NOTHING! Yeah, I know these aren't pets, but still.
There are lots of coyotes and bobcats and even a cougar that lurk on this land. What if Mom
didn't find him? What if he didn't find Mom? Should I call the rancher and let him know?
If he answered the phone, he'd probably just "Ma'am" me and hang up!
(The rancher is a real throw-back. A grizzled cowboy of few words,
who works very hard and raises cattle for hamburgers and steaks.)
Long story short, after an hour of calling and calling, the little guys' ears perked up and
in the far off distance I heard the low rumble of his Mom calling to him. Hooray!!
I would not make a good rancher.
I was so relieved that I felt a physical burden lift from my shoulders.
I do not like that big ole bull.
Some bulls should just not have children.
Some cows need to watch their babies better.
Works with people too.
By the way, Mr. TLRT didn't say, "I told you so." He did tell me that the big ole
bull wouldn't let a coyote get the little guy, but I didn't believe him.
I'm including another series of hummer pictures, which after awhile begin to look
like beach pictures. They pretty much all look alike! Again these were taken through
my kitchen windows, when I should have been making dinner.
Can you count them??? Remember that there are ones on the other side that you can't see
and there are only 6 feeding ports on the feeder! Some are sharing a single feeding port!
There are two identical feeders within a few feet of this one with an equal number of guests.
Amazing that they don't put each others eyes out with those wings all a flutter!
Last week's hummers:
Enough play time, back to dinner!
Lots of veggies from the garden again this week and more batches of red sauce
and salsa verde put in the freezer.
And daily bouquets for the table.
Thanks so much for stopping by again this week for a bit of my outdoor view.
Posts
OMGoodness I am blown away at ALL the hummers,I am lucky to get two,how did you do that?
ReplyDelete-Jo
-LazyonLoblolly
Wow! Great photography! I love your header too...
ReplyDeleteOh girl! I love all those photos of the Hummingbirds. How fabulous!! I'm glad the little calf found his mama!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a Hummingbird Buffet. Loved all your words and pictures.
ReplyDeleteWOW! I have never seen so many hummingbirds at once...even in a bird sanctuary! That ol' steer seems to have watchful eyes...and wisdom. Glad the calf found its mama...I'd make a terrible rancher, too. And I am in awe of your garden offerings...Beautiful photos!!!
ReplyDeleteJane (Artfully Graced)
Wow. These are just beautiful little creatures. I had yellow finches like you wouldn't believe, but I forgot the last brand of bird seed I bought and they haven't been back. I guess they are picky eaters.~Ames
ReplyDeleteOh Candy, I'm just like you re: the calf and it's mom - I would have been stressing over it just as you were. Soooo glad it worked out for the little one! Deb
ReplyDeleteWow, amazing! And what a beautiful blog!
ReplyDeleteXO
Oh, my goodness gracious!! All those fresh veges!!! What a big bull!!
ReplyDeleteThe hummingbirds are so amazing. You got some great pictures.
Happy Outdoor Wednesday!
My husband LOVE our hummers, but yours are unbelievable. We have seem like 20 bombarding the porch at one time, but we have never seen so many eating simultaneously. AMAZING. The bull is pretty scary. I would not like to meet him up close and personal...would need the old telephoto to capture him!!!! Genie
ReplyDeleteI burst out laughing at that bull. What a guy. And the hummers are so sweet. We have some but I never can get close. Jane F
ReplyDeleteWhatever are you doing to get even ONE hummer there? I'd pay money to have my favorite bird visible ... this is awesome! Sniff, boo-hoo!
ReplyDeleteHave a great eve ~
TTFN Hugs, Marydon
Oh my goodness I don't know where to start! I am happy the baby found it's Mother! The hummers are truly amazing!!!!!!!!!!! But the vegetable BOUNTY is what put me over the top, I wish so much we could grow fruits, vegs, and flowers, especially since I am a floral designer and LOOOOVE flowers but we live in the woods. AAUUGGHH!!!! My curse:):) YOur bounty is gorgeous to me!!!!!! XO, Pinky
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous pictures! I bookmarked this so I can come back and view the links of other hummer posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting by way of Susan's Outdoor Wednesday party.
ReplyDeleteI totally empathized with your "lost calf" dilemma. I had almost the exact same thing happen to a little calf in the pasture down the street from my farm. We were afraid the coyotes and bobcats would get him, as well. We actually used our car to force him back to where his mama was.
We nuturers just can't get around the need to protect, can we? ;)
Blessings,
Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com
I love your atmospheric photograph of the bull.
ReplyDeleteWe have hummingbirds in our garden but I have never seen so many all at once. Are they not are usually very territorial?
Oh how stressful to hear that baby calf calling and calling! The hummmers and the harvest look amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, this is beautiful. Looks like a postcard. What a blessing for you to watch it before your eyes.
ReplyDeleteLove the vegetables and flowers too. Delightful.
Happy REDnesday.
The hummers sure are hungry. Where do they go for the winter?
ReplyDeleteJoyce M
Candy, I just love your cow story! You don't take any bull from anyone, huh?
ReplyDeleteGeorgeous hummers - I get one, two at the most in my yard each year.
What wonderful pictures. At first I thought the birds were ornaments. I can't believe how many there are. Great post.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Carey
I love your post today, It is a happy ending for the calf. Smile. We live where there are lots of cows and lots of new calves. I always wonder why they are born in the fall. I worry about the winter cold. they do get very furry and are so adorable. The bulls are penned in by themselves.
ReplyDeleteI am stunned at the many hummingbirds you have. We only had about 3 this year. I still wonder where they were this summer. I am going to get some new larger feeders for next summer. Your photos are magnificent. So are your veggies.
Hugs, Jeanne
Great post...I think the bull would have protected the calf too...they usually do that. I can't believe how many hummers you get at once. We have lots here year round, but they fight over the feeder, plus I grow all the flowers they love and right now they are very into the Autumn sage...it's their favorite in my parts.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for stopping by to check out the garden again this week! And thank you so much for all your lovely comments. :-)
ReplyDeleteRegarding the hummers:
Many of them live up in the oak trees at the back of our property year round. The males are territorial, but there are so many that guarding the feeders is really a losing battle. Out of camera range there are aerial battles going on all over the garden. Meanwhile the females just wait for the hubbub to settle down and continue eating.
Now that the temperatures are cooling down (45-50F at night and 60-75F during the day) the hummers are consuming 3 Quarts per day. At the height of the summer heat it is usually about 2 quarts a day in addition to all the plants I grow that they love. I have many succulents that bloom at different times of the year and those are their favorites. I usually make sure at least one feeder is full at dusk ..... just after the hummers head for bed. That way I'm sure they will have food as the sun rises. If the feeders are all empty at sunrise, they will dive bomb me and follow me out to the koi pond to feed the fish, screeching and complaining all the way.
Thanks again for stopping by, more from the garden Tuesday pm.
Candy