Every Blooming THing: Late June: About That Monarch Butterfly and the Cicadas

Grass still growing fast as it has been fairly wet and cool around here.

Regular daisies are blooming.  I have been planting a lot of geraniums (bought on sale for 50 cents) as well as begonias (also on sale).  This is the time I start buying flowers when they put them on sale.  Begonias take care of themselves so I like them.

The landscapers have been over here twice in the last two weeks and have trimmed off branches in the two pine islands as well as the Back 40 and arboretum.  And, then there are all those weed trees they've cut down and yews they've trimmed.  

Sadly the burn pile that I worked so hard on this spring to burn it has gotten even bigger than it was this spring.  I'll be busy in the fall when I can burn again.

On Wednesday I had to delay going somewhere when I saw a monarch butterfly flitting about the thirty or so milkweed plants I have growing in my driveway culverts.  I hope it tells its buddies about it.  I miss those beautiful things.

I still come across a cicada every day, but fewer than before, plus the din off in the distance is lessening.

--RoadCada

Playing With Cicadas

I sure can hear masses of cicadas off in the distance.  It is a regular roar.

Last Saturday I was doing yardwork around two trees in the front yard and came across one live cicada under the sunburst honey locust and two by the crabapple tree in the at the northwest corner of the house.

I'm afraid I wasn't the nicest host to my visitors.

They do not move fast and are easy to catch, especially since they don't try to fly away.  The one by the sunburst honeylocust did a lot of the clicking sound you hear and I would catch it by the wings and hold it up next to my ear and listen.

Sure glad they don't bite, but their legs are quite sticky.

I came across two of them by the crabapple tree.  One clicked and the other wouldn't.

Sure Gonna Miss the Little Critters When They're Gone.  Now, Who Am I Gonna Play With?

--RoadCada

Every Blooming THing, Early May

Flowers a'blooming right now.  All part of my beginning to end season color that I strive for.

Tulips still blooming, but fading, azaleas all red, candy tufts are white, a yellow flower perennial with gray stems, lavendar creeping phlox and lilacs in their purple.

After Saturday, my huge burn pile is way down.

Dandelions all over the place and grass growing fast.

A lot of my yews haven't been trimmed in years as well as a lot of weed trees which I will have cut down by a landscaping company.

Always something to do outside and it is a lot harder these days for some reason.

--RoadDog

Every Blooming THing, Mid June

The yard has been ablaze in purples and whites the last three weeks as the tall wild phlox and daisies have been blooming.  I must have several hundred of each.  I even have clumps of daisies growing in the yard in about 12 places.

In addition, the Japanese lilacs are now in bloom with those massive white flower bunches.  The peonies are also blooming.  Also, my Missouri primrose is blooming as is a perennial which has yellow flowers blooming on its spike (but I don't know the name of it).

I have started trimming bushes and will tell you sincerely that I planted way too many of the yews.  Plus, I have way too many burning bushes.  I have been and still am cutting down weed trees andother wild growth.

This past Sunday I talked with a friend at the McHenry Legion who has a landscaping service and will have him come over an do some serious tree trimming.  

When I started planting all this stuff in 1993, I was still a somewhat healthy 42-year-old and it never occurred to me that one day I might be getting too old to do all the work.  Well, it has now iccurred to me.  In addition, I spend way too much time on these blogs.

I am hoping that I will be able to continue cutting the grass what with gas prices around $5.80.

It's Getting Tougher, You Know.  --RoadDog

Gas Gouge Continues, a Fish Fry, Bars and Yardwork

FRIDAY, MAY 13

Sitting FP for coffee and enjoying the colors of trees, tulips and perennials.  I aim to have color in the yard all the way from April to the end of October.  Went to McDonald's for their two for $2 sausage/cheese McMuffins and $1 pop.  I love those McMuffins (and for that price especially).

Saw the movie "Fantastic Beasts:  The Secrets of Dumbledore."  It is good to be back in the theaters after a two-year period because on you-know-what.  Gas in Fox Lake to $4.80 and $4.90.  Who'd have ever figured.  You finally get a chance to go places and can't afford to go places.  Curse you GRBs.

Met Kevin and Kelly at Johnny's Cafe in Fox Lake for fish fry.  Then went to the Legion for 50-50, but too many people.  Same problem at Stucky's in Johnsburg, but finally got seats at the bar at Sunnyside.

SATURDAY, MAY 14

Got some yardwork done, primarily cutting down weed trees which are trying to take over the yard.  Went to Stucky's for burgers and sang karaoke with George.

SUNDAY, MAY 15

Went to the McHenry American Legion and enjoyed bourbon and Cokes for $3 (and especially $1.50 during happy hour).  Then Stucky's and home.

--RoadDog

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TOSAY:  Yes.  I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

Around Here: Good Things About Eliminations, Flu Shot, Raking Pine Straw and Lawn Tractor Problems

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14

Well, one good thing about the Sox being eliminated from the playoffs (and the Brewers were also eliminated last night), I no longer have to make a special effort to watch any of the playoff games anymore.  I will watch parts of them as I get a chance to, but not all the games.  Plus, had the Sox gone to the World Series and won, there is a considerable savings on souvenirs of the event.

I got my regular flu shot for the second straight year,  I didn't get them for many years as I taught school and was around so many kids that I had built up quite an immunity, but the last several years I had been really sick with the flu for a couple weeks at a shot, so, hey, I'll take the shot.

Put up some more Halloween lights.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15

I did a lot of pine straw raking (free mulch) around the east and west pine islands and picked up a whole lot of limbs and sticks in the arboretum area in preparation of cutting the grass.  Sadly, I couldn't get the lawn tractor started and will have to have it worked on again.  It is now 28years old and perhaps even a John Deere doesn't run forever.  This is the third problem this year so it may be time to get another one.

--RoadDog

Every Blooming THing: Mid October

This has been a strange fall so far.  It has not gotten very cold at all (That is, until now.  We had to turn the furnace on today.)  The  trees haven't really started to change much. My honey locusts, got gold, but he  lost their leaves quickly as usual.  Usually by now several of my crabapple trees lose their leaves by the end of August, but this year we had a drier spring, so they kept their leaves.

The birch trees are starting to turn yellow.  The burning bushes are just starting to turn their blazing red a little bit.

Unfortunately, the lawn tractor broke down for the third time this season nd is in a shop.  But, that isn't stopping the grass from growing.  Hope I get that back soon or it may be too late.

All Halloween decorations are up.

The asters are a deep purple and several hundred mums of varying hues are blooming as well as the reddish sedum heads.

--RoadGreen

Every Blooming THing, Early August 2021: Prime Season

I regard this period of time as the best my yard has to offer.  It is a blaze of color from one end to the other with the most blooms of the year.

Right now, the purple cone flowers, black-eyed susans, daylillies, hostas and tall phlox are blooming.  And, I have hundreds of each of them.  I also have some sort of tall mini sunflowers blooming right now and even a few bee balm are still in bloom but most are gone.

But, sadly, we are in drought conditions for a second time so I have been out watering a whole lot.  At least I haven't cut the grass in awhile.  It isn't growing, but the weeds are doing real well, especially over the one septic line that is used.

I have also been very busy cutting back bushes and weed trees that have taken over parts of the back yard.

I have also been busy planting all the annuals that I bought at Menard's when they finally put them on sale.

Always Fun and Games in The Yard.  --RoadFlower

Every Blooming THing, Early June 2021

We finally got a little rain last night which was badly needed as the grass is brown and I am getting really tired of watering everyday.  Plus, I am busy trimming bushes.  I can tell you this sincerely, I planted WAY TOO MANY bushes.  And that trimmer is mean.  My arms feel empty after I finish and then there is the trimmer's habit of eating cords.

Right now, I have several hundred white daisy plants blooming as well as probably twenty spirea that are about to bloom.  The wild tall purple phlox are on that last stages of bloom sadly.  I have quite a few different blue flowers blooming right now including lavender, blue salvia and two others I don't know their name.

The daylillies are budding out and I also have about 150 of them.  The dianthus are still blooming as well.  Peonies and clematis are blooming also.

Color All the Time, You Know.  --RoadDogFlower

Every Blooming THing, Mid-May 2021

The yard continues to bloom.  My goal is always to have something blooming from mid-March to November.  And, I do pretty well at it even if I do say so.

Right now, the ajuga is blooming blue and purple pink all over the yard, including some areas in the yard.  The daisies are just about to break out in white bloom (also in spots in the yard as well).   And, I have at least a hundred if not more with all of these perennials.

In addition, the tall wild purple phlox are blooming all over and I still have purple, white and red creeping phlox blooming.

The iris are blooming and/or preparing to bloom.  The azaleas are mighty, mighty red.

I also have the yellow perennials with gray foliage and another mounding plant with little pink flowers blooming.  But, I do not know what these last two are called.

It is a colorful yard, indeed.

Oh yes, the Miss Kim lilacs are getting ready to bloom (regular lilacs are past).  Plus, my two sunrise honeylocust trees in the front yard are about to burst into their golden leaves.

Pretty Yard.  --RoadThumb

TEENAGERS AND CATS:  Cats have nine lives.  Teenagers carry on as if they did as well.

Every Blooming THing, Early May 2021

After a two week delay, I finally got my lawn tractor and had a real fun time cutting down the yard jungle I had developed in the meantime.  I always try to stay ahead of the grass especially in the spring when it is growing fast.  I had to cut it much higher than I usually do.

Sadly, one of my crabapple trees had just come into a heavy bloom but then the extreme winds we had this past weekend hit and blew every single bud off.  However, the other four crabapples are blooming right now as is the sole remaining Bradford pear tree.  The two sunburst honey locusts are about to leaf out in that glorious yellow.  The redbud is also blooming.

The daffodils and hyacinths are spent, but the tulips are ablaze right now.

The purple, red and white creeping phlox are carrying the flower color right now along with a perennial I have that has gray foliage and yellow flowers (but I don't know what it is called).

Hostas are coming up.

--RoadFlower

JSS: Classic Cinemas Reopens-- Lawn Tractor Comes Home (Hopefully)-- Dandelions Anyone

JSS:  Just Some Stuff

1.  CLASSIC CINEMAS REOPENS--  Well, some good news today.  I received an e-mail from my main movie theater chain, Classic Cinemas, that all locations are reopen today, Thursday, April 15.  With the exception f one restart back last summer that was short-lived, they've been closed since March 2020.

I most often go to the theater in Fox Lake, Illinois, but also the one in Woodstock.  Most years I see between 40 and 80 movies at the theater and sure do miss it.  

The last one I saw was "Birds of Prey" back on February 28, 2020.

2.  LAWN TRACTOR COMES HOME (Hopefully)--  Hopefully my John Deere tractor/mower comes back home on Friday.  It is at the John Deere place getting summerized.  That grass is REALLY, REALLY growing fast.  Sure can't get behind on the grass in the spring growing season.

3.  DANDELIONS ANYONE--  Of course, along with the grass greening up, certain yellow objects have begun making their appearance.  The annual dandelion attack is underway.  Oh well, think of it this way, it is flowers in the yard.  I don't mind the yellow part of their lives, but don't particularly like the dried, tall, parachute phase.

Spring Has Sprung and Theaters Are Opening.  --RoadLion

TEENAGERS AND CATS:  No matter what you do for them, it is not enough.  Indeed. all human efforts are barely adequate to compensate for the privilege of waiting on them hand and foot.

Every Bloomin' THing: Early April 2021

Just like almost overnight, the green wave has hit the grass.  Boom, green.  Working in the flower beds, I have seen several small dandelions, of course.  I have been working on clearing out other people's leaves from my flowerbeds and I have a great supply of their extras.

I had the lawn tractor/mower picked up in the middle of March and it is not back yet.  I am hoping I get it back before that grass starts growing.

The jonquils, or do you call them daffodils are blooming and are the hyacinths.

Trees are budding out.  I noticed that our subdivision has a whole lot of redbud trees.  I planted one a couple years ago and am hoping it makes a go of it.  Two others that I've had in the past didn't make it.  I just don't have any luck with  them.

Rained off and on all day, but the last three days before that had temps in the upper 70s and plenty of sunshine so I got to have some breakfasts and coffee out on the front porch (FP) and a couple lunches on the deck (OD).  Eating outside means you know what is nearly here.

--RoadBud

QUESTIONABLE HEADLINES:  "Enraged Cow Injured Farmer With Ax"

Every Blooming THing, Early November

Keeping true to my goal of having something blooming with big color all the way between April and October, the yard has a lot of color right now.

Several hundred yellow and orange mums are still in bloom.  The sedum have the dark heads and yellow stalks.  Burning bushes are burning red.  Plus, my lone remaining Bradford pear tree has just gotten it autumnal tones.  However, I do have several Bradford pear tree seedlings growing.

Just finished raking pine straw up into my two pine islands; great mulch, but a whole lot of raking, especially with all the wind we've been having so that pine straw was spread out over a really bit area.  Hoping that I cut the grass for the last time.

Rolled up the front yard hose onto the reel (200 feet of hose) and will get to the backyard hose later this month after I finish burning limbs and twigs.  

We've been having a great Indian Summer around here with temperatures in the lower 70s for the last six days.  Last year this time, we had already had a Halloween surprise snow storm that dropped six inches on the ground and then there was another surprise Veterans Day six inches.  No snow this year, but we have had a couple frosts.

--RoadDog

Every Blooming THing: Early October

Another fast summer.  Why can't winter go that fast?  

Pine straw is starting to fall.  That is always nice because that is free mulch, but does require a lot of raking.  I have two big pine islands with 15 pine trees.

The mums are blooming all over right now and I must have close to 200 of them, so quite the display of yellow to red shades all over the yard.  In addition, the sedum have all those red heads.  The asters are also in bloom now with the blues.  Also, some kind of a wild daisy is blooming all over.  These plants have hundreds of really small white flowers, but in masses so it is quite a thing to see.

The goldenrods have finished which is good because that means I don't have to be as careful now since the stingers that inhabit these when in bloom are also gone.  Anything that can sting you is all over those.  The sedum are still red, but when they first turn, they too are covered with little stingers.

The honeylocusts are starting to turn yellow now.

--RoadFlower

Bill Murray Got 'Slimed.' I Got 'Fluttered'

Maybe you remember that great scene from "Ghostbusters" where Bill Murray got run over by the gluttonous ghost monster and was covered by slime and yelled out to his buddies, "I've been slimed!"  Very funny.

But this year, we've had a bumper crop of butterflies, and I mean hundreds of them, mostly yellow ones.  Especially around my purple coneflowers which were a bug attraction back when they were blooming.  And I have at least 150 of those flowers around the yard.  I'd get near them and have all these fluttering wings rising up to greet me.

Hey, I can't think of a better thing to have to put up with outside.

And, I still have a whole lot of butterflies as I have a whole bunch of flowers blooming at any given time.

A regular butterfly haven if you will.

They Can Flutter me Anytime.  --RoadFlutter

TRIVIA TEASER:  Which Constitutional Amendment gives Americans the right to "Keep and bear arms"?

The Second Amendment

Every Blooming THing, Late July: RoadDog's Achin' Acre

I always feel my flowers are at their height of color here at the end of July when four major flower groups start blooming.

Right now, some 300 black-eyed Susans, 200 purple coneflowers, 200 tall phlox and 150 daylilies are blooming.  Those figures, of course, are estimates, but probably close.  I have done a real lot of transplanting.  Plus, my hostas are blooming their blue spikes and I probably have 150 of then as well.

I am still trimming bushes (and I really planted too many of them) and also weeding, pulling up and cutting down spent flowers and keeping up with the grass and all that is really keeping me busy when it is not too hot  and humid outside.  We are one of the highest spots in the state of Illinois and usually get a whole lot of breeze, but not so much lately.  Plus, our temps have been running in the 90s for much of the last three weeks.

This has all cut down on my working outside.  Who'd have known that when you get older, yardwork is so much harder?

Plus, I just read that growing a lot of corn raises the humidity.  And, we are surrounded by farmland with mostly corn being grown on it.

Thinking of changing the name of my yard to RoadDog's Achin' Acre.

Ohh, My Aching Back.  --RoadSore

Chipmunks Running Amok 'Round Here (and in New England) and Other Yard Varmints Like Squirrels and Wascally Wabbits

I read in yesterday's Chicago Tribune that New England has so many of the lil' Alvins that they have become a nuisance.  We have a bumper crop here in northeast Illinois this year again.  I always have lots of them.  I have the Front Porch Chippers as I call them, and the Deck Chippers.

They can be a pain.  Just try slipping any flower with bulbs or tubers by them.  There is also flower pot mining to see if there is anything edible.  Fortunately, I don't think they've discovered the tulips and jonquils.

And, when they're running or chasing, watch out.  I've several scars from Chipmunk encounters of the fast kind.  I've even had ones this year and in the past who approach me demanding food.

They are lucky I like them so much or we would have serious problems.

We also have  lots of squirrels, though I haven't seen much of them this last month for some reason.  My biggest problem with them has been attacks on the roof and the Battle of the Bird Seed.  Last year, three squirrels ganged up on me and wiped out my three bird seed feeders, especially the one with their favorite, sunflower seed.  Boy they love sunflower seed.

However, that day, I vowed payback and the next day went to Menard's and got one of those feeders where the squirrel's weight closes the portals.  So far that has worked, but I have seen some of the varmints staring up at the feeder, just thinking and thinking.

And, this year I all of a sudden have three wascally wabbits running around the yard a whole lot.

We're Being Over Run!! --RoadMonk

FOX HUNTING:  Fox Mulder was an FBI agent on which TV series?


"The X-Files"

Every Blooming THing-- Early July 2020; Yard's Ablaze, Man

I took a walk around the house to make sure I got a list of all the flowers blooming right now.

clematis

wild daisies  (several hundred of them)

an orange perennial

some mums that weren't cut back

stella d'oro daylillies

Small, medium and tall daisies

spirea

bee balm

some dianthus

a blue perennial on a stalk

tiger lilies

lavender

Missouri primrose

some tall phlox

marguerittes

tickweed

blue salvia 

something with red flowers

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ABOUT TO BLOOM

daylilies

Asiatic daylilies

black-eyed Susans--  several hundred

purple cone flowers--  around a hundred

hostas

a pink perennial--  I have several hundred of them.

So, the Yard Is Ablaze With Color Right Now And Will Continue To be For Awhile.  --RoadFlower

 FOX HUNTING:  "Fox on the Run" was a 1974 hit song for which band?  

Sweet

My Idea of a Great Morning

This morning was what I consider to be a perfect morning.  After getting up, I went outside and sat on my front porch.  I first sat in the rocking chair and then moved over to the wicker chair.

I had a McDonald's sausage McMuffin (I bought it yesterday) in the rocking chair and then coffee and read the Chicago Tribune in the wicker chair.

But, that's not all.

When I'm sitting out there, I enjoy looking at the clouds (and this morning we had a magnificent sunrise) and, surprisingly I don't even bring music out with me.  Why bring music when you have all those birds a'chirping away.  And we have plenty of birdies in the neighborhood.

I get to watch them and yell at the robins for eating my worms.  Birds can be quite funny when an argument begins and chasing starts.  But, perhaps that is a mating ritual.  Who knows?

Then, I have the wascally wabbit, several chippers and several squirrels to bother.  I watch folks walking their dogs and the neighbors.  I guess for awhile many morning I am the neighborhood watch or perhaps just some old snoopy codger.

Then, coffee and a newspaper.  Man, I am going to miss holding a newspaper in my hands.  Digital just doesn't do it for me.

And, I sure enjoy looking at the yard.  I put a lot of work into it and it's right pretty even if I do say so.  Flowers every where you look.

Oh, yes.  This morning I had the added enjoyment of hearing thunder off to the west and then we had a steady falling rain.  Love the sound of the raindrops and especially that smell that a rainfall brings.  That and new-mown grass are two of my favorite summer smells.

Today was a mighty fine FP as I call it.  That means Front Porch.

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By the way, all you sixties music fans, WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback is going back to 1968 for three hours tomorrow morning, Saturday, from 9 am to noon.  It streams at www.wxrt.com.

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A Good Morning.  A Mighty Good Morning.  --RoadDog

THOSE CRA-ZEE COUNTRY SONGS:  Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth, I'm Kissing You Goodbye.