When the hummers buzz your head ...

You better look and make sure they have food! Ha!

The hummingbirds are back, baby!

I have at least two who are hanging around the feeder I have set up in front of the house. I keep forgetting to set a second one up in the back. 

One bird is pretty territorial and likes to chase the other one away.  I get buzzed frequently when I go out in front of the house. 

I keep missing out on getting a good, clear photo of one hanging out on the little shepherd hook. 

So far this is the best I've got. 

I must cast a shadow when I go to the window and try to sneak a photo. 

Soooooo .... what has been goin going on? Not a lot, really. The weather was nice, until it wasn't. This morning it was just above freezing.  I decided I wasn't going to wait for the temps to rise and I made a fire in the wood stove.  This isn't my first morning making that decision. 

Yesterday the temps did warm up nicely by my lunchtime and I went out and puttered in the garden area and enjoyed the time outdoors. 

These are the jalapeno plants I purchased from Menard's last week.  The planters contain radishes and mesclun lettuce mix.  Something nibbled on them after they sprouted.  I don't know if it was birds, squirrels or my naughty hens. 

I think on one of my flosstube videos I said I was working on a garden video. ... Well, for some reason making a video of the garden stuff seems daunting and I can't quite get over the hump. ... Or, I think it seems silly to make a video record when I don't actually *have* anything in the garden.  

As you can see, the garden is still bare. 

We've rototilled and we plan to rototill one more time before the garden goes in.  

Also, the weather hasn't cooperated very well.  Things were so dry that our region is dealing with several forest fires up in the arrowhead region of Minnesota. Several hours from me, but still, I consider it "my area."

Then we got some rain. Probably not enough. ... and now it's back to being cool and overcast, for the most part. 

My last anticipated frost date is June 1 so it's not like I'm in a rush just yet.  This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and it would be the ideal time to start planting. Alas, I don't feel like risking it. 

Also, the idea of recording me while I'm doing something is still a bit odd.  I'm still not 100 percent comfortable in front of the camera.  I need to practice, I suppose. 

In the meantime you get some photos of what I've got going on right now. 

These are my pepper plants. Most of them. I have no idea which plant is which of them are, except for the one that has a tag in it. It's a mox of hot peppers, sweet banana and at least one bell pepper. It is a Carolina reaper.  I have one ghost pepper plant.  It's being babied in the house for now. I'm crossing my fingers it is prolific and I'm able to collect seeds this year. Carolina reaper seeds are a bit easier for me to get a hold of.  In a perfect world I'd be able to collect ALL the seeds this year. I'm ready for it! Bring it on. 

*ahem* 

Behold my tomato plants. 

My poor plants.  They are so overgrown in their red solo cups. ... Which I had to buy because they outgrow their soil blocks and I'm not investing in one of those bigger soil blockers. 

Remember when I started my seeds? It was March, based off a past year when I was able to have things out and had my first tomatoes in June. ... The weather ... and the fact they are doing SO good in the greenhouse. Oh my word.  I've been picking flowers and flower buds off my plants the last several days. 

This is the other side of the greenhouse and the rest of the tomato plants. When I look at them I'm just in awe. Truly. 

This is the last of the starts I have. I started broccoli, cauliflower (which appears to not have come up) zuchinni, yellow squash, winter squash and cucumbers. ... what else. ... a few more peppers, coleus, lemon balm, a couple lavender plants, celery, thyme. ...  I'm going to try my hardest to keep those lavender plants going. I want *so* much to be able to winter it over in the house so I won't be putting it in the garden.  It is definitely not a perennial in my zone of 4a.

I have something fun (and I think exciting) to share about the garden.  

I already told you guys about the bird bath, so that is not it. (On a side note, do you have any idea how hard it is to note use emoticons on here?)

Last fall, I think it was, my hubby and I were talking about having a water feature over in the garden.  It's one thing I really desire to have in the garden space.  I have the container fountain powered by a solar panel.  It only works when the sun is out and the sound isn't *quite* what I've been looking for. 

Well, he is familiar with *real* solar power and battery storage. We have an extra solar panel and he figured out a way to set it up so I can have a water fountain in my garden. 

Hooray! 

This may not be the permanent spot for it.  I'm still deciding. But for now I wanted to get it set up and running because the solar panel is up and the power is there. 

I'm pretty excited about this.  I've been going out there just so I can hear the water flow.  This is the fountain that was right next to our back deck.  We are saving up money for a different style fountain to go back there.  And for it to go on sale. 

The sun charging my power back up yesterday.  That sky is such a beautiful blue. 

Yup, it's starting to really feel like gardening season. I'm finding my interests in what videos I'm watching sort of shift. I know only a handful of channels that are garden and homestead-based, and that I've been watching steadily for the last several years. I've been watching back episodes, here and there, and it is sort of like revisiting an old friend.