Is everyone is nice and warm now after our last chilly winter?
After coming to Florida in 1970, this past winter felt like the
coldest I’ve experienced so far and now this summer has felt like
the hottest one yet. And.....July and August have yet to come.
We’ve still been out in our yard a lot though. We try to get
our outside jobs done in the morning and if necessary through the
day as the shade permits. Once you’re out there and get into a
project you’ve been wanting to do.....the heat doesn’t seem to
bother you as much.
Our spring vegetable garden has come to
an end. We harvested a lot of veggies this year and shared plenty.
Tom planted 14 different types of tomatoes....next year there
won’t be quite as many planted. That yield was more than any human
can consume believe me! And.....I love tomatoes. We had lots of
summer squash that we fried up with a few of our onions. Speaking
of onions, we have 3 baskets of onions in storage. We shouldn’t
need onions from the grocery store until 2011!
This month
in Joani’s Corner you will discover - - Weather Expectations
for July - Wildlife Adventures in Florida - ? ? Whatizzzit ?
? - Even Another Squirrel Chronicle - Chapter 10 - Answer to
? ? Whatizzzit ? ?
Weather Expectations for July
On July 26 there will be a full moon. It has many names like the
Full Blood Moon and sometimes The Full Buck Moon because now is
the time when bucks grow new antlers. Another name is the Full
Thunder Moon as this is the month when thunderstorms are quite
prevalent. Did you know that Florida is first in the nation for
lightning. We have an average of 100 days a year with a
thunderstorm.
Central
Florida
Average High - 92º - Average Low - 73º
Expected rainfall is 7.15"
In 1998 the record high was 100º
In 1981 the record low was 64º
Tallahassee
Average High - 92º - Average Low - 73º
Expected rainfall is 8.04"
In 1980 the record high was 103º
In 1967 the record low was 57º
Jacksonville
Average High - 91º - Average Low 72º
Expected rainfall is 5.97"
In 1981 the record high was 103º
In 1972 the record low was 61º
Melbourne
Average High - 91º - Average Low - 72º
Expected rainfall is 5.38"
In 1980 the record high was 102º
In 1977 the record low was 60º
Florida
Wildlife Adventures for July
Purple Martin
Not much happening with our wildlife. I guess
they’re keeping a low profile also to stay cool, too.
It’s hard to believe but some of our birds will
be packing up to prepare for their migration. The
Shorebirds, purple martins and swallow-tailed kites
migration starts in mid-July and peaks in August.
Watch for Frigate birds. They can be seen flying
overhead in south Florida.
For the shore birds
that are still nesting be careful while on our beaches
especially while driving or walking our doggies.
Later this month alligators and crocodiles will begin
hatching. Baby racoons, foxes, armadillos, possums
and bobcats are beginning to leave their dens and
following their parents in the woody areas. Observe them
but don’t touch. Yes, they’re cute but their parents
don’t think you are so take care!
One thing that
isn’t having any problems with this heat and humidity is
the Mosquitoes and Chiggers. They will be waiting for
you in the early morning and evening hours and in great
numbers. Biting you is what they need to reproduce! So
protect yourself if you’re out working in the garden,
visiting your neighbors in the evening or out camping.
Don’t give them a chance to increase their numbers.
(click to enlarge)
Hints:
These little monsters are very small and hard to see about the size
of a pinpoint. They reproduce very quickly and as you can see live
in a web that they create.
They are ‘arachnids’ and have 8
legs most of their life.
They are not true insects.
Whatizzzit??
Even Another Squirrel Chronicle
Chapter 10
I thought the squirrel
chronicles were done....a few years ago. I was so sure that
everything that squirrels could do to irritate me was
over.....it isn’t. Now here it is.....we’re in Chapter 10 and
11 is in it’s creation. Will it ever end..........??
These questions go over in my squirrel-shattered mind. Do we
give them more credit than is due? .......Are they really as
clever as it seems? .....Do you think they have nightly
meetings just to discuss their daily experiences with us
humans? ..... are they trying to think of ways to drive us off
the planet? Are they actually the devil in disguise sporting a
furry tail speaking in squirrel chatter?
Tom had just
left for a consultation and would be away for just about the
whole day. I was ‘leisurely’ (remember that word) dressed
relaxing on the porch that’s off our bedroom. All the windows
were open and a nice breeze was coming through. Since I had
the whole day to myself, I decided to make a list of things
I’d like to do for the day. Should I stay home or.......go
shopping? ......do a little yard work? As I was deep into my
thoughts I kept hearing a strange sound like clanking and
boards hitting each other in the distance. As this porch is at
tree height on an upper level of our home, I looked outside to
see if it was a baby bird calling for it’s parents or maybe
two limbs hitting each other in the breezes. There were no
squirrels in sight either. Finally I went downstairs to locate
the sound hoping nothing was wrong in the house while Tom was
gone. All seemed ok.....and quiet.
As I was going back
upstairs.....the sound came again and louder so I went
downstairs again and out the back yard. Still not dressed for
being outside at all. Then I saw the culprit.....or should I
say culprits. About 5 or 6.....maybe 10 (that’s called
squirrel imagination).....were stripping the bark off our
river birch tree while chattering and chasing each other
through the tree and jumping off to our pool screen and
running around making quite a bit of noise. I went out the
screen door and slammed it loudly to scare them off. I should
have known better.....they probably only thought I was in
contention for their noise contest. Realizing I wasn’t fooling
around or maybe seeing that I wasn’t really dressed for a
confrontation, most decided to scurry off....except for one.
IT stayed there and looked down at me......I picked up a piece
of mulch and tried to throw it towards the squirrel left
behind......IT didn’t move at all.....I reached for another
piece. I looked around for an even bigger piece of mulch. I
was already for the big ‘throw’ but when I looked up again IT
was gone......gone meaning I couldn’t see it.
All
seemed quiet so I decided to give up and go inside. Since I
was barefoot and my feet were super dirty by now, I didn’t
want to track muddy footprints all over the patio so I went
around the side of the house. Thankfully the yard is mostly
fenced in or the neighbors would have thought I had gone way
off the edge. I washed my feet off nicely in our
fountain.....which could have been a sight to see....(thank
goodness for privacy fencing). I walked to a wood deck Tom had
just finished and finally got to the patio so I could enter
the house. The door to the house looked pretty good to me. But
when I got to it.....the door was locked.
Our daughter
had come home from work early and noticed the door was
unlocked and locked it. I knocked on the door.....to no avail.
She enjoys having her radio a ‘little’ on the loud side......
it’s a good thing the weather was nice and warm......
There has to be a solution to this...... by now hopefully some
of our neighbors may be off to work or inside enjoying
breakfast. I had no choice but go to the front of the house
and try to get inside through the garage door. We have one of
those key pads to open it so all should go well.
Thankfully Tom had left a plastic tarp on the deck that he was
reconstructing. So I carefully wrapped myself up in it and
headed to the front of the house. If anybody saw me......with
or without that bright blue tarp, they probably would ‘freaked
out’ and called for back up!
I finally got indoors and
what a relief that was! So as I see it......the squirrels
enjoyed another Episode of the Squirrel Chronicles at my
expense and embarrassment. I just know they were up in one
tree or another watching the whole situation and giggling
their little furry heads off.
And if you think the
‘Squirrel Chronicles’ are finally over......not so. I now
think that the Chronicles will never be over. Another is now
being written for another of my ongoing encounters with the
squirrels that began the beginning of this summer. I should
have it completed for the August Webpage. Stay tuned!
