The Wordsmith's Forge

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/24/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/24/25 -- I watered the seedlings in the savanna and the telephone pole garden.

The honeybees have their air conditioning on, roaring away as they flap their wings to cool the hive.  The first fireflies are coming out.

EDIT 6/24/25 -- I watered the new picnic table plants, the septic garden, and the old picnic table plants.

There are sooo many fireflies out tonight.  The grass is sparkling.  :D  Cicadas are singing.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is partly sunny and sweltering. It's 87°F and the heat index is 95°F. :P A beautiful day to stay indoors and write!

I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches, several mourning doves, and a fox squirrel.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/22/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/22/25 -- I watered the plants on the new picnic table.

EDIT 6/22/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and house yard, and the septic garden.

I've seen at least one, possibly two bats. Lots of fireflies are out.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

These pictures are from Thursday.  I went foraging at the Charleston Food Forest.  It's across the parking lot from the Coles County Community Garden.

( Walk with me ... )

Today is cloudy and muggy.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.  I also saw a male cardinal and a squirrel up in the trees.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/20/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.  I picked the first 'Chocolate Sprinkles' tomato and several 'Toscana' strawberries.  I love the Toscanas and will definitely buy more if I see them next spring.

We went out today and visited several nature places.

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Today is partly sunny, steamy, and hot.

I fed the birds.  Sparrows and house finches have been all over the feeders today.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I checked the grass patch by the garden shed.  Something had eaten about half the seedling clover.  :/  So I sowed more Bee Lawn Mix, watered that, and watered the recently planted wild indigo.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard.

My wildflower garden is swarming with baby praying mantises, at least two hatches.  I've seen a tiny brown one and a slightly larger green one.  :D

I've seen a mourning dove in the forest garden.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I picked a bag of mulberries along the street and in the savanna.  

Fireflies are coming out.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I trimmed low-hanging branches in the house yard.

I hauled a large branch to the ritual meadow and broke it up for the firepit.

My partner Doug has mowed the ritual meadow.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is partly sunny, mild, and humid.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- I finished building the chimney for the core of the new bonfire.

I heard a squirrel chattering in the trees but didn't see it.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- Out of 6 yellow wild indigo pots, 4 sprouted, 3 of them with 2 seedlings.  I planted these in the house yard under the contorta willow, apricot tree, golden rain tree, and barrel garden.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- Out of 6 blue wild indigo pots, 4 sprouted, some may have had 2 seedlings but it's hard to tell.  I planted these in the house yard under the maple tree, purple-and-white garden, and two ends of the log garden.  I've gotten plenty of seedlings from this species, but so far nothing has bloomed so I don't know if any actually survived in the ground.

The snowball bush is opening its pannicles.  :D  There are three heads.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I watered the newly planted things.

Clover is already sprouting on the bare patch beside the garden shed.  Some of the chocolate cherry tomatoes have green fruit.

I've seen a skunk on the patio.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- I gathered a trolley of sticks and dumped it in the firepit.

I've seen a catbird and a mourning dove.

EDIT 6/15/25 -- I gathered a trolley of sticks and dumped it in the firepit.

Fireflies are coming out.  :D

EDIT 6/15/25 -- I gathered a trolley of sticks and dumped it in the firepit.

Lots more fireflies are showing up.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is cloudy, mild, and damp.  It rained off and on yesterday.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 6/14/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/14/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a skunk on the patio.

I checked the new picnic table and septic garden.  The first of the 'Chocolate Sprinkles' tomatoes is showing color.  :D  One of the chocolate cherry tomatoes has its first green fruit, and so does the 'Carmen' Italian sweet pepper.  The yellow squash just bloomed.  The zucchini has flower buds.

EDIT 6/14/25 -- I started trimming some low-hanging branches from the Home Base mulberry tree.  I filled a trolley with twigs and leaves, then dumped it in the brush pile.

EDIT 6/14/25 -- I trimmed more branches, filling another trolley.

I've seen a catbird and a mourning dove.

EDIT 6/14/25 -- I trimmed more branches, filling another trolley.

I found the first couple of ripe raspberries along the south fence in the ritual meadow.  I'll have to check the prairie garden tomorrow.

EDIT 6/14/25 -- I found a second log for the base of the next bonfire and put that in the firepit.  I started building the criss-cross chimney above it but then it got too dark to find the right kind of sticks.  I'll have to finish that tomorrow.

The fireflies are coming out.  :D  There are lots more tonight.  They love this warm damp weather. 

I saw at least 2 and probably 3 bats.  They're quite large for microbats, so likely big brown bats.  See bats of Illinois.  I'm thrilled to have bats, because the mosquitoes are also coming out.  Fly, my pretties, fly! \o/

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
 

I enjoy growing dark-colored plants.  I have black flowers, bronze leaves, black fruits, all kinds of interesting things.

( Walk with me ... )

Today we visited the butterfly gardens at Lake Charleston.

( Walk with me ... )