Trumped Up?

Yup, another HOT and humid day in SW Ohio.  As long as I remember to take my sinus "cocktail" on a regular basis, I can handle it.  I still don't like it, but I can handle it!

I decided it was finally time to at least release a few pictures of my attempts to get the trumpet vine growing over the unused clothesline.  The part that's been most successful has of course, been a volunteer plant or two that came up around the post and I've gotten it to vine around the pole and some of it is now (with some help) winding around the clothesline.  I need a trellis or something a little more sturdy than my initial attempts to get the plant behind the clothesline to cooperate more readily.  BUT, if it works this year, next year may be a whole lot easier.  A girl can dream, can't she?

The shot above is a couple of the trumpet vines which have been "encouraged" to wind around the pole for the clothesline; that was relatively easy!

This shot shows where some of the vines have gotten very long and are able to drape over the clothesline and start wrapping around the line.  These are the plants at the pole.

Different angle of the same idea . . .

Above and below are shots of my attempts so far to have the trumpet vine plant behind the clothesline drape over the clothesline.  My plan would work better if the plant were about 2 feet closer to the clothesline . . . right now I have some rope holding up part of the branches/vines; next year it will have to be some sort of trellis.

You can see where the vines are coming from the back, but they had quite a ways to grow to get to that middle line.  The vines twining in the front are from the plants at the post.  I will try to get a picture from the patio tomorrow so you can hopefully get a better idea of what I'm going for.

I was heading back to the house when I decided to see what I could grab on some of the other plants.  I really like the begonias, and they seem to like this hot weather.

I took several shots of the mandevilla - love the bright color, and that it's a vining plant.

Obviously, I like plants that vine and plants that have red blooms!  Honestly, I prefer purple, but I'm planting what I can to attract more hummingbirds.  It must be working because as I turned around from taking pics of the trumpet vine project, there were two hummingbirds fighting over the feeders.  Sadly, they chased each other off and I wasn't able to get a single attempt at a shot.  ARGH.

Well, in keeping with the "red" part of the theme tonight, I will quote Scarlett O'Hara:  "Tomorrow is another day."  That's another opportunity to get some pics of the hummingbirds (maybe after I re-fill the feeders!) and/or anything else that catches my eye.

Hmmmm . . .

It's been the kind of day that has had me going "hmmmm" an awful lot.  Phone calls from people I've never heard of and who won't leave a message.  People saying they're going to stop and drop something off, then don't show up.  Stopping at WalMart for a few things for Mom and checking the Duck Brand Duct Tape selection find they have a whole slew I don't have, but limit myself to two (polka dot and a different Hello Kitty print).  Wondering what the heck I did w/ that 5 gallon bucket.  Eating some more of that delicious Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge I made yesterday.

For all of that "Hmmmm-ing" I did today (and yes, there was some "Hawing" along with it, but that's not germane right now), I of course, thought of my favorite little bird, the hummingbird.  I've already put 3 of the feeders and the nesting material out, hoping to see them soon.  According to the migration maps, they are in the area, but I still haven't seen one this year.  Maybe if I weren't looking for them so closely they'd be here already.

Last year was the first time I'd seen regular hummingbird visitors in the back yard.  It only took two sightings to have me hooked and jumping through hoops to attract more of them to the yard.  One of my high school friends who lives in North Carolina had shared videos of at least half a dozen hummingbirds at his feeder at any given time; I was jealous, but at least I had a source for useful information!  He did share his tips with me, and I learned to already be outside around the time the little girl usually dropped in for her libations.  The first couple of times she came up from behind me scared me - those wings beating furiously make a lot more noise than I thought they would!

I talked to the little beauty every day, and she let me get within a couple of feet of her before taking off.  I think a few of these pictures she was posing for!  I only saw two females off and on for sure, sometimes not wanting to share the feeder with each other.  It was amazing and humbling to watch them rest for short periods of time on the vines or the feeder - they must have felt safe enough to do so.

I loved the contrast of the green behind her on the shot above.  I almost looks as if she's falling back into the leaves.  I would have loved to have gotten her shadow.

Love the way the wings were captured in this shot.  And notice the tiny little feet up next to the body.  I'm waiting for the day she trusts me enough to land on my hand.

My little Bella had apparently had her fill for the time being, and decided to rest.  She's SO tiny, and yet so FAST.  I'm really anxious for her to return this year.  It does look like the nesting material has been "bothered" but who knows if it was by a hummingbird, or another bird looking for nesting materials.  I hope it was Bella though, and also hope she has her family nearby so I can watch them grow and we can enjoy each other's company for many summers to come.

I don't know how much longer it will be before I catch sight of Bella or any of the other hummingbirds.  I hope it's soon though.  The butterfly bushes, re-blooming lilacs, and honeysuckle bush help attract them, so I'm doing my part to make the back yard a hummingbird haven.  C'mon ladies, have pity on the human and show your beauty to her, and get those lazy males to show up once in a while!  She promises to feed you and only get close enough for pictures.  What do you say?  Hmmmmm?