July, So Far

My sights are so different this summer.  My flower gardens remain unweeded but watered, at least, thanks to my son-in-law.  I have not been down to check on life in the swamp for a month now, at least.  I have not hiked at all.

I did take my grandbaby out on a hot, sunny afternoon and enjoyed watching her experience sunglasses for the first time.  She cried and would not open her eyes.  So, we went back into the house and found Grammy's sunglasses and stood in front of the bathroom mirror.  She decided they were ok and so back outside we went.

Last summer, I had a summer reading list and enjoyed finding a diverse selection of books to devour.  This summer it's "Hippos Go Berserk" and "Moo Baa LaLaLa!"

June

An oasis in the midst of a very noisy and chaotic part of the city and a respite from the hum and whir and beeping alarms of a hospital room. The Prouty Garden at Children's Hospital Boston. The picture of the Blue Hydrangea above was taken out the window of the third floor family waiting area the day of surgery. A bleak and gray day, these were a treasure to see. Coming back from supper one night when the grandbaby was in ICU and sedated, we were so very surprised to find "Wally" when we pulled back her receiving blanket. The ICU nurse uses children's stuffies to snuggle their legs and keep their legs from sticking together. I don't remember when we discovered the garden, but it was a delight to eat lunch or supper in or just stroll through and find all the statues tucked in the hedges. Looking forward to sharing it with the grandbaby when she is old enough to discover some of it by herself.

Is it really July already?

Wordless Wednesday

Off to Children's

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Headed to Children's Hospital in Boston with the Grandbaby girl.

Baby Hughie, Other Babies, And New Nesters

This is the first turtle of the season, or at least that I've spotted.

They come up the steep hill from the swamp, spend the rest of the afternoon looking for THE spot, and then  an hour or two digging a hole, laying 5 or 6 eggs, and then filling it in and covering it so amazingly that it is impossible to find!  I am not sure if there have been successful hatchings or if they just get dug up and eaten by nocturnal marauders before they can hatch.  

There were three baby bluebirds frantically following this parent.  Somehow my son-in-law and I had NO success whatsoever in capturing babies and parent together.  So, we have a single shot of parent above and shot of only one baby below, blurry at that.

Nuthatch family has been a delight to watch!  This was a group of about 4 or 5 babies ~ always on the move and very hard to count!  I think this may be parent eating at the feeder and one brave baby at the top.

Downy or Hairy Woodpeckers, not sure which.

Baby Hughie!  This is a Red Bellied Woodpecker baby.  All last week it would just cling to a tree and wait for the parent to feed it.  This week it is making it to the feeder, but it just clings and waits to be fed.

A VERY short clip of the Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  I didn't realize the camera was on video and thought I was just taking a snapshot!!  But, you can see how "Baby Hughie" compares to its parent.