In other news I have been somewhat concerned about the chipmunk in our backyard. He had taken easily enough to eating out of my hand, but then disappeared a little over a week ago. I thought maybe he had decided to be afraid of me after I stepped out to feed him while having been eating beef heart, or that maybe something had happened to him during the last storm. I was really kind of sad because I thought he might be dead or hate me, so -you can imagine- I was very relieved when I saw a chipmunk in our tree a few days ago. This chipmunk didn't want to come near me though, and was skinnier, so I thought maybe he just decided he didn't like me anymore, and was still kind of sad. Today though, when I was trying to get the chipmunk to stay put when I opened the door and came out, a second chipmunk ran up the stairs and over to me when I came out. I immediately recognized my Chippy, not just from his behaviour, but his markings and body shape, and I was so relieved he didn't hate me... but then I realized why the other, smaller, chippy was there, and why Chippy had disappeared for a week. Chippy went and got a lady-friend. Now there will be baby chippies. I'm so excited.

Also, my eggs are fine. I was worried because after I broke my foot I couldn't check on them until just recently, and I wasn't seeing birds small enough to be my eggs. I was worried they hadn't fledged properly, and we need them out of the attic to close it off and finish the roof (which we are doing now the moment I seal off a few screens in there), but I was finally able to get up there the other day, and now the nest is empty, and the young birds are coming to the deck to eat.  So they're all okay... possibly just slightly rounder than they all should be, but only slightly. It's nice having trees and wild-life, even in the city, especially the kind that jumps into your hand or lap to eat and plays around your hands and licks your fingers. I imagine the birds will warm up to me further, and that Chippy's girlfriend will learn that I'm okay (for a human). I also figured out where they are living, and it doesn't seem to be quite where I thought. I thought they were living in the unfinished shed area, but it turns out they're probably just outside of it under an old tree stump. It's better because I don't have to worry about disturbing their home when I move the building supplies for the roof.

The plants are also doing better now that I gave them plant food. I might actually even water them all with the hose later. I imagine hose watering will become more necessary now that we're moving into the hotter months before fall and now that our rainy season is done with. I've been watering them a little with the water collected by the dehumidifier, but that's not a lot of water. We have potato plants, 2 kinds of onions, 2 gourd plants, and some other leafy things that are sprouting. I'm pretty sure they'll still have till late October to do some growing, before it gets too cold. We've had really hot late summers these past few years. I haven't had much of an issue with any of our rodents getting at the garden either. It's mostly onions and potatoes now, so they've left it pretty much alone. If they start nibbling too much, I'll get some blood-meal and cat hair, and spread that around. So by fall we should -if nothing else- have some red potatoes and onions to eat. Next year I'm starting everything early in little incubation pots, and moving it outside in early spring, so we'll have a lot more, and -of course- I can do a batch of peas after it cools off a little in September. Peas do much better in cool weather and only take a few weeks to grow and have a full enough yield. I missed the spring batch, but I'll have fall. I also planted 1 pumpkin and two melons, just in case they have time, though I'm doubtful about those two.

There are some wild flowers that are already in full bloom (which our little bumbles like)... and speaking of bumble bees... it turns out that what I thought was a wasp nest in one of the vent tunnels out of our attic, is probably a bumble bee nest. It makes more sense, because we have bumbles, but I don't really see wasps. This given, instead of removing it, I'm just going to seal the screen and keep them to the outside (at night when they are asleep of course). They are very docile, don't nest for long, and their presence here will help to deter other flying insects from making nests in our yard. The nest even has those funny bubble looking things sticking out of it, it being a round "clay pot" looking things itself, so I'm pretty sure of what it is now.

This fall I'm going to city hall -and some other local gardens- once all the flowers go to seed, and I'm taking all the seeds. They replace the flowers with something new each year anyways... and that way I can flood the front garden with mixed flowers early in the spring. My gardening method is mostly competitive seeding. I throw down enough of what I want to choke out things I don't want, and see what takes to the conditions best. Then I just pull out anything that I don't want, like weeds, and grass, and let other things take over (like wild flowers, shamrocks, wild mint, daisies, raspberry plants, clover, etc) Our lawn is only half grass now. I'm trying to get the clover and other low-laying plants to take over completely because they stay healthier and don't need to be babied, watered, or mowed like grass does. Also the landlord is allergic to cut grass, so it's nicer for him to never need to bother with mowing a grass lawn. Grass is actually a swamp plant and particularly ill-suited to the sandy soil we have here, or the harsh winters. All the things that manage to survive a Canadian winter and come back in the spring, those plants get to grow as they please, so after a few years, the yard will pretty much maintain itself. The vegetable garden will need some things re-seeded each spring, but I imagine some of the plants might survive the winter if I leave some growing (like the potatoes). The onions and flower bulbs, I'll dig most of those up and save some indoors for next spring, to ensure that some of the bulbs survive even if the winter is harsh. My 6 tamarind trees are still doing well... My herbs need more pots, and I think that's all the plant news I have.