Monday, July 26, 2021

Walnut Bombs and Teasel Collapse


We've come to the season when I spend way too much garden time picking up walnuts -- and this is why (above). Every summer the squirrels ravage our walnut tree, racing around, chirping and squeaking, breaking off leaves and sticks and feasting on the nuts, which they drop half-eaten onto the lawn. I don't mind, really, because we don't eat them ourselves. But a green walnut is a fairly heavy thing, so I try not to linger under the tree!

I spent yesterday morning tidying up the garden, lightly trimming so I can more easily move around. I also cleaned the house and took Olga for her walk.


She got into a scrap with her nemesis the cat-behind-the-door, who managed to slash her nose. This is not the first time and believe me, it won't discourage Olga. She'll just as eagerly go after that cat next time, too. They've both been at it for years.


I thought you might like to see the results after the garage guy hammered the "No Parking" lettering off the street -- and painted it over, too, from the looks of things. Still seems like a lot of work for dubious gain.

In the afternoon, I decided to take Olga to the cemetery. After all, today's my last day of quarantine and I figured I could go that far without interacting with anyone, and she needed a longer walk at least once over the weekend. But the gods had other plans, because no sooner did we get there than it began to thunder. I brought Olga right back home again, and almost as soon as we crossed the threshold the heavens opened.


I took some video to show the intensity of the rain, and elsewhere in London there was once again flooding -- for the second time in a couple of weeks. We had some minor damage here at home. In the video you'll see that the very tall teasels by the birdbath in the garden are leaning to the left. Well, yesterday evening they collapsed entirely, RIGHT ON TOP of my dahlias!!


I went out and tied them up with twine, using the bird feeder and a nearby bush as support, which wasn't easy because I think they weigh about 30 pounds...


...but this morning I see they've collapsed again. So, sadly, I may have to just cut them down entirely. We have plenty more teasels, so it's not a crisis.

(Oh, and the dahlias, surprisingly, are fine.)

46 comments:

e said...

Poor dog and cat...

gz said...

Just heard of the flash flooding on the radio this morning....

The No Parking sign...not there but still there!

Moving with Mitchell said...

Thanks for the rain video. I love a good rain, which is rare here. I’m glad you live on a hill. That flooding in London looks awful. Except for the toppling teasels (and the attack squirrels) the garden looks so happy.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Here in Sunny Yorkshire we have had no rain so I am a little jealous of your downpour. I am sick of using watering cans and our hosepipe to water our vegetable patch. It's like The Kalahari Desert up there and the yellowing sun-bleached lawn speaks of lack of rain.

Steve Reed said...

Oh, don't feel sorry for them. They love it!

Steve Reed said...

It's crazy that we've had these flooding episodes twice in two weeks! A sign of things to come?

Steve Reed said...

Glad you liked the video. The garden IS happy, though it's also droopy from all the water.

Steve Reed said...

Really?! I'd have thought you'd be getting this rain too. Weird! I'd send some up your way if I could!

Anonymous said...

So much rain in the UK and on the Euro continent. Yet you have very hot days too. From YP's comment, the rain is not evenly spread. Fires in Spain and the US? Nothing to do with climate change.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Yup! No rain to speak of in three weeks in spite of occasional forecasts of rain. It just hasn't happened.

gz said...

Yes.. especially with so much ground lost to impermeable hard surfaces

Edna B said...

That's a great photo of the squirrel. Poor Olga. Her nose looks really sore. It's a shame about your teasels. It looks like you propped them up pretty good too. Your garden looks really nice. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

ellen abbott said...

went to all that trouble to remove the no parking sign but they still won't let anyone park there. your garden looks so lush. a friend of mine and her husband recently moved to London. he got a year's post at some job. they found an apartment and had only been in it a couple of weeks when it flooded with that last hard rain.

Ms. Moon said...

Beautiful rain! Well, if you like rain. Which I do.
Yep. Time to cut the teasels.
Your garden is just a joy.

Anonymous said...

I loved watching the video and hearing that wonderful rain. It would be so nice if it would rain here, but that just doesn't happen in the summertime in California. Your garden is so beautiful. I hope Olga's scratches don't hurt too much.

Red said...

Funny how wind comes along when the garden is at it's peak and knocks things down.

Ellen D. said...

That rain sounds nice and your garden looks great. My garden could use a good soaking like that. Sorry to hear about the flooding, tho. Too much rain or not enough - feast or famine it seems!

Mary said...

Ouch...for Olga and the teasels. Guess you didn't need a call to check on your status...they sent a rain cloud instead. :)

We've a huge black walnut tree in our backyard so I know what you mean about those clunkers in the yard though I can't say I've ever seen a squirrel on the tree. Our squirrels are content to hang around our deck eating from our suet and black sunflower seed feeders. Lazy bastards. Guess they aren't hungry for walnuts by the time they clear out the feeders (close to a daily ritual).

Sharon said...

I love seeing the rain. We actually had some more yesterday too. In fact, I went to the garden for a walk and got soaked.
When I was growing up in Illinois, we had a black walnut tree and I remember those big nuts falling to the ground. We used to harvest them and eat and bake with the nuts and we had that iodine-like stain from the husks on our hands and arms.
Poor Olga. That cat is truly her nemesis.

Bob said...

Maybe it's foreplay for Olga and The Cat??

And why would he scrape off No Parking and then put up cones?/

Kelly said...

If Olga's like most of the dogs we've had, she isn't fazed by her injury nor deterred from future encounters. I love cats and would like to share my life with one someday, but since we have a large pack of dogs, I just settle for grand-cats. Good thing you beat the rain back home. I wouldn't have wanted to be out in that!

Lini said...

I loved to watch and listen to your rain video. Here in California we haven't had rain in a very long time. I'm hoping and praying that this winter we'll get some- not flooding hopefully but a decent rain. Too bad we can't be more equitable in distribution- flooding in Europe and drought in California. But always enjoy your blogs and your garden and Olga.

The Padre said...

Warrior Scars Are The Best - And What A Beautifully Peaceful Garden Space - Hope You Are Catching The Olympic Fever As Well

Cheers

The Bug said...

Those teasels look like some sort of prehistoric plant!

Debby said...

Dogs are amazingly forgetful about damage. The thrill of the chase takes over and that's it. We had a dog that tangled with porcupines regularly, and we could not understand why he never learned his lesson.

Catalyst said...

Plants seem to have been taking a drubbing from the weather everywhere.

jenny_o said...

Poor Olga's nose! That was some heavy rain all right. We recently had a similar downpour. I still find it odd how often your weather and our weather are so in sync. Coincidence or geographic causes? I don't know.

Are you sure those teasels aren't actually Jack's beanstalks? They're pretty tall!

Elizabeth said...

When our dog Valentine was alive, I was always amused by her excitement every time she saw a squirrel. I thought about her probably thinking that "today is the day I'm going to get that squirrel!" every single day -- that kind of hope is awesome.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, it does seem that our weather systems have gone haywire.

Steve Reed said...

Surprisingly, I don't think Olga really even felt that scratch on her nose!

Steve Reed said...

Yikes! I hope they didn't flood again a few days ago. Apparently many of the places that flooded the first time did so again.

Steve Reed said...

Being on high ground, I liked the rain, yes! I think I've extended the lives of the teasels, at least briefly.

Steve Reed said...

It's always soothing to be in a dry place and hear a recording of rain!

Steve Reed said...

I know! I wish the wind would wait just a few more weeks, when things are beginning to go downhill anyway.

Steve Reed said...

At least in our neck of the woods, it was feast. I'm always happy for a good rain.

Steve Reed said...

That's the problem with feeding squirrels -- pretty soon they come to you first! I feed the birds but the squirrels have to fend for themselves.

Steve Reed said...

My hands get stained picking up the dropped nuts! So I know what you mean!

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I don't get that either!

Steve Reed said...

We always joke that Olga has no nerve endings. She never seems to be bothered by pain from minor injuries. And yes, THANK GOODNESS we got home before that rain started!

Steve Reed said...

Glad you're enjoying the blog! Yes, it would be ideal if we could figure out a way to better distribute all this moisture!

Steve Reed said...

I haven't paid a lick of attention to the Olympics, I'm afraid. This is typical for me.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, that's why I like them! They're so dinosaur-ish, as are the burdocks.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, their instinct to hunt overpowers any sense of caution!

Steve Reed said...

Well, that's just what happens, I guess. Nature!

Steve Reed said...

It IS interesting how we seem to share weather. I guess it's possible that the Gulf Stream carries some of your weather across the ocean to us? We definitely get the remnants of hurricanes on the Eastern seaboard.

Steve Reed said...

Dogs are the eternal optimists!