Two more loads of laundry yesterday, and now I think I finally have all our South America clothes washed. I also cleaned up the windowsills in the house, and I moved the orchid above from the dining room to the living room, where we can see and enjoy it more easily. That stalk is so full of flowers that I had to prop it up on a boot-shaped glass vase to keep it from dragging. And behind it, you can see how happy the banana and avocado trees are on the patio. They love summer!
I spent most of the morning in the garden. Remember that rose we staked up after it collapsed a few months ago? Well, we've had a lot more rain recently and it was collapsing again. It's done flowering now so I finally gave it a hard prune to lighten the weight at the top of the plant. I'm hoping that makes it more stable.
I also pruned some other stuff and mowed the lawn, and now we have three full yard waste bags to go out with the trash on Friday.
While we were gone, I left the wildlife cam running at the back of the garden. Yesterday I skimmed through the videos -- about 200 of them (!) -- and made a two-minute compilation of the interesting ones. You'll see our neighborhood fox, carrying something in its mouth -- I think it's a large dog treat, and I say that only because we've found similar treats buried in our garden. Where this fox is getting treats is a mystery.
You'll also see a squirrel doing a weird belly-crawl that I thought was pretty funny, and a mob of starlings at the end. The starlings, which live in the trees at the back of the garden, did a lot more grazing on the ground than they normally do, and I'm guessing that's because we weren't here to keep the bird feeder full. That's OK -- they need to be reminded how to be self-reliant!
The fox looks so surreal on the video
ReplyDeleteI think that the fox might have fleas ! Hope that Olga doesn't get them! It certainly feels very at home in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThe fox sniffed the very area where the squirrel had been crawling along. Elton John was right about the "Circle of Life".
ReplyDeleteI watched the clip at full screen. Rather amazing clarity. The fox was relaxed enough in your yard to give itself a good scratching. The was a slight moment of alertness. Maybe foxie heard Olga snore.
ReplyDeleteThe quality of the videos are exceptional both day and night. I love how those 2 starlings hung around a bit longer than the rest. We have a flowering orchid, too. Nothing like yours. One open flower and I think there are 4 more buds!
ReplyDeleteYour fox is a gorgeous little thing- your window , your garden, your house- you do live in beauty! So much washing to be done- I saw a meme yesterday - washing 40 minutes- drying, 60 minutes, folding and putting away 10 t0 12 business days. I thought of myself , not you...
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place you live in, all the houseplants and the garden. Complete with wildlife. That orchid is just a big showoff!
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful video!
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is a gorgeous still life!
ReplyDeleteYour fox looks so healthy compared to ours which is thin and mangy looking.
ReplyDeleteI always breathe a huge sigh of relief when all the laundry is done and put away. Love your fox. We have coyotes here, not as cute and more dangerous, although I rarely see them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video, the fox is a joy. When we lived at the edge of state land in NYS, we had a fox who would often sit at the end of the forest and watch us work in the garden. Where does your fox live, in such a large city?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I observe of the squirrels in my backyard, I think the belly-crawl is completely normal. He's just doing the same thing as the starlings- looking for food on the ground.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful fox. He really did get into that scratch, didn't he? She? They?
My orchids bloomed and then pretty much died.
Ms. Moon is right. It's a squirrel thing. Question though, and it just occurred to me. You have a fence on Mrs. Kravitz side, and you have a fence at the back of the yard between you and the housing estate. Is there a fence on the other side of your property? How is that fox getting in?
ReplyDeletePS. Someone is feeding the fox, surely.
You have mad orchid skills. That's amazing.
I was thinking the same as the others that your fox looks so healthy. When it was sitting there scratching away, it looked so relaxed and at home - like a pet! Like Debby, I wonder how it is getting in to your fenced yard?
ReplyDeleteI am jealous of your orchid as mine is still just a stick with leaves.
Your yellow flowering orchid is beautiful. The fox is the largest one I've ever seen. Is it about the size of a Labrador Retriever? Occasionally I see a fox on my property and it is between half to a quarter the size.
ReplyDeleteThat fox has become attached to your beautiful garden. He/she spends a lot of time there. I love that window photo. Beauty indoors and beauty outdoors.
ReplyDeleteThat orchid is gorgeous! I really need to tackle some weeds in our yard, but it's been in the 90s here and I'm disinclined.
ReplyDeleteI saw the fox come through first, then the squirrel smelled the area where he had been, then the fox came back and smelled the same area. Seems like they're picking up each other's scent but so far avoiding each other. And Judy made the same comment about the fox probably having fleas. He sure gave himself a good scratching.
ReplyDeleteYour back yard has become a regular fox habitat! Maybe the squirrel had an itchy belly. We've had plenty of dogs do that army crawl (with frog legs) to scratch their bellies.
ReplyDeleteRoentare: Doesn't it? It's strange to see a wild critter in such a domestic setting.
ReplyDeleteFrances: You know, in the whole time we've had Olga, I don't think I've ever seen a flea on her. Or a tick. It's just not a problem for her. Maybe because she has such short hair?
YP: All the animals sniff (and pee and dig) in that area. Apparently it is the critter hot spot.
Andrew: Yeah, I wonder what caused the fox to run away so quickly after scratching? Maybe it was just invigorated!
Mitchell: Yeah, I got a kick out of those two persistent starlings too!
Linda Sue: Ha! I'm usually fairly quick about it because I want to put away the laundry rack!
Boud: We are very lucky to be able to live in this environment, I know.
Sabine: You should get a cam for your garden! Or do you have one already? I can't remember!
Bob: I can't believe how many flowers that plant cranked out!
Ed: I think there's quite a bit of scavenging to be done in an urban environment. Especially if someone is giving the fox dog treats!
Pixie: I just hope that fox is doing its part as a predator, and eating slugs and rodents and stuff like that. I have a feeling it's more focused on discarded french fries.
Colette: I have no idea where the fox sleeps. I wonder if it has a den or if it just moves around from place to place.
Ms Moon: Orchids do go into a "slump" after they bloom, but they sometimes bounce back after some recovery time.
Debby: Yes, there's a fence on the third side as well, and of course the house (which has a side gate) blocks the garden from the street. So it's entirely enclosed. The fox enters by coming over the back wall. I think it's entirely possible that someone's feeding the fox, particularly those dog treats!
Ellen D: Orchids take a year or two to recover between blooms. If yours stays stick-like beyond that it may not be happy in its environment -- maybe check light levels and your watering?
Susan: No, the fox isn't that big. It's about the size of a raccoon, maybe. It just looks big because of the position of the camera, close to the ground.
Sharon: The fox reliably comes around every week or so, I think. Maybe even every few days.
Bug: Well, who can blame you? At those temperatures I'd let the weeds take over!
Catalyst: Yeah, something is itching him, for sure. It could be mange. Sarcoptic mange is a problem in London foxes, though this one seems pretty healthy.
Kelly: Yeah, that's what I thought too. Maybe it was trying to dislodge some fleas!
I love all the critters! Foxes seem so exotic to me. I never think we have any here, but neighbors with cameras frequently see raccoons and bunnies. Possums too!
ReplyDeleteBoy, leave town for a bit and the garden runs amok, thanks to the rain. I think the rose prune is probably quite a brilliant idea. That orchid in the window is a stunner!
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