Heatwaves and hummingbirds

It’s been a brutally hot period for the past several days. Of course, our heat pump, which also supplies air conditioning, chose that time to give up the ghost. Our friendly repair guy came quickly, hoping to rescue us. But, no such luck. The part has been ordered, but there’s still no sign of it arriving.

On the hottest day of the year, we attended a family get-together in Wickham. It was great fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the dock dipping my toes in the Washademoak Lake to cool off.

At home, though, the heat took its toll on the poor sunflowers. Although they’ve been watered regularly, apparently they thought it should be more.

Despite that, they’re still thriving and the local birds and insects are enjoying pecking away at them for nourishment. Other parts of the garden are still doing fine.

For years now we’ve had a family of hummingbirds living in the shrubs at the edge of our property. They’ve returned annually to enjoy a secure nesting area and lots of food – from the garden, the planters and, of course, the feeders. This year we have two tiny ones around – a new pair. The wee male has no fear of people or my camera and is content to pose for me. The female is a bit shy. I love watching their antics as they squabble over the feeders (there are two) and zoom around the yard, back and forth to their hidey-hole in the bushes.

The days are getting shorter; there’s less light in the early morning hours. The hummingbirds are getting ready to leave on their long journey south and the gardens are gasping their last. It’s been a spectacular summer this year, despite the lack of relief from the relentless heat. No complaints here; we have long, cold winters so it’s important to enjoy as much summer as we can.

There are a few more weeks of summer left to enjoy and I, for one, intend to do so.