Blueberries and Cool Caterpillars

78*, feels like 81*, 29.81" and rising barometer, 71% humidity, SW 6 mph wind, partly cloudy

It was a beautiful morning today. I got up earlier then normal by about an hour because Brandi was being obnoxious and not letting any of us sleep. So I got up, fed her and took her out with me to work in the cool morning air. I cleaned cages today. The chicks are growing so fast. They love eating the Japanese beetles I gather for them. They go nuts and it's better then nascar watching them run around like idiots after the plump little treats. I also took some time to weed the poor raspberry plants who, because of their late planting during a hot spell and the dryness of this year in combination with a mole issue aren't doing so well. Most are hanging in there, a few never stood a chance and are pushing up daisies. Good news though, the burrowing critter problem seems to have been resolved ever since I found small remains in the cat food dish.

Because of my crazy life right now--just busyness in general, I haven't had time to weed much let alone catch up on the comments and e-mails. I'll get to them this weekend (the comments that is) I promise! There are several new commenters I wish to welcome and blogger regulars too. Weeding will get taken care of hopefully soon...before I'm completely over run! I'll aim to get the corn weeded tomorrow morning as the weekend I hope to get the rest of the "three sisters" planted. Also, I need to make a new flower bed for my rugosa roses and the irises I divided but nobody wanted to buy at the sale. Iris are pretty hardy roots, and can remain outside the ground at least for that long.

There are a few neat things to mention about the garden. I was going to harvest the parsley and dry it but I've been procrastinating terribly. Now I am rewarded for the slothfulness. This morning a bright striped caterpillar caught my eye. It's a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar and I was pleased as punch to see it (despite losing the crop as I can't bare the thought of killing such a fine creature to save the herb). Blueberries, a few a day have been delighting my taste buds, teasing them, just about everyday this week. Not many are on the bushes and I sure as heck am not about to share them either. MINE. ALL MINE!