In which a hummingbird is saved.

We get a lot of buzzing insects on the back porch due to the screen-less door panel, so when I stepped out onto the porch for lunch and heard a deep buzzzzz near my head, I was not too surprised.  Not too surprised, that is, until I saw the source of the buzz - not the usual bee or wasp, but a frantic hummingbird!  

We occasionally get a wren visiting on the porch, being curious about prime nesting real estate (one tried to nest in the Christmas cactus this spring), and they find their way back out when I prop the door wide open.  The hummingbird is known for its incredible flights south to central America, but this poor hummer did not have such a good sense of direction to lead it back out the door.   

Worried about how long the bird had been flying back and forth trying to find an escape route with no water or calories, I wanted to help it find its way out quickly with minimal stress.  

Hummingbirds love cardinal guard, which I have plenty of in the backyard.  Since this bird couldn't seem to find its own way to the cardinal guard that was beckoning right outside the porch, I decided to bring the flowers inside to the bird.  I cut a handful of flowers, tucked them in a vase, walked up to the hummingbird, and offered up a bouquet.  With no hesitation, the hummingbird flew to the flowers and began drinking.  I slowly, so slowly, moved my arm down and the hummingbird hovered down with the flowers, drinking and drinking.  It hovered along with me as I walked towards the door, its buzzing wings fanning the top of my hand.  When I reached the threshold, the bird perched on top of the flowers, then, seeing freedom, lifted off and flew into the warm afternoon, making a quick stop at more cardinal guard flowers before disappearing into the trees.  

Rain

It was an afternoon for sitting on the back porch, for listening to the rain fall and the frogs call.  

Shadowfax poked her nose out to test the water, determined that the water was fine, and ran crazy-fast laps through the rising puddles.  

It stormed last night, downpoured this morning, and rained again afternoon and evening.  A walk though the backyard this evening produced long-jumping leopard frogs fleeing from underfoot.  

Sailing posts to come.  They'll be mingling with animals and other projects on here.  
To see the boat-building blog, if you haven't before, go to vatalanta.blogspot.com.