esrungg- I'm in Kazoo county, so both of us had the chilly temps last night. Have you seen your male yet today? I have not seen the male from yesterday, just those silly house finches on the feeders. Yesterday, a B. Oriole came twice, but he's a no show today also.

mine was a plastic tube feeder with plastic perches about 1 1/2 inches long and almost any of the birds were perching on it. I took a hack saw and cut the perches off so they were just over 1/2 inch long. it stopped all the birds except the siskins and finches from perching. Last fall a hungry bear tore the feeder down and broke it, I'll have to buy another next spring. and hang it higher.

THANK YOU for all your comments! Mantis, I use Havahart Motion Activated Sprinklers to repel deer and other animals, strategically placed where the deer come out of the woods. They are not cheap, but they work (at least for me). They hook up to a garden hose and I have 4 of them. They also repel unwanted human guests by getting them soaking wet....lol. Screen Pattern doesn't have any issues dealing with my cold winters and is a healthy plant.....not a huge bud count, but not much does here. Brad, the bloom of Siloam Apple Blossom has good substance but is quite petite, probably 4 inches or less. Maryl, I don't even know what the correct name of that plant is, sorry. It popped up after planting the delphiniums so I don't know if it was a stowaway in the nursery pot and keeps on spreading. Julia, I was almost thinking I was going to get lucky this year and not have Japanese Beetles....but no, they are here now but arrived a few days later than usual. I get rid of more roses each year thanks to having to deal with the beetles. They destroy my roses after July 1st. Celeste

I went by a meeting house I go to and they had a real nice Agave weber blooming and I took my camera to take a picture and they had cut it down while the flowers were in their prime. True it is right by where the cars park and a mobile home type office . We wouldn't want any suets from a dented car body. Cars aren't what they used to be and all. I didn't get a picture but I got a real big 2' pup that they had thrown out with the carcass. They were throwing the baby out with the bath water so to speak.