Jim I am so glad you have had some memorable hummer experiences this year. The migration is still in full swing and I have three here right now. My last adult male left on Sept 1st. and the last adult female departed about a week ago. I have at least one juvenile male and 2 juvenile females but with the juvies until they start getting some of their adult plumage it is difficult to tell the males from the females. Most of my adult birds this year were strictly feeder birds. They were definitely fast food junkies but once the juvies came on the scene both feeders and flowers were in high use. I have an old clothesline that we cut done to be used in a smaller area for the hummers and they loved perching by the door first thing in the morning after they had breakfast watching and waiting and several would greet me when I walked out the door. If I was replaceing a feeder with a fresh one I always had one come right up to the feeder as I was hanging it back up. They also liked to perch on that line and watch me while I mowed the grass or collected flower seeds. Several times they flew up to me when I was removing dead flower stalks to check out what I was doing. A couple of times I had a female come in so close that I could feel the breeze from her wing flapping against my cheek. Remember to keep those feeders fresh especially when we have had the hot dry temps we had this summer. I never leave a feeder over two days as the nectar will start to ferment and if they do drink it, they can get sick. Often times they will just abandon the feeder. Even if you think all of your hummers have gone for the season, please consider leaving those feeders up for at least 2-3 weeks after your last siting as there are still quite a few migrants north of us that are yet to head south. There are large swarms still in Mich and Wisc. and quite a few swarms still over in Ontario from what I understand. If you can maintain at least one feeder until we get hard freezing temps please consider doing so. There are more and more reports of out of territory migrants showing up all the time. There is a Green-breated Mango Hummingbird that has shown up in Wisconsin whose most northern natural range is Mexico. Here is a picture of the Green-Breasted Mango. There have been Rufous in Ontario, Rufous and Calliopes in Pa. so you never know, a stray, out of range migrant could just as easily show up in NY. They are just the most amazing little creatures and I am so glad to see the growing interest in hummers and including hummer plants in gardens Penny

OT.. :) Michelle I did not want to start a whole new thread, but I know you said you like white bread and even though I was in a hurry to watch the playoffs last night and should have let this bread rise a little more, this is one of the best white breads I have made. Buttermilk White Bread 2 packages yeast 1 Tbsp. sugar 1/2 cup warm water 4 cups unbleached flour 1 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. melted butter 1 1/2 cups buttermilk Combine yeast, sugar and water and let proof for 5 minutes. Mix flour, salt, melted butter and buttermilk until smooth and then add yeast mixture. I used my KA dough hook and kneaded for 10 minutes. Turn out into large buttered bowl, roll dough around till well coated with butter. Cover bowl and set in warm place for 2 hours. Punch down the dough, turn out on floured surface and pat gently into rectangle. Fold in ends and then sides of bread, pinch seams together. Put into buttered loaf pan and let rise to double in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

I doubt it, Kellienoelle. My lower cab to the left of my stove, complete indirect light remains one color, while the others change when they feel like it. Beekeeperswife, that's certainly either an understatement or a statement of the obvious. Of course I >>ust have to make sure whatever color [I] pick looks good in various lights.I wish my color change were only a camera issue. Given the fact I only have a cell phone, and it does NOT capture the changes, I'll have to have an eye transplant. Matching whites? Never occurred to me. I have doors painted with the darker colors next to it on the chips thingy right now. I'm trying to determine what I want to do. Problem is, those cabs next to the stove that don't change? They're the lighter and I love them. Perhaps cream is in the offing.

Hey paradisi , I am a bit slow I should have thought of that yesterday but didn't. When I went out before to get a cutting of course the flower was gone after all. Hibiscus are here today and gone tomorrow........ What a shame....Cheers..MM.