May 17, Sunday

My plantings appear to have survived the cold night in fine fettle. I suppose seeing how they look tomorrow would be a better test. Soaked the bed moderately.

Mowed half the back yard. Sprayed just a few dandelions in the no-man's-land way at the back where 3 properties meet. Saw a second dandelion gone to seed. This has got to stop! Reinstalled a bird feeder whose hanging cord had been chewed thru by unknown assailants (i.e., squirrels). I used steel-reinforced clothesline.

Then swayed in my hammock for about 45 minutes, gazing at the brilliant blue sky thru the leaves of my silver maple. At first I heard bird calls all around me, but after maybe 30 minutes they began to come from the maple branches directly overhead. I saw a pair of robins in the highest canopy, and smaller birds lower down. A bunny rabbit hopped across my lawn to get at the dandelion seeds waving boldly in my neighbor's yard. It was a busy afternoon.