Rainy Day Recess - Pt. 47

It's been raining off & on for days, and the forecast does not bode well for the near future. We had just enough break in the weather to get the barn addition tarpapered so as to keep it weather tight until we can get the roofing on. But now everyone is staying under cover, especially the humans. So all the action today has been at the new feeder. Our neighbor (the one with the to-die-for workshop) made this for us and I just recently hung it. It's a hit with evening grosbeaks, goldfinches, house finches, chickadees, and house sparrows. Even the hummingbirds check it out sometimes. Usually a few grosbeaks will camp out under the little porch and pig out til someone crowds them out. Naturally I can't get any good bird pictures, since they take off when I approach with the camera.

Here's the inside action - herbs! I have been picking and drying mint, catnip, chamomile, chives, yarrow, calendula and roses, for some time now, and I have a monster backlog of processing to do. Mainly involving picking leaves from stems and packing them into glass jars. The chimney is garlanded with bunches of freshly picked mint,which makes a nice aroma. And once the weather cooperates, I have even more outside to harvest and plant. But as you can deduce, I'm much more distracted by blogging than herbing. Ooops!