Western New York Idyll: Goodbye Caterpillars

  And hello to some more congenial visitors. Thank goodness the hot, muggy, wet weather did for the brutes but we'll have to be wary next year.

Glad someone's appreciating the annuals I planted.

Chippy's carefree idyll might be getting more problematic as another furry neighbour re-appeared this morning. There was no explanation about her long absence .....

but then, she's a cat.

A quick paparazzo shot of ma turkey through the back door screen, sneakily casing the joint and probably biding her time for the blueberries to ripen. The ribbon is there to warn British visitors, who aren't used to screens - our desperate defence against six-legged flying marauders - against cannoning through it. We've already had to repair it three times.

The American goldfinches are the greediest guzzlers on the planet. They have me at their mercy. They think they can get away with murder, just 'cos they're so pretty. But that goes for most of the fauna around here.