tiny tobaccy
The tobacco has sprouted. And wow, it looks like every seed sprouted. The seeds are fine, like chamomile. This experiment de l'année is not because I'm planning to take up smoking.Apparently tobacco interplanted with potatoes and cucumbers repels potato beetles. We haven't seen any of those nasty culprits out here in the woods yet, but if any get imported, I'm ready.
I had a close encounter with a chickadee. I was standing still at the edge of the field where the alders begin, listening to people shouting on the road at a distance, when whoop, whoop, I saw a chickadee swooping right at me. It landed on a twig about two feet from my face, and stared right at me, cocking its little head. I could have had it in my hand without stretching. The first chickadee was almost immediately joined by two other chickadees, swooping in and landing just as close, one behind my head and one on the opposite side. All of them giving me a careful beady black-eyed inspection, with different head angles. What are you doing here? Just curious! We live here. Whatcha doin'? Funny little birds.