A Hummingbird Breakfasts on Red Salvia

It is heading into late summer and it feels like we have already lost a hummingbird or two. I looked it up and they say that the males sometimes start to head south on their long journey as early as July or August. At our peak, we had around five birds, zipping and diving at the two feeders that hang over the deck. We still have a few but they have been less evident.

In late May, I bought our hummingbirds some red and purple salvia plants. I put them on the deck, in pots, near the two feeders. I have noticed that in the morning, especially, the little birds like to come and check out the red blooms for breakfast. (The purple blooms have faded a bit and are not so obvious, but they are a favorite of MINE.)

I opened up the curtains on the deck door windows on this morning to discover the scene that is captured in this photo. A female ruby-throated hummingbird was drinking from EVERY SINGLE bloom, one after the other, buzzing all around the plants with glee. What a happy sight to wake up to! I grabbed my camera and got off about 10 shots before the feeding session ended. This is my best shot, cropped.

Fast forward about an hour and a half. I came back from my morning bike ride to find my husband in the kitchen, cooking. The whole place smelled like bacon. And he was playing OPERA on the stereo. Yes, opera. For the first time since I met him, which, for the record, was 39 years ago this week. (In a laundromat in State College, where I typically went to do my laundry after my twice-a-week aerobics class.)

Do we even OWN any opera? As it turns out, we do. I looked at the CD to discover that it was Verdi's Aida. The whole thing reminded me of a song link which I'll provide below. Oh, and for the curious, my OWN breakfast was the following: one dippy egg (translation: sunny side up), Hormel black label bacon, butter bread, sliced tomato, orange juice. And yes, I know I am a lucky girl who is fortunate to come home from morning exercise and fresh air to discover a delicious meal waiting!

Our song link is Natalie Merchant, with Verdi Cries.

P.S. Here is a random but interesting fact. Did you know that in Scandinavian countries, people put their babies outside to nap, even in very cold temperatures? I learned that fact on this day, and shared it with my husband as we sat in our chairs in the evening. I meant that they put them outside to NAP. My husband started cautioning me about baby thieves and wolves and errant squirrels and what-not. Somehow he thought I meant they put the babies outside all night long. "Good luck, baby!" And slam the door. I said no, it's just for naps, not for keeps, and NOT for all night long! And so we had a good laugh over all of that. But there's your tidbit of cultural learning for the day. Babies. Outside. Napping. No matter how cold. (Actually, as a lover of cold weather, and as someone who loves to sleep in colder conditions, this sounds absolutely FABULOUS to me.)