My yard is sun bleached & scorched. The weatherman announced yesterday, that my area set the heat record for the day with 115 F & broke a record set in the 1930's. He said that we were the hottest place in the USA according to national temperatures near the noon hour. We were hotter than the freaking Mojave Desert. Why the hell is SE Oklahoma & the adjoining river valley section of Arkansas so damned hot?
My flowers are long gone, the trees are yellowing & grass is mostly a distant memory. We have a few stubborn clumps clinging to life in the shady niches of the yard. The neighbors' well planned gardens are dried up & dusty, even after faithful watering. About the only thing growing in my area is a patch of mint between the driveway & the house.
Normally, I don't let it get anywhere near as big as it is at this point. I usually cut it back & tie it into bunches to drive off ants. I didn't do that this year. When I thought about doing it, the mint was covered in small bugs, flies & bumble bees. I soon noticed birds & other little critters eating near the mint. The mint was providing food & some shade for this little ecosystem. If I had cut it down, the bees & all the others thriving off the mint most likely would've died.
The mint is now huge & bothersome. But it is all these animals have in the area to eat. It's like watching one of those animal shows about a water hole in Africa during the dry season. The bees & flies come to eat off the mint. All the while, the spiders & birds wait to strike.
The mint is in the way & the bugs are a nuisance. I could just give in & cut it back. However, that'd be rude & not very neighborly.
Cya
No comments:
Post a Comment