A delay of cloches

Animals: The birds and their co-conspirators/frenemies the chipmunks and squirrels have been eating two entire feeders every 24 hours. These are the bigger feeders too, wide of circumference and proudly tall.

I fill them in the morning and by the next day, they're empty again. So I've put the neighborhood wildlife on notice: You will be fed, I promise, but once every other day. On feeding day, the buffet is open. The next day, you either fast or search for grubs. Until the greedy creatures start contributing to the bird seed fund, that's how it'll have to be for the near future.

As I've previously mentioned, the munks have also been burrowing in my bigger pots. I don't know if they're storing food items for winter or what, but my tomatoes and potatoes and sunflowers will never grow if they're not given a chance to root.

The Gardener's catalog arrived in the mail last week and on the cover was the perfect solution, an advertisement for chicken wire cloches. Each one is $35, less if you buy in bulk. Well, I have quite a few big pots so I definitely considered buying. Alas, before I could complete my purchase I spotted the expected delivery date: August 16.

Yes, really.

I searched for something similar at Lowe's, Home Depot and the local nurseries and even found a cheaper version, but that delivery date was listed as October. Bah! 

After complaining about my problem to Erin and Josh, they offered to bring over any chicken wire they had left from building their coop. If we double-roll the sheets, perhaps it could work. I'm willing to give it a try.

Hooks: The hanging plants seem to have taken to the blooming fertilizer I used last week. They're full and round and beautiful. One huge success for me this year.

Weather: Currently 62F and sunny. Low 52F, High 80F. Sweet breeze.