This morning Mr. DG, the guy who cuts my grass, arrived early and had already severely cut back the climbing rosebush by the carport before I had a chance to warn him about the mockingbirds. A few weeks ago, a pair of cardinals had built a nest in the vines of the rosebush--just feet from the back door and the car. But my annual mating pair of mockingbirds wouldn't put up with that. They are very territorial, and arrived, looked on the redbirds ar tresspassers and ran them off and took over.

The parents of the baby birds swoop over the yard all day picking up bugs for them. When I go out the door, a parent will make a "shushing" sound; it reminds me of a school guard crossing with a whistle; the sound the bird makes is clearly "stop, caution" and the babies immediately hush.

Well, I planted some climbing cukes by the oak stump in the backyard; they have come up and look vigorous, but still haven't started climbing yet; I'll have to train them up on the stump if they survive. Also, the morning glory's I planted next to the clothesline post have barely begun to grow and climb. I think they all need a dose of Miracle Gro or something. This is my plant philosophy: I'm giving you a chance to live, I planted you, now it's up to you to live or not.

Folks, right now the crepe myrtle, the mimosa's, and magnolias, and the okra with hibiscus flowers are all blooming. The mimosa and wisteria, trash plants, are growing better than anything else--you can cut them down to the ground, and they come back. (They're as bad as kudzu!)Mr. D.G. constantly has to cut them down.

Yesterday a church lady, a woman with the kindest heart, left a box of veggies on the swing for me--cukes, tomatoes, squash, new red potatoes, and a jar of mayhaw jelly, a rare treat.

OTHER NEWS: There were front page photos in the paper of President Obama and Gov. Barbour and his wife, and the mayor of Gulfport and his wife, walking with the President on a pier in Gulfport--it was 100 degrees and humidity almost as bad--I am glad the guv was decent enough to meet with the Obama. None of the walkers wore a hat-it seems like the President's handlers should have held an umbrella over him at least. There was a photo of the group stopping to get a lemon-lime Sno-Cone. They all looked like they were ready to pass out, and I bet they all got a bad sunburn.

Y'all stay cool; susil