Fun at Lake Ida

We had an action-packed two weeks when the kids were here at Lake Ida!

A Rescue Mission

When Haylie was here we found a hummingbird in the grass below our little pine tree. We all looked and looked for a nest, but couldn't see any in the boughs. It must have fallen out of the nest/tree? When we found it, the poor thing could barely move. I tipped some nectar out of my neighbor's hummingbird feeder into a cup, got a straw, put some nectar in it, with my finger over the other end of the straw to keep it there. The hummingbird ate and ate, it was so interesting to see its little tongue and beak at work, just like in a flower. It perked right up, and seemed revived. We put it back in the pine tree, hoping the mother could take over, or Mother Nature. I hope Mother Nature was at her gentle best that day.

Turtle Nests and Egg Robbers

At Itasca, on the walk from the parking lot/interpretive center to the headwaters, we saw two turtle nests (snapper or painted?) right next to the path that had been robbed by??? Raccoon? Skunk? Something else?

Leaves of Three, Leave Them Be!

We went to Itasca State Park on Monday, one of our favorite Minnesota places. The Minnesota state flower, Showy Lady Slipper were in bloom - I have NEVER seen one before, and there at the bottom of the steps down to the lake from Douglas Lodge, was a nice clump of them growing by the dock area. It also must be a good year for poison ivy. It was everywhere! We had to warn Odd, Helma and Roy about the dangers of it! It looks pretty benign, doesn't it? We walked across the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Here's Roy with the young Mississippi River in the background.

I'm running a chipmunk sanctuary . . .

My neighbors on each side of me have an unnatural fear of the little rodents and kill them at every opportunity, but I like chipmunks. It's really hard to keep my lip zipped.

Today I was sweeping my front step, and when I moved the decorative birdhouse Tracy gave me, I noticed that it was gnawed around the hole, leaves rustled inside, and a little chirp came from inside the hole. I peeked in and there was a little chipmunk living in there. I'll have to move it into the shade a bit more.