It's been a great summer for the trees, bushes and flowering plants in my yard. There has been rain to excess, but I live on a hill so no flooding, just paradise for the plant life. I've gotten at least two normal years growth out of the arborvitae I planted a couple years ago to provide a windbreak and back yard privacy.
Of course the woods behind my house are so thick with mosquitoes that you are at risk of being eaten alive if you go in there. But conditions appear to be ideal for the birds, squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks that populate my back yard.
At least it was ideal until the fox showed up. I had seen a fox in the back yard almost a year ago, but since I was the only one to see it, other family members were skeptical. This summer, two of them have also seen our "pet fox" so now they believe. And our fox has proven to be a worthy predator, reducing the population of prey animals in the yard, and making the survivors a bit more cautious.
Our pet deer has also been back to eat from the backyard bird feeder, and according to reports (I did not personally witness this), she brought a friend on one occasion. I guess that concludes my suburban animal and plant life update for now. More later.
