Hummingbird, Stopping for a Quick Sip

These are the days that the hummingbirds dream of. It's July, and the monarda have burst into bright, red, insanely large, colorful blooms. The scent is heady. And the little birds are visiting every daylight hour of every day.

I spent a few minutes in the yard with my camera, and I was fortunate to capture some decent hummingbird shots. You know how that goes: take 50 pictures, throw 49 away. In this particular photo, the little bird has braced its feet against one of the stems to get a better sip.

We also saw a strange sight on this day. My husband looked out on the deck and saw a squirrel lying on the deck railing, and it looked like it was napping. He called for me to come and see. And so I walked over and took a few photos of it. I've included two photos of the squirrel who is apparently "just too tired to squirrel" in the "extra photos" area.

My first view was of the backside of the squirrel, with its tail draped down around the railing. It was not moving at all. But then it kicked a little and turned itself around, turning (what seemed like) sad, sleepy eyes toward me.

Eventually worrying that the squirrel might be sick or injured, my husband walked out to check on it. And of course as soon as he grew near, the squirrel jumped - in a single liquid motion - into a nearby tree! It was fine! It had not been sick or hurt, just taking a little Sunday afternoon nap.

I guess things must have been hectic lately in the treetops (perhaps we're not the only ones a bit sleep-deprived from the recent late-night neighborhood impromptu amateur fireworks shows), and so it had to come down to get some rest.

The song I've selected for this day is in honor of the hummingbird standing its ground to get a good drink. It is a favorite R.E.M. song from the 1980s. So here is R.E.M., with Stand. I'm including both the official video and a live version. Enjoy!