Vain Holler Critters, Murderous Glories & Jumpin Jack Flash!

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Did you know morning glories are plant murderers?
They are. They crowd out, blanket, and smother other plants, and are intensely invasive. You can tell they are stuck up too, can’t you?
I love them anyway despite these “personality problems.” We have lots of room to fill at The Holler and this is what they love to do.
Mean little flowers.
But, my they are beautiful aren’t they?
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The purple throated bullied hummer is no longer being harassed. There are new, no-loc hummers to hassle at The Holler. The purple throated guy is now quite ummmm, assertive. The feeder was empty this morning when I got up at the crack of dawn, which for me is 9:30 am.
The purple guy was incensed at me and buzzed me mercilessly and closely. I think he was furious about the feeder, but even more about me taking photos of the turkey vultures. I finally took his photos and he was appeased. I filled the feeder later.
Hummingbirds are just like Mick Jagger. They are so vain.
Did you know I wrote a really unflattering review of Mick Jagger’s biography? Now if you google image search me. (Yes, yes I admit I did it…..I know, I know…. I’m vain too.) Anyhoo, if you do the search you will see my mug right there next to Micks!
Mick and I are tight.
I don’t think he likes to read much, so my review won’t bother him……
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The red tails fly close every morning around 9:30. Don’t tell anybody this is when I get up everyday. I know, I know, I am a lazy layabout, but what the heck. I worked for thirty years, now I’m sleeping in.
The red tails get me up because they circle low at this time and I see their shadows.
I wonder if they had a sort of red tail conversation? Let’s go wake that lazy woman up. It’s time for our photo-op and we look best in the morning sun….You know they do!
I bet they are so vain too. What-ya gonna do?
I take their photos!!
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Happy weekend from The Holler.
Oh, do you want some morning glories????

95 thoughts on “Vain Holler Critters, Murderous Glories & Jumpin Jack Flash!

      1. My mother loves Mick Jagger. She says he’s like a car wreck – you want to but you just can stop looking, LOL. I ‘ve always liked old Mick – my they were such bad boys, expecially compared to groups like the Dave Clark 5.

      2. They are old farts now aren’t they! Dave Clark 5??? I can’t even remember any of their songs. They were way too trapzoidal and I was way to cool, back in the prehistoric days. Keith Richards wrote his own autobiography and it was very good. He’s a cool old dude~

    1. I agree with everything you said. You must be a very smart woman!! lol!
      I am a major flower fan too, and love the ones you mentioned.
      I also was really impressed with the advocacy efforts I saw in your posts. Thank you for them & wonderful to meet you~

      1. Right back at you Cindy. I pulled invasive wild flowers in one of my gardens on Friday night, in the sweltering 98 degree heat with humidity to match until I could barely stand up to walk. I love beautiful gardens and pulling up the invasive wildflowers was a good form of therapy as I’d just watched an interview wherein Patrick Kennedy acted as thought parity for mental health had just passed legislation and that’s so not true! I’ve admired him for turning his life around but I’m not happy with the twisted truth. Ted Kennedy and others along with hundreds of advocates, along with myself, worked years to pass that piece of legislation. Gurr. I’m venting here. From reading your bio, I knew you’d understand my frustration.

  1. I hope “Rolling Stone” doesn’t decide to interview you after what the did to General McCrystal. But your photos are great. Your hummingbirds are quite different than ours and your “redtails” look more like they have a real red tail than ours also.
    Anyhow – – – say hello to Mick for me. And tell him I like Dire Straits better than Rolling Stone. But don’t give him my address or any other contact point.

    1. I know. I was wondering if Jumpin Jack will sue me. Woody Allen too, I wrote a really critical thing about him. I’ll never get served though. The coyotes would eat the messenger and I’ll just leave the country, I do this all the time anyway. I’m just like Roman Polanski….except with less money, I’m not an abuser, or a complete ass, and I never raped or drugged anyone. Oh forget it, I can’t tolerate Roman Polanski and I am nothing like him. What a colossal freak….
      Oh no, now he’s gonna sue me too. I guess I’ll stop.

      1. You touched a nerve with me regarding Roman Polanski. I don’t know whether I am more irate at his actions or our feckless government for not finding a way to extradite him.
        I think our government extradites who they wish to and wring their hands in public over why they can’t extradite people like Polanski and Marc Rich (who was given a pardon by Clinton when Eric Holder was his AG).
        I wonder if they are reading our messages. Probably trying to but can’t because I am wearing a sheet of aluminum over my head. It fashions nicely except for the stares I get from the weird people at Walmart.

  2. My morning glories don’t want to grow! Would you care to send some of your thugs across to Scotland? One of my favourite plants, especially the blue ones. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    1. I would so send them, but I would probably go to jail for illegal importing, and I’m already worried Mick Jagger will sue me. You live close to him over there in Scotland. Can you ring him up and ask him not too?????

      1. I knew you would! You could tell him you’ll cancel his OBE. I know you can do that too. I bet the Queen wishes she could. But don’t say I said this…….

  3. Do like Heavenly Blues. We have no Purple Throated Bullied hummers here. Thank you for catching and posting the photos. The Red Tails, too. nice with the sun through the feathers.

  4. Murderous but beautiful morning glories; demanding, beautiful but vain humingbirds; and Mick Jagger. All in the one post! So you can, sometimes, get what you want.
    Have you ever mistakenly “liked” one of your own posts? If not then give it a try, as you receive a marvellously clever email response from wordpress.

  5. morning glories definitly are glorious! I’ve purchased a humming bird feeder, haven’t put it up yet, I look forward to seeing if I have any visitors. I’m not an early riser either…I feel I’ve earned the time to rise at my leisure! 🙂

  6. Well, you certainly know how to glorify the morning without murdering it ,and I think your decision to call 9.30 am the crack of dawn is worth glorifying too. Well done, you 🙂

  7. Well, Cuz, I guess you’d label me an early riser as I get up at around 9:am. The Lilycat actually wakes me to get her something to eat. All this work on the new house is really wearing me out. Spend 8-10hr days up there and everything seems to take so long to get done. The “glories” are glorious, as before, and the red tails magnificent. You’re not too bad either.
    Paul

    1. See comment above. It is so annoying to have animals insist you get up at the crack of 9am. I would suggest closing your eyes and pretending to sleep for a FULL 5 minutes. You’ve got to let her know whose in charge…..Of course, this may not work, in which case see response to comment above for additonal, unsolicited, un-helpful advice from moi!
      Knew you were busy on the house btb. I guess tearing everything out is easier than rebuilding, but it will be worth it in the end. Cheers cuz~

      1. Hahahahaha !!!! Have tried the advise – numerous times – doesn’t work. She just comes back in 5min and tries again. The house…, ah, the house !!! I know it will be worth it “in the end” but whose end are we talking about? Update III is coming up. Hope you had a nice Sunday, Cindy.

  8. I’ve got a Morning Invasion going on from across the back fence, riding on top of my tulip vines…they do spread quickly but they are oh so beautiful.

    1. I believe in a Darwinian garden anyway, survival of the fittest and all that jazz. Of course this doesn’t include my roses, or my night blooming jasmine, or my French lavendar, oh, and the bushels of weeds I tear out……I think I definitely should start an advice column! Don’t you think I have a flair for it?

  9. When I was a child (in Japan), we had a summer school project to grow morning glories (the annual kind). I even learned how to take seeds from them. After that, I grew them every year in our backyard and in the color you have in the photo. They were my babies then. 😀

    1. What a wonderful school project! Since your other baby is now grown up (so annoying) and working as a doctor and eveything (at least he can take care of you when you are old, in the far far future of course) maybe you should grow some more morning glories? It will lead to spririted discussions with your neighbors. See my reply to comment above. I really am thinking of starting an advice column….. I have really helpful advice. Like this for example. 🙂

  10. Do you really knw mick jagger? What a fantastic life you have had. I actually did know that about morning glories, wayyy back I was married to a farmer and they hate those because they can really destroy crops and harvesting machinery. Thanks for the great read Cindy.

    1. Mick and I are really best friends, but he doesn’t know this because we have never met. This is just an unimportant detail and doesn’t get in way of the friendship on my part. Yes people who have morning glories take over their property tend to get a tad cranky about it. I wonder why?
      lol!

  11. Honestly, it is hard to find new words to adequately compliment you on your glorious photos! Each one is more spectacular than the next. The colors are stunning, and I almost feel like I am in a hummer’s world. Guess I did find the right words this time, but it’s getting more and more difficult. Could you please post some ordinary ho hum photos? I love your interpretations of a morning glory’s character and the conceit and ego of a humming bird! Your post is amazing. ~Dor

  12. The hawks certainly seem as if they pose for you–the clean lines are just amazing when you think the bird is flying. I am glad the purple guy is settling in!! And what about those turkey vultures? Will you post?

    Astounding collection, Cindy…as ever. 🙂

    1. It was kinda a bummer story re: the vultures so I didn’t post. The coyotes took down a calf which provokes astounding vocalizations of grief from the cattle. The vultures fly in, around 40 or so, for clean up duty. I won’t post this.
      Nature can be quite brutal.
      Thank you my friend for your kind words.

  13. Ah, that feeling of waking up at 9.30 and even later some days is so beautiful. Though not qualified age-wise but what can a poet be if not retired. And you wake up to those lovely birds and blooms and a handy Sony, itchy to go outside. Perfect!

    1. You, know for me. It is perfect. Idylic being among the animals, birds and blooms. They center me on the natural order of things and the fact that I am just one of them. No less. No more. You know unless they are sick, or under attack, the animals are always happy?
      There’s a message there I think.
      Cheers & thank you Arjun. So glad I made your aquaintance~

  14. Fun filled post! You rock as does Mick he and his friends were here in Beantown prices too steep for me but I will always adore him
    My hummers buzz me too as if to say hurry hurry were HUNGRY!
    Now I did not know that out where you are they murder others lol ours just wrap around a pole for the season till frost YOU NEED WINTER! Now I have some Roses if I sent to you that would really be killer 🙂

  15. If there must be something invasive growing — and believe me, there needs to be SOMEthing growing here — it may as well be something as beautiful as Morning Glories! Your hummingbird seems to be getting very used to having you out there — lovely captures of him and of the hawk!

    1. I agree with you regarding the morning glory. I also have planted Mexican Evening Primrose which is invasive. Invade away, we have acres of weeds that I would prefer to be either! Cheer & thanks Becky~

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