I keep pushing myself to keep the trees alive a little longer. Just water one more time. Pump one more time. Realistically, I know I'm beyond my limit. And the trees will start dying. Today, I came to the oasis to service feeders, pump, and water. Again, carrying the 35 lb. pump down the muddy slope into the broken tank. Hoping I won't fall, or my back won't just give way under the weight, like my foot seems to have done.
This trip the mosquitoes were a nightmare! I'm watering with no relief, limping on my either broken, or arthritic, foot. Doesn't matter how much insecticide I cover myself with, or the head net I wear. They're voracious! I quit after 3 miserable hours. And the cowpen daisies, that I'm allergic to, are thriving. I doubled my dose of allergy meds, but that didn't stop my nose from running like a faucet. Kept me breathing though.
Enjoying birds while I watered wasn't an option. Couldn't see through the net anyway. On the bright side, the mosquitos weren't bad during last month's festival tours. And I didn't get bitten by a rattlesnake. 😅 I did get bitten by a black ant. So painful that I wasn't able to nap after watering and lunch.
Taking the pump out of the tank is the hardest. There's no way to wrestle the heavy, unwieldy 2" hose out without getting it covered in mud, which transfers to me, and I'm covered with mud. But, once again I topped off the stucco tank, which holds pretty well.
The only bird activity I was able to witness were three female/ juvenile Summer Tanagers feasting at a wasp's nest. I think they were eating the larva.
