I met up with Colleen today...

I met up with Colleen today to do a swap and hang out. She gave me this box of plants. All I gave her was a shelf and some small pots. I feel like I won the swap. 😂

Since I haven't been shopping/buying plants, this is giving my brain all of the happy feels.

It was a good time! 😊

Between the sun cooking my plants and the rodents chewing them...

Between the sun cooking my plants and the rodents chewing them, we have some recovery to do.

Shaun plugged up any spaces where mice could get in, and we put up another shade cloth. No new damage so far.

Succulents are so tough. That's why they're my favorite.

I spent most of the day...

I spent most of the day watering and fertilizing the greenhouse plants. I didn't do it last month, but I wasn't skipping again.

I left my phone in the house and just enjoyed my plants from 4 to 10 pm. I had to take a lamp out to finish up, but I got it done.

I hope they'll start plumping up again by morning. I'm excited to go check on them.

After the mealy bugs, the sun roasting some of them, then the mice coming in and eating/destroying about 60 of them, I was feeling really discouraged and overwhelmed. But even the chewed ones are hanging in there, thank goodness.

I got my plants potted!

I got my plants potted! And now I'm exhausted. 😂

Those 3 cacti that are still there are intentional; they're rooting.

Here is a before and after of my potting desk:

Before:

After:

Bear just came through...

Bear just came through and knocked over about half of my work. 😭😭😭

I watered the greenhouse since I'm gonna be away for a few days.

I watered the greenhouse since I'm gonna be away for a few days.

I got rid of mealy bugs only to have mice chewing their way in and eating my plants. I'm not gonna post pictures of the carnage, but I have ~60 plants heavily damaged, if not missing entirely. I'm really sad. Everyone was looking amazing and I'd really upped my care plan for the summer. This wasn't part of it.

Shaun installed some flashing around the bottom of the greenhouse today and hopefully that will keep them out. We're also going to put out a dish of water, because I know the little creatures are just trying to survive and I can't fault them for that.

Here are some happier pictures from last week. I had some pretty flowers, and my Monkey Tail cactus is finally making a pup.

I went to check on the greenhouse...

I went to check on the greenhouse and found a mouse up in the plants. So that's at least one of the creatures eating them. I knew the bite marks looked rodent-y.

Some things that are troubling me:

Some things that are troubling me:

About 2 weeks ago, my Reddit account logged out.  I have not been able to log back in.  I submitted a ticket for help, but I still haven't received any help.  Also, now if I look up my account, it shows that it's banned.  For what, I have NO idea.

This has been very dysregulating.  I read myself to sleep every night on Reddit, so I was used to my feed being a certain way.  It was comforting.  I had saved a lot of posts with useful information.  I had a 700-something day streak.  I loved it.

I basically had to start over and try to re-create my feed.  It's still not like it was.  It still feels very "off" - like it's a bizarro universe and it makes me really sad.  I am still hopeful that I will get some help with my original account, but the hope is fading.  I don't know what to do.

I also haven't been spending too much time in the greenhouse, but the last two times I went out there, many of my plants had been chewed or completely eaten.  I don't know who is doing it, but Shaun put the camera back out there to see if we could catch whoever it is.  We don't know if it's birds or rodents or what, so we don't know how to stop it.  We do close the doors at night, but leave the top windows open for ventilation.  We might have to put up some screens, I guess.  I don't know.  But it's got me really sad.  Whole plants are missing.  Like they've either been devoured on the spot or uprooted and taken. 😭😭😭

Last thing (for now):  I'm too soft and Adrian ended up back in my room. Shaun's going to move her out and acclimate her to the living room/other cats while I'm away. I hope it's successful. I need a space to myself. If it doesn't work while I'm gone, then it can't be done. Shaun is great with cats and less of a pushover than I am right now.

A few recent flowers.

A few recent flowers. Can't believe I missed the white one; it was only open for a few hours. And the last one wasn't able to fully open because of the spines.

Some recent flowers.

Some recent flowers.

It was a really nice experience having the doves hatch in the greenhouse, but I'm glad to have it back to myself.

I have a lot of bird poops to clean up.

Greenhouse update:

Greenhouse update:

The baby birds left the greenhouse last night. They've officially flown away today. The parents were still watchful earlier. I don't know if any of them will be back.

Also, there have been some pretty flowers the last few days.

Watching the younglings.

Out of the greenhouse.

I can't believe this cactus is blooming AGAIN already.

I can't believe this cactus is blooming AGAIN already. She's wild!

The babies aren't going back into the nest; they're staying on my table and chair during the day. It was humid today and the greenhouse was stinky because of their poops. We are supposed to have a stormy weekend, but if we don't, I'm gonna do some cleaning.

I'm also going to finally repot the cactus they were nesting in. I might just remove the cactus and put the pot and nest back since the adults have more than 1 clutch per season. I don't want to wreck their plans, but I do need to tend to that plant. It's one of my 300 favorites. 😂😂😂

The babies have left the nest.

The babies have left the nest. They are now on my table in the greenhouse, poopin' it up.  Is this their messy teenager phase? 😂

They spent the whole night on my stand fan in the greenhouse. It hasn't been turned on yet. They got down onto the table once daylight came.

I think their parents are trying to lure them to the window opening above the door. I think it won't be much longer before they leave for good, or at least for most of the day.

I had a bunch of flowers today. Lots of pink and a few yellow. It's very nice. 😊

It's been a big day for the baby doves.

It's been a big day for the baby doves. They're moving around now. Most of these clips are less than a minute long.

They got into my baby Teddy Bear Cholla and got a piece back into the nest. We went and removed it and then moved my cart of nursery plants out so they don't do that again.

Also, there is no water in my bucket. We're trying to minimize danger for them as they get out and explore.

Shaun has been camera-spying all day. 😂

First Flaps:

Big streeetch!

Test flight:

Feeding time!

That was a baby on the table!

They're mobile!

Good parent

Exploring

The greenhouse is my happy place. 😊

The greenhouse is my happy place. 😊

I can't believe how fast the baby doves are growing. Shaun checked the camera and said that the parents left the babies alone for about 6 hours last night. It was down to 40°F, but it looks like their feathers are coming in, so I guess it was ok. They're doing fine today. They're starting to move around more. I'm going to have to be extra careful when going in the greenhouse to make sure of where they are in case they're on the ground.

I got a quick video of baby Bear enjoying the flowers. He's so freaking precious. I love my good helper.

Some flowers and baby birds...

Some flowers and baby birds, and a lizard, and my Quasimodo Agave's progress since being removed from growing upside down in the bottom of the pot.