Puffball

The winds yesterday did a couple of things.  During the morning check of the hazelnuts I found some had been blown off and were on the ground.  According to everything I read, once this happens you'd better harvest them promptly.  So I did.  I've only got two bushes but it takes awhile to find all of the nuts.  I went around each bush three times and still I found more nuts.  Went away and did something else and came back to it and still found more.  The books also suggest leaving some nuts for the wildlife.  I don't know why they would include that admonishment.  Not only are there a lot of hazelnut bushes by the swamps but I'm convinced rarely would anyone find all of the nuts on a bush.  I've been taking the brachts (green outer covering) off and though it isn't hard it is time consuming.  When that's completed I'll put them in a big kettle of water.  Those nuts that float to the top are empty and I'll skim them off and toss them.  The rest will go into my dehydrator for a couple of days and then I'll pack them away in plastic bags in the freezer.  Will hull them as needed.  I figured the winds had probably also blown away the hummers.  Maybe the winds were an opportune 'tail wind' so to speak for the little birds.  No hummers at the feeders this morning.  Thunderstorms came in around noon.  I was looking out between bouts of rain and a lone hummingbird came to the feeder.  Another 'H' on the calender for the day.