DRAT THAT MOCKINGBIRD

It is too hot to pull weeds and all that manual labor stuff in my flower beds. But I do want to water them so they will have a fighting chance to make it through the summer. The faucet is right by the infamous mockingbird nest. I've been swooped several times this week, and last night he bonged me again in the head. This morning he swooped me while trying to stay away from him on the other side of the yard.
Here he is waiting ...watching...... daring me to take one more step. (I'M HAVING TROUBLE UPLOADING THESE IMAGES)

I have to water the flowers and Sparky has to do his thing. This is my solution.

I don't know which is more ridiculous. Hiding from a bird under an umbrella or posing for your picture under one on a busy street!
**EDIT** It didn't work. I just went out to turn the water off. He got under the umbrella and flogged my arm, then two of them followed me under the carport! Maybe they don't like smiley faces on umbrellas.

Well, my last post about the mockingbird was July 3. On July 4th I thought it was too good to be true, but I did not see the mockingbird. Not that I was rushing out there to check the nest either since all that I had gone through the day before. But, YES!, they were gone. This week I was able to prune back the vine that was hiding the nest. I was able to water my flowers. Yaaaaay.
The summer produce is starting to come in. My poor little backyard tomato patch this year is not doing well at all. The plants are dying, but I do have enough tomatoes to enjoy each day until the plants completely die. Except....something has been eating my tomatoes! And of course it is getting the better ones before I can get to them.

Well, I caught the culprit in the act! It was sitting up in the Mulberry tree with one of its' younguns!

DRAT! THAT MOCKINGBIRD!