"whoever touches us, teaches us....."

Monday, April 28, 2008

The Birds



I know I have posted a lot of bird pictures lately...but there is something about being able to watch the spring nesters that has really caught my interest this year. I have always had a lot of houses and feeders, etc, but this year I seem to have more birds nesting than usual. This nest is right by my deck where we can sit, drink a beer or two, and watch the daily drama unfold. We watched the male pick out the house ( he had a choice between 4), he courted and then unabashedly mated the female right in front of us. Now they have laid and hatched 2 eggs that we can see. They seem to have gotten quite used to us coming and going and show no fear of our presence. Yesterday we watched the feeding frenzy that goes on throughout the day. This female has made hundreds of trips back and forth feeding her babies and I was lucky enough to catch a wide open mouth in the doorway. You can also see the eyes of the second baby reflecting the light. How cute is that ?

Thursday, April 24, 2008

No More Pruning

Every shrub in my yard appears to be a maternity ward....I hear babies peeping whenever I get too close to the birdhouses that are scattered all over my yard, and every bush I look into has nests. It looks like condo city in some of the fuller shrubs. The doves seem to be still sitting on the nests while most of the smaller species have already hatched. The one in the picture seemed totally undisturbed by my presence, so I could not resist getting my camera. I guess my spring pruning can wait a few more weeks.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I know this is boring, but....

BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER

Just a quick update...I have been working on the aforementioned brick work....and I am posting a very poorly shot before and after. It will look better after I have filled and planted it, one hopes, anyway. I have to tell you though, with exception of the hauling, working with bricks and mortar is really fun...a back breaker but fun. I am now planning on devoting some time to new plantings, but NO more major projects. I want time to enjoy my new back yard before it gets to hot to be outside. Then once the heat is back, I plan to start painting again. The best laid plans......

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Absence


Sorry for the brief absence; spring has just stepped up to claim her allocation of my time. I have spent my weekends and evenings in my yard. L and I have been working on my storage and garage organizing....it has always been a mess. Soon I will have a workbench, a place for my potting stuff, as well as storage for my tools. Also, I have new yard project which involves bricks and mortar! I will post some pictures of my projects when I can. I am a fan of before and after photos, I think you can really see your results when you study a photo. I just wanted to take a few minutes to explain my absence..I haven't quit my blog, just taking a gardening break for a few days!!!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Family Day

I had a family "party"on Sunday. My family came from various parts of the state for an afternoon of good food, good company and good conversation. We ranged in ages from 23 to 83, with 1 puppy and one blind dog. We laughed the better part of the day, mostly at the puppy. He trashed my house, dug up my newly emerging hostas and ran through my new screen door, but still...I had to laugh! It was a good day.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Two Things

Two things made today a nice day. One...that is a picture of my dining room table. I haven't seen it in quite a while. It has been buried under stuff for most of the past few months. Usually its papers and mail piled up, waiting for attention. Its my filing system; I always know where stuff is..look on the dining room table. Recently, its been buried under hammers and paint cans and
drills; the most recent tools of my spring projects. But, my family is coming to visit on Sunday. We are all meeting at my house for a few hours to have a meal together. My sister, her son, and my mom will drive down from Birmingham; while my niece and her husband will stop on their way home from a wedding in North Carolina. Even though we won't have but a few hours together, I am looking forward to it. This is the first time since I moved into this house that I have had any guests ( in multiple numbers anyway). My whole house, tiny though it is, is clean from top to bottom. Papers have been filed away, taxes mailed, tools put out in the garage....everything is in its place. I hate to admit it, but it has taken me about a week to clean it all up. Its so nice to see my dining room table! The number two thing that made today a good day, is these new dining room chairs. I have been looking for chairs for a long time and these were a great deal. They match my table like they were made together. I feel so much more relaxed when my house is semi orderly. Now, I'm worried about where everything is !!