MaryO's Musings

We have firewood!

2011-10-31T18:06:00.003-04:00

Here's what we're doing with the wood we're cutting in the backyard! Well actually not the new wood. A sweet neighbor who came and cut up the larges trees that had been pulled out of the ground, also brought us a load of seasoned firewood to burn in our new wood stove.

Getting there

2011-10-27T12:13:00.004-04:00

It's going to take us awhile but we're working on clearing up the hurricane damage to our backyard. Here are before and after photos of one section:

The bench is in the same place in both photos.
Fortunately, we have a wonderfully generous neighbor who has been over twice to help take down the largest trees that we simply could not have handled with just the two of us. Thanks Tony!!! We will need to call professionals to come and take the root systems from both large trees that were pulled up when the trees went over.
The good part is, we're going to have tons of firewood to burn in our new wood stove next winter!

More Irene results

2011-09-04T18:03:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-31T10:12:00.002-04:00

This is just a sample of what Irene left us last Saturday night. We were fortunate not to have flooding in our immediate area, just some water in the basement, but we lost about 15 trees or more in the wooded area at the back of our property. The view from our deck is now quite different than it was last week! And when it's all cleaned up, we'll have lots more open space in the yard, which is at best a mixed blessing. But we're fine, and after three nights and two plus days without power, I'm feeling much, much better today!! Had my morning shower, so now I can go grocery shopping to replace most of the stuff I had to throw out of the fridge and freezers, pay bills, run errands, etc. and people won't avoid me because I'm smelly! LOL!!!
Goodnight (and goodbye) IRENE!

You never know what to expect....

2011-08-23T18:42:00.001-04:00

We knew there is a hurricane(Irene) headed our way and that was enough to think about, especially since one of my children and her family are down at the Outer Banks, and that's a prime target. But this afternoon we were treated to a rare 5.8 earthquake on the East Coast! I felt my chair shaking and asked my husband if he was doing that. But he wasn't and soon the little wind chimes I have hanging on a cupboard in my sunroom (indoors) began to chime, and dear husband notice the wall behind him shaking, too. The noise got louder and louder like a huge convoy of construction trucks might be going by, so we knew it was an earthquake. Not unheard of in this area, but certainly not of this magnitude. It lasted a half-minute or a little less and we just didn't know what to do. What does one do in an earthquake? I know in a tornado you go to the basement,in a hurricane you evacuate(which is what I hope my daughter will do in plenty of time), in a flood you go to high ground, but what does one do in an earthquake besides just hope for the best???
Anyway we are all okay, and all the children checked in (some within the danger area in Virginia, and some near the Washington DC area that was hit fairly hard). Everyone was fine though, so I feel very fortunate. People in California are probably laughing at us for getting so excited over this, but it's just unheard of in our area so it really is a big deal for us.

Rarity

2011-08-10T09:50:00.004-04:00

This is a normal occurrence at the feeder outside my window. One hummingbird, either male or female, in this case, will find a perch to guard the food source and prevent any other birds from feeding here.

But this day I was lucky enough to catch two birds feeding at once! I don't know if this is a mother and "child" maybe, or if they just didn't realize the other bird was there. These little birds are so much fun to watch!

It's Done!

2011-07-31T14:22:00.002-04:00

It needs a few little refinements...a bit of sanding here and there, but I'm sooo happy to have a deck I can walk on without tripping over splinters! And I'm glad not to have to worry about the builder having a heat stroke in my backyard during the hot weather that he had to work in everyday. It has moderated enough now, although it's still pretty hot during the day, that we are able to sit out there in the evenings. We even had our dinner out there last night. Nice!

Birthday Party.....early

2011-07-26T15:49:00.003-04:00

My dear children and grandchildren gave me a surprise birthday party this past weekend and the photo shows my birthday gift from them all. What a perfect addition to our new deck (which isn't quite finished yet)! It was too dreadfully hot to go out and enjoy it while they were here, but there will be lots of good times around this table in the future, I am sure!
We had a grand time. They brought food and we had a wonderful crab and steak feast along with a prize winning chocolate pie from one daughter The other daughter brought a fabulous birthday cake that said "Happy 29th", (which of course is fudging my age a *few* years(decades, actually) and her husband brought steaks and grilled them perfectly for us! My son and his wife brought the crabs and his wife made us a lovely salad with tomatoes and basil topped with fresh mozzarella, yum. All the grandchildren were able to come and it was glorious having them all here together. My only challenge was to find bed-down room for everyone later, but we managed just fine! Wonderful, wonderful weekend.

Almost finished....

2011-07-22T16:32:00.002-04:00

It would be finished if the weather hadn't gotten so very hot that our builder just couldn't work out there any longer. He hopes to finish it next week when we'll be maybe 10 degrees "cooler" (down from 100 today). I'm so glad I insisted on those steps!
They still need railings and there are a couple of other refinements to do, but we'll be able to use it this weekend when the children come, anyway...providing it isn't too awfully hot.

Balusters are up!

2011-07-20T16:25:00.002-04:00

The flooring is all finished now, the balusters are installed and the steps are being built today, so the deck will be finished soon. By the weekend, I hope, because I've just learned that all my children and three grandchildren will be coming Saturday. Which means I have to find sleeping space for six or seven people...in addition to dear husband and me! (If all the immediate family was coming there would be 12 of us!) But we always have a good time when they come and they want to celebrate the new deck with us.

Wren House Update

2011-07-16T08:42:00.003-04:00

No picture today, but I should mention that we finally took the wren house down. After numerous visits dragging sticks and other debris into the house the wrens finally abandoned the nest. We waited as long as we deemed necessary, but after no activity there for a couple of weeks, and after the work on the new deck got underway and still no activity, we took the house down. I put the hummingbird feeder on that hook. It had been hanging over the deck railing but of course that's gone now. So far I haven't seen a hummer near it, though. The other birds were wary at first when the deck work began, but they're pretty well used to it now and many will still come to the feeders while the work is going on. More come in the evenings after the builder leaves for the day.

New Deck!

2011-07-13T09:36:00.002-04:00

After 18 years, (and it was built long before we moved here) we're having our deck rebuilt! That's the old foundation you can see in one picture, and it's still in great condition, so we just have to do the upper portion since we aren't changing the configuration much. It's going slowly, but I'm looking forward to having a deck that I can walk on without tripping over large splinters that are breaking away from the flooring and railings that aren't warped and pulling away from the posts. That dry patch in the grass you see is from the drought we've been having for the past few months. A young rabbit loves to dig out a little space in the dirt to lie in when it's shady there.

Fledging Day!

2011-06-24T15:54:00.003-04:00

Sorry the photo is skewed, but I took it hurriedly. Bless him I think I frightened him into flying before he had made up his mind. As soon as I clicked the shutter (without turning off the flash), he flew into the maple tree across the yard in the direction that he's looking in this picture. He was the last one to go. We only got to see three of them, but there were five eggs in the nest, so we must have missed the first two. That's what we get for sleeping late this morning. But now we can close up the house and get our new deck started!!

Wren house update

2011-06-22T14:59:00.002-04:00

Well, this is what a house wren's nest looks like. She has brought in long twigs and other strange materials, some of which she can't even get into the house. She could hardly get into the house herself on one occasion this morning, there was so much junk poking out the door. I'm so unhappy about this bird! She's lucky she's protected or I would take the house down now....or would have before now, actually.

What happened????

2011-06-22T14:59:00.001-04:00

I just posted an update on the wren house and a photo, but it isn't showing on the blog. Hmmmmm, somebody here doesn't like me??????? I know...I said something mean about the bird...yeah that's it......

Drat!!!

2011-06-20T12:08:00.003-04:00

It's always something, isn't it? I looked up some wren information online and it's apparent that the current female who is building a nest in the wren house is a house wren, unlike the first one whose brood fledged recently. She was a Carolina wren according to the photos I found. This one, being a house wren could be a threat to future bluebird nestings if she stays around the area. I understand that this variety will puncture other bird's eggs and render them useless. I am just heartsick about this. House wrens are among the "protected" varieties (I don't know why) so I can't destroy the nest she has begun to build, but I do hate providing nesting space to a bird who might destroy the eggs of my bluebirds I love so much. Nothing I can do at this point, but as soon as this brood of wrens fledges, the wren house comes down! Be sure to click on the photo so you can get a good look at her mess.

Wren update

2011-06-18T21:41:00.003-04:00

The baby wrens (see my previous post) fledged a couple of days ago, but unfortunately we didn't get to see them go. They fledged either late in the evening or early the next morning, so we missed it. I don't even know how many she had this time. But the good news is, before Roy could go take the house down so we could clean it out, mama wren was back again today, already refurbishing the old nest inside, preparing for her next brood! I knew that hummingbirds often begin preparations for a new brood right after the first one fledges...sometimes before....but I didn't know about wrens. Still don't actually, this is a learning process for me. I just hope we'll get lucky enough to see this new brood fledge. We'll just have to be quicker about cleaning out the house after they go.

Baby Wren

2011-06-12T11:33:00.002-04:00

It's not so hot today as it has been, but apparently, with the sun shining on the house, it's hot enough for the babies (I think there are at least two of them) that one finds a little comfort in poking his wide open beak out the door. It has been quiet over there this morning, so I think they must have been snoozing in the cool we welcomed earlier today.
Mom and Pop bluebird are busy feeding five little babies in the other bird house, so it should get interesting around here in a few days. The wrens should fledge in a few days...the bluebirds will take another couple of weeks or so I think.

Not much new today

2011-06-07T14:47:00.003-04:00

Nothing new to report it seems. This is the view of the backyard from my window near my computer. You can barely see on the left the bluebird house, and on the right the covered feeder for the other birds. The bluebird eggs should be hatching soon, if they're going to. She has been incubating them for fourteen days today, so it's time. She seemed to spend a lot of time off the eggs themselves, peering out the door, or flying off to have lunch or whatever, so I do hope they will hatch.
The wren in the little house I posted earlier(she did win out over the chickadees who tried to invade) has babies in there now and I see her coming and going to bring food to them. Wish I could see inside the house! I'll hopefully get to see them fledge if I keep watch though.

Today's Musing

2011-05-29T15:56:00.003-04:00

No photos today, but I needed to post something here, I've been so bad about keeping up with this blog. On the bird front, we have a bluebird sitting on five beautiful blue eggs now after an unusual beginning. She built one nest, but then apparently changed her mind and abandoned it, so I cleaned out the house. Papa kept guarding the house however, so eventually she returned, and before I realized it had laid five little eggs. And in the "wren house", after winning out over the chickadees, the little wren hardly ever showed up, or at least I seldom saw her. And again, she apparently laid some eggs...I have no idea how many because it's difficult to see into this little house. But she is currently also sitting on eggs and I see both her and the female bluebird peeking out the doorway occasionally to get a breath of air in this heat. We're close to 90F today and are supposed to get up to 93 or better tomorrow. Summer just couldn't wait.
Otherwise, I'm fighting an infestation of ants in my house. I battled them last year and thought I had won out, but they're back again now. I cleaned my kitchen counter and cupboards good today...at least where I keep food, and sprayed bug barrier all around everywhere I could think to spray. We have a professional man coming soon (I hope) to spray around the foundation, but I'm not sure when. If he doesn't come soon, I may have to be committed....I'm going crazy!!!!!!

New on the bird front

2011-05-07T13:41:00.003-04:00

Not a great photo, but I had to take it through the window which isn't very clean right now. This is a little old birdhouse Roy built from some scrap lumber some years ago. He hung it at the corner of the garage this year just to see if it would attract any birds. First a wren showed some interest yesterday and began carrying in tiny bits of nesting materials. She was well on her way to getting a nest built when a pair of chickadees appeared with some interest of their own in the house. Today they began going into the house, bringing out the nesting material the wren had brought in, in preparation for building a nest of their own. The wren has not given up so far. She waits patiently until the chickdee(s) leave, then brings in another beak full of materials. Roy said to just let them work it out on their own, but it's hard for me not to go out and protect the little wren's interest! I love the chickadees, but I was hoping to get to watch a wren raise a family. We'll see who wins out eventually.

Spring is here...finally

2011-04-30T10:25:00.002-04:00

It was a long time coming, but it came with a vengeance. The terrible tornado systems that devastated the midwest and then the south came through here leaving some damage, but not the horrific tolls it took elsewhere, thank goodness. We had no tornadoes in our immediate vicinity, fortunately, and in our neighborhood we only had some good rain out of it.
But my bluebirds began building a nest in the birdhouse yesterday, the hummingbirds are back at the feeder outside my window, the other summer birds are busy checking out the menu in the feeders further out, and the resident lizards are sunning themselves on the paved areas just outside the sunroom doors. Oh, and the neighborhood rabbits are loving the quickly thickening grass in the backyard, and the side yard, and possibly the front yard, too....I haven't looked out there.
Lovely to have the wildlife again, I miss them in the winter.

2011-01-10T18:28:00.002-05:00

We have had more than enough snow already this winter, as have many areas of the country. Add to that the back to back blizzards we had last winter, and you'd think I would find nothing beautiful in a coating of snow. But sometimes you are given a small gift of beauty, and that's how I felt when I saw this lonely leaf lying in the driveway as I went out to get the paper one morning recently. Nothing earth shattering, just a spent leaf from a neighbor's tree. But I was struck with the perfection of its frosting of snow that gave it one last moment of glory.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T18:47:00.003-05:00

A dear friend surprised me today with this lovely Christmas arrangement, isn't it gorgeous? I had put off getting a table arrangement so long that it was almost too late to think about doing it, when this was delivered just this morning. What a boost for my Christmas spirit!
We're having a quiet Christmas Eve, but some of the children will be here tomorrow for Christmas Day. Roy and I will just have a glass of egg nog and reminisce about previous Christmases...we've had lots of them together! Hopefully we'll have lots more.
Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!

Bluebird sighting

2010-11-19T11:58:00.004-05:00

This blog seems to have become my bird journal, so here's the latest on my backyard birdwatching.
Papa bluebird made a rare winter appearance today. I haven't seen much of him or his mate(nor any of their offspring) since the last fledging mentioned below. Once one of them made a fleeting visit to the birdbath, but nothing since until today. Papa...at least I assume it was him...came to sit on the favorite perch at the end of the deck and watched the yard for awhile before he flew away. I don't know if he tried to look into the house...Roy had covered the opening with duct tape because some house sparrows had attempted to fit it out for a winter home....and you know how I feel about house sparrows! ;o) Up to now the bluebirds have not offered to seek shelter in it during the winter, so I didn't think they would mind if we closed it up til spring.
Anyway, it was nice to see him today, I hope he visits again. I miss the blues during the winter, even though the winter birds are fun to watch, too.

Well, I went to add this to my Bluebird Journal and discovered that Papa, Mama, and a little field sparrow friend had visited the yard in early October (how could I have forgotten that?). However Papa was alone this time...maybe Mama and little friend migrated....

Awwwwww!

2010-09-12T14:08:00.003-04:00

They flew away yesterday, and I miss them! But it's nice to know that we had 12 new babies added to the bluebird population from our birdhouse this summer. These last four babies fledged on two consecutive days, Sept. 10th and 11th. Fitting that they hatched on my birtday, August 24, and fledged on our national day of mourning, Sept. 11. I was fortunate (and determined enough) to see all four of these sweeties make their first flights, and it was delightful. They flew off in several different directions, two into the trees, one over the garage, and one up on the roof top! So I'm hoping that Mom and Pop were able to gather them all together eventually....I'm sure they did.
I cleaned the house thoroughly for next season, although the parent birds kept the nest pretty clean this time. All that was left in it were remnants of a green insect of some sort and a small grasshopper or katydid that didn't appeal to the babies palates I guess. They did apparently devour the large slug that Pop wrestled on the deck railing trying either to kill it or bite it into smaller pieces to give to the babies. I watched and chuckled at him for at least five minutes during that struggle. He finally gave up and gave it to them whole and they must have liked it because there was nothing left of it in the nest!
I'm sad that they're gone, but very happy that all went off successfully! I tried to get pictures, but they just popped out too quickly for me to catch them.....must get a bird cam!

Breakfast for the Kids!

2010-08-25T10:36:00.004-04:00

Here's the photo I promised in the post below. See the tiny worm he's carrying? Both Mom and Pop are busy now, and will be busy for the next couple of weeks, feeding the little ones. Right now they seem to be carrying only small worms, or pieces thereof for the tiny little mouths they're feeding. They'll continue to feed them both worms and insects for a little while even after they fledge, but I usually don't get to see that.

Here we go again.......

2010-08-25T09:50:00.003-04:00

I hoped to have a photo to share, maybe later today. But I couldn't wait to talk about those determined little bluebirds. They did indeed complete a beautiful little nest, or rather, SHE completed a beautiful little nest. He watched while she did the building, and then laid four exquisite tiny blue eggs and sat on them for about two weeks or so. Then, glory be!, they hatched yesterday! I considered that Mother Nature's birthday gift for me, along with a relief from the heat we've been having for nearly three months now, with temperatures only in the 70s all day! It was just too cool to keep the bird house door open long enough to take a picture, but I'll try again today. Mom and Pop are busy bringing tiny worms to feed the younguns!

Lunch time!

2010-08-19T12:13:00.002-04:00

Lunch time for these little cuties lasts all day and into the evening, rain or shine. We currently having at least three red-throated hummingbirds living in the area who jockey for position at the feeder with the male usually acting as king-of-the-hill. The females outsmart him now and then however, and one of them also shows some aggression if another female tries to feed at the same time. It isn't as if there aren't portals so they could all feed at once!
I know, I know, all I seem to post lately are bird pictures. But I find them fascinating during the summer. We currently have the third pair of bluebirds nesting in the bird house, she's sitting on four beautiful little blue eggs right now. They should be hatching soon. With any luck at all for this brood we will have had a round dozen fledging from the birdhouse this summer.

Would You Believe?

2010-08-04T09:52:00.002-04:00

I can hardly believe it myself. We usually have two bluebird nestings per season in the little house in the backyard, and we've had two already this year, with a total of 8 little blues added to the population. A few days ago, another pair appeared and checked out the house for several days but I thought perhaps they were just keeping an eye on it as often happens even during the winter. But this week they've been showing up more often and staying longer, and today the female is obviously ready to lay eggs because she's in and out of the house every few minutes carrying nesting material.
I actually hoped they wouldn't do this again, given the extreme heat we're having this summer, but I guess they know what they're doing!

Another Fledging Completed!

2010-07-21T13:48:00.002-04:00

Well, our shy little bird finally got up his courage this morning. I did see him peeking out the doorway and watched for quite awhile hoping to see him fly. But the clever little guy apparently waited until I took a brief break to make coffee or something because when I went out about noon after seeing no activity around the house for several hours the nest was empty. I was sad that they were all gone, and happy that they all fledged safely. I don't know if we'll have more nesting in that house this summer. I rather hope not, since I worried so about the poor little things out there in the blazing sun during our excessive heat. We still have the rest of July and all of August and September to go before we can expect a real break.
But we had eight little additions to the bluebird population from that house this summer and that makes me feel so good! I just hope they all survive to have families of their own.

Latest from the Bird Front

2010-07-20T21:12:00.002-04:00

Today was fledging day for the bluebirds. Of the three hatchlings in the house, I saw one make his "maiden" flight this afternoon with neither parent in sight. He suddenly appeared at the door, popped himself out and flew into a neighboring tree. I could see him sitting there trying to keep his balance on the swaying branch. The unaccustomed movement kept him fluttering for several minutes. But his Papa soon found him and gave him a snack and he was able to settle down.
There is still at least one hatchling left in the nest. I think one must have fledged before I noticed, and this one simply could not make up his mind to go in spite of his parents' coaxing. He sat in the doorway for a very long time, but just couldn't get up the courage to leave. At one point during his decision making, it began to rain, and I'm sure that confused and intimidated him along with everything else. At dusk he was still inside. I don't know if he finally left or has decided to stay inside one more night!
I will open the house sometime tomorrow morning if I see no activity at the nest box. I'm sure he'll be okay, but I'm always concerned until I know they've all fledged successfully.

Okay here's this week's theme...Black and White

2010-06-14T15:24:00.004-04:00

Judy's chosen theme for this week, Black & White intimidated me a bit because I haven't made black and white pictures for many years. Of course, I could have gone an entirely different direction with this theme, but chose to try my hand at B&W photos. So here are some that I played with in my photo program. It was fun, but oh my, I do miss my color!!!!

Heirloom.......only a week late!

2010-06-14T12:44:00.003-04:00

Better late than never? I'm having some trouble finding something that will look well in black and white for this week's theme, so I'm catching up with last week's theme which was "Heirlooms". This is the only thing I really wanted from my MIL's things and I felt fortunate to get it. Well, there was a set of dishes that I would love to have had, but they very rightly went to her daughter. I did get another set of her dishes, which is nice and one of my daughters will love to inherit it eventually.
Now to go look some more for something to post in B&W!

Photo a Week, Things with Wings

2010-06-02T12:25:00.002-04:00

Only in Texas! (I can say that because I grew up there!)
This is just too funny and I couldn't resist. I just got this in an email today. It's from a group of these structures (can you guess what it is?) being exhibited in Texas and I realized it fits the theme for this week perfectly, solving my dilemma over what to post!
I am late this week, partly because of the holiday, and mostly because I'm cranky. We are without air-conditioning (our central air bit the dust last week) and the temperatures are hovering just under and just over 90 degrees for the past several days. We've been promised a fix by this afternoon and I think my husband is grateful for that. Even coming from the hot dry climate in Texas, I still cannot tolerate heat! Oh, and to add to the stress, our two electric fans which were supposed to keep me from sweltering during the night are on the blink, too! Thank goodness for ceiling fans in other parts of the house!

Photo a Week

2010-05-24T09:52:00.002-04:00

The theme for this week is "Signs" and I hope these will fit the criteria. These "signs" are on the door to my studio....poor neglected space that it is. The text on the skirt of the above figure reads: "I don't know what Inpiration is, but I hope when it comes it finds me working....Picasso"

And I think you can read the text on this one. It suits me sooooooo well right now!!
My muse had better get herself back soon, or I'm going to turn this room back into a guest room!!!!!!!

I'm ready for my close-up!

2010-05-22T16:18:00.004-04:00

In the excitement over a black snake in the yard and the accompanying cacophony of about 20 or 30 backyard birds raising a ruckus, this baby bird, who is NOT ready to fledge yet, looked like he was ready to take off anyway! I was so worried that he might jump or fall out of the nest, but after Roy dispatched the snake and everything calmed down, he finally did go back inside....to my relief. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to grab my camera before he did and get a couple of shots.
Here's the close-up:

Wanna see a hungry baby?

2010-05-22T12:16:00.004-04:00

You'll have to look closely, but if you do, you'll see a little beak wide open, waiting for Papa to come back with a juicy worm or crunchy bug! These little guys should be ready to fledge within a few more days. I hope to get a better picture of them before they do. They often spend some time peeking out the door getting accustomed to the bright light and all the activity awaiting them when they get up the strength..and the courage...to venture out.

Photo a Week My Workspace

2010-05-19T11:23:00.003-04:00

Sorry the photos are so dreary, but it was that kind of day. Here's where I work, when I work. Right now, not a lot is getting done. I have projects in the works, but little to nothing to show for them at this point. I'm beginning to feel concerned that my creative juices have dried up completely and that makes me very sad. I have a great group of supportive and very creative friends and that should motivate me, right? So far, all I seem to do is play with my paints and brushes, read encouraging books, and try to reclaim the passion for art I once had. My hope is that it's all temporary and I'll get those wheels turning again soon! Better never to have had the passion than to have it, then lose it...........
Wow, sorry to be so gloomy today! That's what looking at my neglected workspace does to me. Next post will be brighter, I promise!!!!!

Here they are!

2010-05-12T10:40:00.004-04:00

It's warmer today, and sunny, so I took the opportunity while the parent birds were away to open the nest a bit to take this photo of five little baby bluebirds! I know they just look like a furry blob, but the picture is sharp, it's the babies that are fuzzy! They really fill the nest up now. They are about twice as big as they were on Mother's Day when I first saw them. They have to grow fast to be able to fledge in a couple of weeks! Papa flew in to see that I hadn't disturbed his children not long after I came back in the house. They tolerate house-monitoring very well, but they have to make sure everything is as it should be when I leave!

I'm Late, I'm Late.....again

2010-05-11T08:07:00.002-04:00

The theme for this Monday's (I know, it's Tuesday now) Photo a Week was "Something Mum/MOM" and although I had a lovely Mum/Mom and a sweet Mother's Day myself, here was my biggest surprise on Mother's Day. The bluebird eggs hatched and we have 5 little fuzzy bodies in there now! Mum/Mom and Dad are busily searching out insects and fat little worms to feed the babies and I'm having great fun watching the activity. I hope to get a photo of the babies before they get too active, but I don't like to open the nest box when it's cold and windy. Maybe tomorrow, if it doesn't rain all day.

WIP Bluebird project

2010-05-05T10:57:00.003-04:00

Well, it's obviously not MY bluebird project, but Momma Blue's own work in progress. I saw her leave the nest on break a little while ago and took the opportunity to monitor the nest again. I actually had the presence of mind to take my camera this time and got this shot of the eggs. You can't see the fifth one very well, but it's there. They look huge here, but they're about the size of a small marble. Momma and Papa are going to be pretty busy feeding this brood if these all hatch!

Photo a Week

2010-05-03T10:23:00.003-04:00

"What's on your bedside table?" is the theme for this week, so here's mine. The angel was a housewarming gift years ago and the lamp belonged to Roy's mother. Not very exciting, I know, but there you have it!
Here's one a little more interesting, maybe. My peonies started popping out in the almost 90 degree temperature yesterday and this is what I woke up to this morning. It was raining from time to time, but the bunny didn't let that bother him, that grass is getting to just the size he likes to munch on!

Photo a Week

2010-04-20T11:08:00.003-04:00

Theme for this week is "something odd or funny" and who is funnier than ScoobyDoo?
And the fact that I have him sitting on my computer desk could be categorized as odd, considering my advanced age and the fact that I never, ever, watch ScoobyDoo!
But my dear husband came home from running errands with this for me. It was LONG after Halloween, so I'm assuming it was on a sale table somewhere. For Valentines Day he brought me two little candy boxes with a darling little teddy bear atop each one....I like those better! LOL!

But I keep ScoobyDoo on my computer table for now, so DH won't feel hurt that I didn't like his gift!

Photo a Week - Reflections

2010-04-12T09:10:00.003-04:00

Now before you think I'm dotty this morning (well you may be right about that, but that's another post....), I'm using a different take on "reflections", okay? I have been "reflecting" upon the joy we took in watching the antics last summer of a baby rabbit whose mother gave birth to him in a hole underneath one of our storage sheds and hoping we'd have a similar delight this year. Well, no baby rabbits as of yet, but yesterday evening this young fellow appeared at the back of the yard, near the old rabbit hole, and this morning he came close to the back steps as the baby last year used to do frequently. Then he hopped off around behind the deck, just as the little one did. So I am assuming that this is our baby rabbit with a year's growth on him. He's still not fully grown, but I feel certain it's the same bunny. I am so happy to see him!

And here is a new visitor...or I should say a visitor not usually seen so close to my window. I put this cute little bird bath on the deck railing a month or so ago, put some water in it and waited to see the birds coming to drink. Nothing......
So I decided to try some seed in it, and attracted only squirrels for awhile. But this fellow showed up a couple of days ago and although I don't usually like to see them in the yard I had to admire his beauty and was happy to get this shot before he flew away.

Nest building

2010-04-11T09:49:00.002-04:00

Serious building has begun. The pair have both been adding a twig or two to the nest from time to time, but until today I haven’t seen any frequent activities toward that end. This was Papa bringing a twig earlier, Momma flies in and out so quickly I can't get a photo of her. They’ve been on guard at some point during each day and have discouraged visitors from time to time. But this morning Momma has been going back and forth to the neighbor’s yard to gather pine needles for her birthing bed. She has been appearing at least a couple of times a minute with a new twig or two to add to it. The male peeks in to see her progress and if she isn’t in the house he might pop in to check more closely. But when she comes back, she goes in and chases him out. I think it must be nearing egg-laying time for her. I do hope they’ll have a successful season.

PhotoaWeek--Late Again

2010-03-31T15:09:00.002-04:00

The theme this week was "Favorite Color" and I can never choose just one. So here are some of my favorites! This is a new box of pastels that, as you can see, I've hardly used yet. I'm tempted to just keep them in this pristine condition just to look at!
I'm sorry to be so late with the photo this week, I got busy on Monday, and then came down with a serious migraine yesterday and stayed in bed almost all day. Thank goodness mine don't last more than one day as a rule, so today I'm fit again. I hope you are all having a glorious spring day as we are having in Maryland! There is one fluffy cloud floating by that looks just like a huge version of the cotton balls I keep on my vanity.

Are you ready?

2010-03-24T09:28:00.004-04:00

Our bluebird season is officially underway it seems. Some have been coming intermittently all winter, but this pair seems to have laid claim to the house and has been showing up to establish ownership everyday lately. No signs of building a nest yet, however. The chickadees, who got first dibs at it last year, were here at one point, but haven't been back again. I just shooed a nasty house sparrow off the roof who thought he'd take advantage of the bluebird's brief absence to check out the house. They're a terrible threat to the blues all summer and I do what I can to ward them off. We're hoping for at least a couple of bluebird nestings this spring and summer if all goes well.

"Feet" Theme - Phoro of the Week

2010-03-23T09:42:00.003-04:00

Awww, he was posed so nicely for his photo when he won Best of Breed at the dog show! These are Ollie's feet and he's my daughter's youngest Bedlington Terrier.

And these are the feet of "Papa", the male bluebird who is laying a claim to the birdhouse in our backyard....if he keeps a careful lookout, he and his mate might just get moved in before the chickadees come and take it over this year!

Changing Seasons Photo of the Week

2010-03-15T12:27:00.003-04:00

This should give you a picture of what the seasons are like in Maryland. Sometimes it's beautiful here, and sometimes....well, you can see what our winter gave us this year! But the autumns are usually gorgeous and this red maple is one of my favorites. I have only two tiny patches of crocus coming up so far to give me some hope for spring. This striped one is lovely I think, but so far there's only this one tiny blossom. Now I hope the coming summer will be lots milder than our winter was!!

What Am I? revealed.......

2010-03-12T09:55:00.002-05:00

Jennifer, you are SO clever! Yes, it is a letter opener and perhaps the best one I've ever owned. It's made of wood and has the sharpest edge of my small collection. The second best one I have is actually my bone folder!
This was a fun theme, Sue, thanks!

Quilt Square

2010-03-12T09:39:00.004-05:00

First, I feel like shouting this out....THERE'S NO SNOW IN MY BACKYARD! We had back to back blizzards last month with 24-30 inches of snow in all, and I just this morning noticed that after a light rain during the night, the last of it has melted out back. There's still a strip in the side yard, but it's so nice to look out my window here by the computer and NOT see snow. Roy has spent several days cutting down damaged trees and fallen limbs that succumbed to the weight of the snow and hauling all the debris to the dump. We are fervently hoping we won't get any more snow this year!

Now, I here is the quilt square I mentioned working on for Hoppa and Bruce. I was so happy to be asked to participate (well actually I think I volunteered) even though I haven't worked with fabric in a long time. It was fun to do, even though my eyesight isn't really up to doing close up work these days and I haven't invested in a magnifying lamp yet, thinking I probably wouldn't need it much now. But I wanted to do some beading on it. So I used some organza ribbons to weave the background, beaded a tiny border around the perimeter, as well as around the little heart and appliqued the heart to the square, and it was done! Nice to have accomplished something in my studio for a change!!!

First sign of spring

2010-03-11T18:48:00.005-05:00

This is one of my favorite signs of spring...the bluebird's return. This is one of the pair that has been checking the bluebird house in the backyard periodically through the winter. But in the past few days they have been coming regularly every day to monitor the house and make sure the chickadees don't get to start nesting in it before they do...as did happen last year. Today they were here off and on all morning keeping an eye on the other birds who were visiting the feeders out there, so I feel sure they'll begin to build a nest in the house soon. Doesn't Papa look beautiful in his new summer feathers?

Photo of the Week: What Am I?

2010-03-10T10:25:00.002-05:00

This should have been posted on Monday, but here it is Wednesday, and I'm just getting it done! There's no hope for me! I got sidetracked finishing a quilt square for a friend's wedding canopy, which I will try to remember to post later.
Anyway, here's my take on the What Am I theme for this week.

Now I'm going to be mean and wait to post the full photo of this item til tomorrow to see if you can tell what it is from these photos. I'll bet some of you will figure it out right away!

Monday Photo of the Week - Buttons

2010-03-02T14:35:00.003-05:00

Sue's theme for this week is buttons and most of us who sew and/or do art work of various kinds have a varied collection of buttons so this should have been an easy one, right? I immediately thought of a pair of beautiful handmade ceramic buttons my daughter gave me at Christmas time some years ago and planned to use those as this weeks photo. Well, of course I couldn't find them. I see them regularly, going through my belongings looking for this or that, but when I really wanted to use them they've stayed hidden! So from my very generous and eclectic collection I've chosen a variety that I've collected while involved in one creative activity or another.
The first is a selection of buttons I bought thinking to use them as ornaments for cloth dolls I was making. The beaded one would have made a cute little doll hat!

This is a broach someone made for my mother-in-law which she eventually passed on to me. I thought it was pretty and cleverly done, but I never wore it.

I had ideas for using this last group during a period of collage and book altering I was into for awhile. Funny and sad, too, how so many of our ideas fall by the wayside and we're left with a lot of "flotsam" to dispose of at some later time.....sigh.

Photo of the Week

2010-02-23T11:07:00.003-05:00

The theme this week was "I Made This", one of my own suggestions, and I'm not sure it was my best idea! I thought it might motivate me to get into my studio and actually make something new, or at least finish something old.....but did it?.....no....
So here, albeit a day late, is something I sculpted an age ago...well a couple of years ago, anyway. I was having so much fun working with polymer at that time along with Linda and some other online friends and I wish I had been able to continue with the sculpting. But for reasons I won't go into here (they're much too boring) I had to give that up along with some other things I loved doing. So here he is as he sits on a shelf in my studio. His dowel usually is stuck into a brass candlestick, so he enjoys a great position where he can oversee whatever I do in there (which isn't much lately).
I obviously did not make his glasses, but they suit him well I think.

Photo of the Week......Clouds

2010-02-16T15:57:00.002-05:00

I'm late getting my Photo of the Week posted because my server has had some problems during our winter storms and the aftermath, so it has been difficult to receive or send messages and/or photos. Being snowed in is bad enough, but without internet???? One does get cranky!!!!!!!
Anyway, since our skies have displayed nothing but doom and gloom for much too long now, I'm having to bend the rules(if we have rules?) and use some photos I took during the summer. I was going through a watercolor "phase" and doing some cloud practices. I love this first photo where the framework of trees appears in silhouette and the clouds and fading sunlight become the focus.
The second shot is looking down the street that passes the front of my house. After almost 17 years in this house, I'm still fascinated by having so much open sky in this location. It's a pleasure to be able to appreciate not only cloud formations, but flocks of migrating geese a few times a year, a rare eclipse or meteor shower, and even the turkey vultures that frequently soar above the neighborhood looking for an easy meal.

Hearts and Flowers-Photo of the Week

2010-02-08T11:48:00.002-05:00

Having been "treated" to a blizzard this past weekend, I took lots of snow pictures but I guess most of us are getting overloaded with those. However, this one comes very close to fitting this weeks theme. The snow that's blocking the entrance to this birdhouse on our deck railing (yes that is a birdhouse and it does not have a tall pointy roof..that's all snow) is heart shaped, don't you think? Anyway, we got 28-30 inches out of this storm and are promised up to 5 more inches later this week. I'd move south, but about mid-summer I'd be ready to move back to Maryland!

This was the photo I originally planned to post this week. My Christmas/Thanksgiving/Whatever cactus has decided it's a Valentine cactus instead! I've never had one bloom this late (or is it "early"?) before, but I appreciate it. I needed some color in my house this week!

Mulberry Tree at Sunset

2010-02-06T13:46:00.004-05:00

Here's another shot of my little(not so little anymore actually) Mulberry tree as the sun is going down on the other side of the house. I love the color!

Photo of the Week-From my Window

2010-02-01T09:52:00.002-05:00

As the sun sets on the opposite side of the house, it lends a golden glow to the trees in my backyard and especially to this graceful little Mulberry tree that I love. I don't usually care much for the Mulberries because they leaf out so late in the spring and lose their leaves so early in the fall. But this is the one I saved from destruction when the thicket back there was being cleared. It was just a twig and all bent over from the vines that had captured it, but I staked it up and demanded that it be given a chance to survive. I may have blogged about this before but some of you may have missed it. Anyway, I think it looks so pretty at this time of day. I took this on Friday of last week and we were "treated" to another snowstorm on Saturday. Below you can see some of the neighborhood birds that were happy to have something to eat during the storm. I filled up that feeder just in time!

Saturday snowstorm

2010-01-30T10:55:00.002-05:00

The photo isn't so great, but it's hard to focus through the snow falling. It just started an hour or so ago when I took this, but the birds seem to think we're going to get a lot. We always have birds at the feeders, but this morning it looks like they've called in all the uncles and cousins to tank up before the snow covers the ground. At the thistle feeder we usually get only a couple of goldfinches at a time during the winter, but this morning there are eight of them vying for a place at the feeder where there are only six perches. Take turns, guys......

EDM Challenge 4

2010-01-26T11:29:00.001-05:00

EDM Challenge 4
Originally uploaded by MaryO 2

This is a drawing I made last year of one of those mugs (below) for a challenge on my drawing list.

Monday POTW..a day late

2010-01-26T10:20:00.003-05:00

This Monday's theme was "Favorite Coffee Mug" and I had a difficult time choosing one mug among the many I've collected through the years. This is one of a set of mugs and plates I bought from a fellow potter many years ago. I love the colors and the delightful graphics she did on her pieces and have enjoyed using them frequently. Just wish I had bought more of them!

Another view of the same mug. I drink coffee from it occasionally, but I like the size for a cup of soup as well. The wide mouth makes it perfect for eating a warm creamy soup.

This is one of my current favorites for morning coffee however. I picked up a couple of these when we spent a week at the Outer Banks with my daughter and her family last year. It's a perfect size for my morning pick-me-up! When I was younger, I just couldn't stand the sight of food first thing in the morning. Then when I was about 19 or so, my mother talked me into trying a cup of coffee one morning, and I discovered that the warm coffee relaxed my stomach and I learned to really enjoy a good breakfast. Made my mother so-o-o happy!

Photo of the Week - Shadows

2010-01-18T11:09:00.002-05:00

The theme for this week's challenge was "shadows" and since yesterday was dark and gloomy, I set up this still life with a spotlight to get some pretty red shadows indoors. Not great, but not terrible, I guess.
However as I walked past my studio door this morning and saw the sunlight streaming in the window I was thrilled to see some "real" shadows! Lots better, don't you think? Thanks, Linda, for a fun challenge!

Photo of the Week

2010-01-11T11:03:00.003-05:00

Something New was the theme for this week and these were two of my Christmas gifts. Red Shoes from my daughter and her family, warm lightweight wool scarf from my son and his family. Both of which I am thrilled with! I've developed an obsession with red shoes lately and these are the brightest red shoes I've ever had, I love them! Won't they look great for spring?
I thought the scarf was lovely and decorative, but I had no idea how warm it would be. Our heat pump is having a difficult time keeping our house warm during this extreme weather we're having so I wore this scarf under a heavy sweater all day long yesterday and was warm as toast!

Now this is one of my frequent backyard visitors. On these cold snowy mornings he brings his whole family to breakfast on the birdseed I scatter. I've put up squirrel baffles so they can't get to the feeders, but I scatter plenty on the ground for the squirrels and the birds who ground feed. I love watching them vie for spaces at the "table".

Phtoto of the Week 2010!

2010-01-04T09:56:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday dear husband! Today is his actual birthday, but we had his party on Saturday so all the children (well Deni and Dennis have been sick and were not well enough to come this time) and grandchildren could be here for it. We had a great party, had the food sent over from one of my favorite restaurants so this old lady wouldn't have to do the cooking for this one. The children collaborated on a parody of the Sponge Bob theme for him:

G is for grandpa - he's the greatest
R is for republican
A is for anywhere and anytime at all - I'll go pet my pelican
N is for nectar or maybe it's motor oil
D is for dare you to drink it
P is for plenty of bottles in the basement that we hope will never spoil
A is for amazing - yes he's amazing and he's the birthday boy - he is our Grandpa, he is our father and he's your husband Roy!!!

Now I don't think I've ever heard the Sponge Bob theme so I was totally in the dark about singing this and you may be too, but take my word for it, everyone else at the party knew it and Grandpa got a huge kick out of having it sung for him!
The kids all went together and arranged two hours of flight time for him at one of the local airports. Roy used to fly small airplanes but had to give it up a few years ago, so he's looking forward to going up again....but as co-pilot this time!
We're all looking forward to celebrating his 90th with him!!!! Happy Birthday, Dear!

Birthday Cake

2010-01-01T15:05:00.002-05:00

Next week, my husband will be celebrating his 80th birthday and the children and grandchildren will mostly all be here to join the party this weekend. Fortunately a new bakery just opened up not too far from us so I was able to order a special cake for him. The bottom two layers are white cake and the top two are Grand Marnier layers....yum!....and it's all frosted with chocolate ganache. I would have chosen white lettering, but forgot to mention it on my order, so we got red instead. But that's sort of festive anyway, don't you think?

Is it winter yet?

2009-12-19T21:56:00.003-05:00

This is the view out my breakfast room window after last night's snow. It's 10:00 pm here now and it has been snowing all day and the predictions say it will continue through the night. We have about two feet on the ground now and it's still coming down! That's about enough for me now!

On a happier note, here's the smaller tree we put up this year. Most of the children will be coming for New Year's instead of Christmas this year, so I'm not putting the big tree up in the living room. This one sits in the corner of the family room in front of one of the bookcases where I can see it from the kitchen and the computer as well! I still have gifts to wrap, but at least I got started!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-07T18:41:00.003-05:00

Okay, I hope I get this right without having the photos in front of me. In the top photo from left to right: Kenny, Rob, Ken, Lisa, Dennis, Deni
And in the second photo: Gillian, Alex Devon, Vicki, (Kenny's chair), and Rob
We had a lovely dinner and a wonderful visit with all the children and grandchildren. I'm glad they all still seem to enjoy coming for these gatherings.
Oh, Roy and I had places at the end of the table nearest the camera, of course!

Photos of the week

2009-11-09T13:20:00.005-05:00

Early evening visitors this weekend. I didn't see a deer in our yard all last fall and winter and I was so disappointed. They came often enough in the spring to eat my hosta, but not when I could spy them. So I was especially pleased to look out the window the other day and see three does sauntering through the trees into my backyard. I couldn'tgrab my camera in time to get all three in the picture, but got a good shot of two, anyway. (Now that I look carefully at this photo, that larger one may just be a young buck, you think?)

This is my sweet little red maple tree out back. My son and daughter-in-law had a mature tree in their front yard when they lived close by, and it died not long before they moved away. Fortunately, Vicki had thought to sprout some of the seeds that feel from it, however, and gave me two young seedlings. This is the one that survived and I love it! It's just about 7 or 8 feet tall now.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:36:00.003-05:00

This is what my daughter brought me for Halloween!!!
Well, actually she brought her Bedlington dogs (like the one carved into the pumpkin)for weekend agility trials at a nearby farm and this is part of her decorations for her tent out there. She won a prize for this decoration, by the way. LOL! I'm SO glad the rats are fake, but they are almost too real looking for me.

Weekend in Virginia

2009-10-27T11:10:00.005-04:00

We just spent a lovely weekend with my son, Rob, and his family in Virginia. This is their lovely mountain "cottage". We just went up to see it this time, we didn't stay overnight. And lucky me, I got car sick on the way down the curving mountain roads. Thought I had grown out of that eons ago! But we had a good time, and got to see and hear my grandson play with his marching band during a highschool band competition. That's him on the deck, with my husband Roy and Rob chatting in the driveway.

Bluebird visitors

2009-10-20T10:26:00.002-04:00

No new photo this time, but an update on our bluebird population. For three days straight, we have had bluebirds checking the house in the yard. We’ve had a pair visiting on occasion since the summer, but this time there were three male birds here to look it over, one of which looked to have some white feathers on the back of his neck….an older male perhaps? At any rate, they were here Sunday morning for 15 or 20 minutes. Then on Monday, three more came, the same three perhaps, I don’t know. Then a female joined them, and she eventually went inside the house. Later a male also went inside. This group stayed around for 20 minutes or more before flying away.
This morning, a male and a female were visiting. The male went inside for a few minutes but the female just peeked in at the door. They stayed around for 15 minutes or so, then they both came and looked over the birdhouse on the deck railing before flying away again. It would be interesting to know if these birds are all wintering over here, or if maybe the group of males that came were just migrating through the area.

Photo of the Week

2009-10-12T11:14:00.005-04:00

Toadstools are in abundance in our yard and the neighboring yard as well this year. These are some of the more interesting ones I found that hadn't been nibbled on by the squirrels or whomever.

Old Doll, New Class

2009-09-29T22:42:00.004-04:00

I made this doll from an online class a couple of years ago with Jacque Uetz and she is one of my all time favorites. I had always been very conservative with embellishments but through Jacque's encouragement I had great fun piling it on this one and I love her! Jacque is offering the class (called "Sarana") again at Jean Bernard's website here:
http://www.jeanbernardart.com/Onlineclasses.html
(I've forgotten how to make this a clickable link, sorry)
If you'd like a fun project for the fall I strongly recommend this class. She's easy to make and too much fun!

Photo of the Week--on TIME!

2009-09-14T08:59:00.003-04:00

Something a little different this week! This is my first daughter running an agility course with her "star" dog Rudy. He's a Bedlington terrier and considers these events the best fun he's ever had. He runs through them so fast she has a hard time keeping up with him.

Oops! Photo of the Week

2009-09-01T12:25:00.003-04:00

Sorry this isn't a great photo, but I took it in the early morning before the light was good enough in the backyard. This tiny little hummingbird is on sentry duty, guarding the feeder I keep outside my window. There are four hummers who vie for places at the feeder all day long. They almost never feed together and someone is always on guard to chase away any of his relatives who dare try to get a sip. They are constantly dive-bombing each other all day. I worried about them, but then I realized that this may be good training for them to be on constant alert to predators. They never harm each other, thank goodness, but they're so tiny, they'd be easy prey for other birds if they weren't so alert and quick.

Journal Page Purple Hollyhock (2)

2009-08-20T16:09:00.001-04:00

Journal Page Purple Hollyhock (2)
Originally uploaded by MaryO 2

I had some more photos of the hollyhocks we used to have in the garden and couldn't resist drawing this beauty. I should do them on better paper, they look pretty washed out in this journal.
6x9" on handmade paper. Watercolor pencils and sepia ink.

Drawing again

2009-08-18T13:42:00.002-04:00

I had been working on a couple of watercolor paintings recently, but they weren't going so well, so I've put them aside for now. I decided to simplify my efforts and just do some quick sketches for awhile to loosen up. These are a couple that I did this past week on some very "thirsty" handmade paper that encourages me to be less intense and wield my brush v-e-r-y quickly! These are about 6x9" in a journal I love but haven't used much because of the paper.

Are we in Kansas???

2009-08-03T22:02:00.002-04:00

Has anybody seen Toto????
This was the aftermath of a storm that roared through our area Friday afternoon. We had 50 or 60 mph winds, but were luckier than some places west of us who had stronger ones with lots more damage. Roy will take his time clearing up these trees and give the larger logs to our neighbor who has a wood burning fireplace. I hate losing trees, but felt fortunate that nothing fell on the house!

Blubird Update July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T22:33:00.002-04:00

This is my latest entry in my bluebird journal. Sad to say I don't keep it up as much as I should. There were so many sweet and sometimes poignant events in this nesting that will be forgotten as time goes by.
I've promised myself to do better with subsequent nestings...........

July 16, 2009

"I’ve been very bad about recording the nesting, but the pair of birds who has been watching the house all this time did indeed build a nest. She laid only three eggs this time and they hatched on July 4 or thereabouts. Could have been a couple of days earlier. I noticed at one point a third bird had joined them in the yard and a close-up check with binoculars identified it as an adolescent which I later recognized as a young female, probably from the first nesting of the parent pair. She spent a great deal of time in the yard foraging for food and learning to annoy other birds who got in her way. She was fun to watch in her daily rummaging around the yard. She also spent a lot of time peering into the bird house where Mama was sitting on eggs. Later when the little ones hatched, she spent some time bringing some of her juicy morsels to share with her new siblings.
Unfortunately, we did not get to witness the fledging of this group, which occurred just last night or this morning. I didn’t see any blues in the yard all morning and we were away for 3 or 4 hours this afternoon. I noticed Mama on one of her favorite perches (the top bar that holds the thistle feeder) later this afternoon. She did go over to peer into the nest box, but mostly just sat and looked around the yard. Not until she had been gone for awhile did we dare go open, very gingerly, the side door of the box. The nest was quite empty with only two small fecal sacs in the bottom. We’ve cleaned out the box, so it will be ready if they decide to nest again.
Mama was beginning to look very haggard, however, and I’m wondering if maybe she’s an older bird who won’t be nesting again. I’m not really knowledgeable enough to know about these things."

Photo of the Week - Early

2009-07-05T21:46:00.003-04:00

Posting this a little early, in case I forget to do it when I get busy tomorrow doing dreaded household chores, etc.
The deer did not find the hosta alongside the house so they had a chance to bloom and I've added one blossom to the bud stem I drew before. I'll include this little sketch in the journal I've begun to save mementos of "Grandma's House" for my children and grands. Hopefully it will remind them of the happy times we've spent here.

An apology

2009-07-04T10:44:00.003-04:00

The little adolescent bluebird deserves a second photo on this blog and an abject apology from me. Contrary to my initial opinion of her, she, and it seems obvious now that it's a female, was not "annoying mama" as I thought, but learning what the birthing process was all about so she could help with the nestlings when they hatched. And that is what she is doing with great enthusiasm now. I watched her search diligently in the yard this morning for a worm and she came up with one, or a part of one, about 2" long. She chewed and chewed on it for several minutes (she IS still a youngster) until she got it down to less than half, then popped into the house and fed it to the babies. I was sooooo proud of her! Mama and Papa are feeding these three little ones now, too, and if those babies are eating everything that's brought to them, they'll be ready to fly in no time!
I did read in my bird book that a pair of bluebirds would sometimes allow a fledgling from one brood to tag along and help with the second one....and in looking up my records from 1994 I see that during our first nesting of these birds in our yard, that pair did the same thing. I just didn't know at the time that it was a young one from an earlier hatching.

Photo of the week

2009-06-22T08:02:00.003-04:00

I'm taking an online watercolor pencil workshop with Cathy Johnson and this is a drawing of a hosta bud from my side yard for that class. I've left room for a flower from the plant when it opens....if the deer don't eat them all. I noticed yesterday that those critters had eaten almost ALL the buds off the hostas that line my front walk and left their footprints in evidence. I hope they don't find these in the side yard.

This is my trumpet flower I just realized had begun to bloom. They're pretty and grow wild here along the roadsides, but Roy planted some next to a trellis out back to attract the hummingbirds.

Finally, here's that little bluebird adolescent rascal that has joined my nesting pair in the backyard. Apparently this one is from their first nesting of the season and I think you can see the spotting on his/her shoulders and breast. He/she comes almost everyday and has taken to annoying Mama while she's sitting on her eggs, and gets summarily chased away by an angry Mama!

Award from Michelle

2009-06-20T15:10:00.003-04:00

I've just received this lovely award from Michelle, thank you, dear girl! My list of seven things I can't live without....or that I wouldn't like to live without... are as follows:
1. My husband of many years
2. My children and grandchildren
3. My friends
4. Good health
5. A peaceful home life
6. Living in the US
7. And finally, a creative spirit
I should describe these as things I am completely and honestly grateful for.

I'll work on the list of people to forward this award to.....more later.
Thanks again, Michelle

Photo of the Week

2009-06-15T09:23:00.003-04:00

I've wanted a hibiscus for years, but somehow never thought to get one. This one caught my eye at the garden center when I went to get plants for my deck pots and I just couldn't resist. It will reside on the deck for the summer so I can see it up close for awhile. I love these things.
And then, as you can see below, the bluebirds held their ground after the chickadees left and finally were able to start building their own nest in "their" house. There is a great supply of dry pine needles in my neighbors yard and it was fun to watch the female work her little tail feathers off carting great beakfuls of needles into the tiny portal for days on end. She built a beautiful nest while her beau sat on the perch and watched, lazy critter. Now she seems to be depositing eggs each day, but not until he comes and checks out the yard and the nest to see if it's safe for her. I guess he's good for something!
They seem to have brought along an adolescent fledgling from an earlier brood. This little guy (he's actually as big as the adults now) still has the baby speckles on his breast and he sticks very close to one or the other of his parents while he's here. He's feeding himself, however, and should be going off on his own soon. I haven't been able to get a good photo of him/her yet.

They Grow up Too Fast

2009-06-08T14:25:00.002-04:00

Another of my lovely granddaughters has become a beautiful young lady, and is graduating from high school this month. Here, as you can see, she is properly dressed and coiffed for her senior prom...just beautiful!
There aren't words to describe what pleasure these grandchildren bring to me. From babyhood to young adults, I've been overwhelmingly proud of them, every step of the way. We're all hoping that this graduation doesn't suffer the downpour that her sister's did, drenching all the graduates, the band, and the faculty as well, not to mention the spectators! But I wouldn't have missed it for the world......

Last Chickadee Post

2009-05-29T10:12:00.003-04:00

Great News!
I saw a bluebird checking out the birdhouse this morning and decided it was time we opened the box to see if the chickadees were finished with it. We were so afraid we'd find little bodies in there because we had only seen one fledge and the parents had apparently abandoned the house. But praise be, we found only their beautiful little nest, completely empty! So we apparently just missed seeing the others, probably three more, fledge. We felt very lucky to have seen the one, since in the last year's nesting we missed the chickadee fledging altogether. The nest as you see it below is about 5-6 inches wide and I would say about 4 inches high. I love the way they put the cavity for the eggs over to one side to give the little ones plenty of room to rest when they hatched. Oh, they had six eggs when they started, and one died when the sparrows attacked. I'm not sure what happened to the other one. But I am THRILLED that the rest fledged safely!

Birds!!!!

2009-05-27T11:23:00.001-04:00

Woohoooooooo! We have had one fledging this morning. A small head appeared at the door of the chickadee house (nee bluebird house), without any coaxing, I might add. He looked out for a few minutes, giving me just enough time to call Roy from his office to come and watch, and then flew out and over to the deck railing where he was joined by a proud parent. Then he flew off into a tree behind the house and we haven't seen him since, but I'm sure he has a watchful parent by his side. I grabbed my camera but he flew away before I could get a shot.
No siblings have appeared yet, but one parent has flown in and out of the nest a few times, so they're either still being fed and not ready to fledge yet or something worse. My concern is that the others might have sustained injuries from being dragged out of the nest by those marauding sparrows. Dang!!! We'll just have to wait and see. Guess who'll be glued to the window the rest of the day?

Photot of the Week

2009-05-25T14:56:00.003-04:00

I'm enjoying the emergence of color in my yard after such a dreary winter and early spring. The bouquet below is an example of the abundance of peonies blooming now. I didn't stake the plants in time this year so I'm having to cut blooms as they begin to open and bring them in. I probably enjoy them even more in the house than I do on the plants!
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My large weigela puts on a spectacular show every year. I can't wait for my red one to get this showy!

And finally I just happened to be out near my neighbors large pine trees and noticed these baby cones. Aren't they sweet?

Chickadee Update

2009-05-20T08:03:00.003-04:00

So far things look better in the bird world this morning. I was up at 6:00am to stand watch in case the sparrows weren't deterred by my efforts yesterday, but I've only seen Mama and Papa bringing food to the little ones today. Of course it's only 8:00 now and things could get worse later on. My hope is that the sparrows have begun to build their nest elsewhere and won't bother the chickadees again. I'll keep watch one more day, in any case, maybe more if today gets as bad as yesterday.

NOT a Good Day!

2009-05-19T10:37:00.001-04:00

War has been waged and I am just about as angry as I can be. We got up about 8:00 this morning and when I looked out I knew something was going on at the chickadee house. I thought it was perhaps fledging day because the parent birds were in and out of the house and down on the ground and on the perch and in the tree. But in awhile they flew up into the tree and didn't come back for awhile, so I went ahead and poured my coffee and had breakfast.
When I came back to check on them I saw house sparrows carrying nesting material into the house!!!!! So I went out to drive them away and almost stepped on a baby chickadee right outside my back door! I knew immediately what had happened and went out to yank the nesting material that was hanging out the portal of the house and check to see what the sparrows had done. Fortunately I was watching where I walked because there on the ground below the bird house were two more babies! Damned sparrows! I picked up the two from the ground and put them back in the house, and Roy came along with the one from the deck which was also still alive. I was afraid the parents would abandon them after we had handled them, but thank goodness now I see them bringing food to them again. Oh, and when we opened the house after we put the babies back in, Roy said he saw a fourth. I found another one farther away from the nest on the ground but it was dead. I'm sure there were six eggs to begin with so there may be another one lying dead in the yard, I'm not sure.
I tell you, there is no terrorist of the bird world like these damned sparrows! If there had been bluebirds in the house, the parent birds would have been feisty enough to fight them off maybe, but the chickadees are just too small.
Well, I'm having to keep one eye on the bird house while I'm writing this because the invaders keep trying to get back in the house. I just hope the remaining babies survive all this. Forgive my expletives, but I'm just too upset to worry about it.

Photo(s) of the Week

2009-05-18T22:17:00.004-04:00

I have NO idea why I can't get this photo to upload in the proper orientation! Anyway, this is Papa Chickadee bringing a morsel to his brood of six in the bluebird house, where he and Mama have installed themselves. Sorry you have to lie down to see it properly!
My peonies are beginning to bloom. Here are the first ones. I love to see some color in the yard after such a dreary winter and early spring!

Photo of the Week

2009-05-11T08:53:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted and I have few excuses. We were away for a week visiting my husband's hometown and environs in Tennessee...and I spent another week recovering from the trip. I feel my days for long road trips are over!
But now we're back to normal and I had a lovely Mothers' Day. Although it was a very quiet day with just the two of us, I did get wonderful flowers from two of my children (the third one will visit soon, and she did call and chat) as well as my husband. Pictures below.....

Photo of the Week on time!!!!

2009-04-20T08:33:00.003-04:00

My Japanese cherry trees bloom a few weeks later than those in Washington, but they're just as beautiful I think! This one blooms just a few days earlier than the one next to it. We planted them too close together, not realizing how big they would get until it was too late to dig them up. They don't really seem to mind, however, and they're both lovely every year.

Photo of the Week, late again

2009-04-14T09:59:00.003-04:00

My daughter has a new baby! Her children are all short and hairy and look like little lambs. She has four (or is it five now?) and this is the newest addition, four month old Ollie. She trains them for earth dog and agility events. She co-owns most of them with her breeder-friend, but keeps these at her house to train and care for in her home. I just met this little sweetie last weekend and I love him! He snuggles, but he doesn't lick you all over like lots of dogs do.

Photo of the Week

2009-03-30T11:03:00.004-04:00

Spring is making a valiant effort to arrive in Maryland, although my yard does not give much evidence of it yet. There are still vast patches of apparently dead grass that didn't survive the winter drought conditions. The forsythia is struggling to pop out some blossoms, but they're very sparse this year. Maybe I'm expecting too much too soon? We'll see.
But here's what has come forth so far.

However, one faithful houseplant has given me hope for brighter things to come. My poor sweet little orchid has favored me with several buds and a couple of beautiful blooms already. I really MUST have the poor thing re-potted soon.

Photo of the Week..late

2009-03-24T10:47:00.002-04:00

I was so happy to see these pots of pansies at the supermarket this week! I do wish they wouldn't put stickers on the front of the pot that are impossible to remove completely. But I'll probably transplant the flowers to the yard later on anyway. But aren't the colors incredible?

Photo of the Week

2009-03-16T21:11:00.003-04:00

They're ba-a-a-a-ck!!! The bluebirds (I assume it's the pair who nested here last year) have been in the area all winter and have come to check the house each week. Maybe everyday, but I don't see them that often. Today, however, they came early and stayed for at least two hours, exploring the house, measuring for curtains and rugs, etc., and defending against intruders. The usual baddies include house sparrows, mockingbirds, and territorial robins. Squirrels have begun exploring our deck each day, and the bluebirds very deftly informed one of them that their favorite perch on the far end of the deck is private property. It's fun to watch not only the male but the very feisty little female fend off any creature who attempts a takeover. They had a terrible time last year with a determined robin, but they won out in the end and fledged four little blues in the house.
So, here is Papa Blue. I don't know if he's really that rotund, or if he's just fluffed up to keep warm during the cooler temperatures. He's never that round in the summer, but isn't he a cutie?

Sisterhood

2009-03-14T19:35:00.003-04:00

Here are the rules for the Sisterhood Award from Sherry
1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Nominate 10 or more others to receive the award
3. Be sure to link to your nominees in your post.
4. Let them know they've received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you've received the award.
I am nominating 5 lovely women now and hope to complete the list later:

http://thewindowtomylife.blogspot.com
http://sewingwithmoonbeams.blogspot.com
http://leapingcalf.blogspot.com
http://karenkbecker.blogspot.com
http://loloschild.blogspot.com