Weird Object Friday

OK, maybe my WOF isn't really that weird or unique but it's driving me crazy. For weeks now it's been raining these helicopter seed pods all over the yard... You name it, there are seed pods in it, around it or under it. What is weird to me is that our huge maple trees only do this about once every 3 years. And wouldn't you know that this was one of the years. And it had to be a year when we are trying to make everything look perfect for Caleb's graduation open house in a week. There are billions and billions of them.
Ty helped mow the lawn this afternoon and he hooked up the bagger so we could try to suck them up out of the lawn. It worked pretty good but it is just impossible to get them all.

Baby Bluebirds

We've been watching for weeks as the Momma and Daddy Bluebird tend to the nest. We've patiently been waiting to see babies peaking out the nest box. But we got impatient a few days ago. I positioned myself just so with the camera ready. Dad quickly opened the box and I got a couple of shots. Aren't they just the cutest!!! From what the picture shows there are 3, unless another one is hiding behind them. The one in the front is even starting to sprout blue feathers. I can't wait to soon see them at the mealworm feeder with their parents.

On another note... I have a Robin nesting on my back porch. I would rather have had her nest in the beautiful robin nesting boxes that we made but she decided she liked the over hang of the porch better. But just the same I am excited she is there. Last night I reached my hand up into the nest and there were 2 eggs. This afternoon I felt in there again and now there are 3 eggs. More to follow on the robin family.....

Last day of high school...

This was Caleb 13 years ago on his very first day of kindergarten. There were a few tears that morning. Not by Caleb but my his Momma.
This is Caleb this morning. It is his very last day of high school. There are tears again this morning. And yes, it's by his Momma again. Love you Caleb!! We are so proud of you.

I am listening

God was talking to me Sunday. He talks to me everyday but some days I hear him more than others. And that is my own fault. I am guilty of not always taking the time to listen.

I woke up to my usual routine. Around 6:00 I went out to "do" the birds. Doing the birds consists of feeding them, putting out fresh water, etc. It's one of my favorite parts of the day.... listening to and watching the birds start their day.

And if I have time I grab the most comfortable lawn chair I can find along with my camera and my binoculars and kick back to enjoy the sights. It was a good "birding" morning. I saw two new species that I had never seen before. A catbird and a common flicker.
Soon it was time to head to church. I still had my birds on my mind.

The scripture reading Sunday was Matthew 6:24-34 I always read the scripture text before we get to that part in the service so I can be thinking about it and prepare myself.
6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes?

6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are?

6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 6:28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

6:30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 6:31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

6:32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you are need them.
6:33-34 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This is how I feel when I am out with my birds. God is talking to me and I am listening....

Happy Memorial Day

Craig and I ran into town and watched the kids in the Memorial Day Parade. You couldn't have asked for a better day. It was only about 15 minutes long but very enjoyable.
Drum Major Jordan.Caleb on the Mr. and Miss Hartford float (Caleb far left).

Zoe the Protector

"What do you mean I have to get away from the bird garden?"
"I'm protecting it from the squirrels!!"

Annual Plant Swap

Today was one of my favorite things. It was my Mother's annual plant swap. This is where all her gardening friends get together and bring perennials to swap and share with each other. People bring cars and truck loads full of plants that they have abundance of to share. My whole yard is full of wonderful plants that I have gotten through the years at the swap.
Mom started this about 5 years ago and it continues to grow. It's great fun to see what new plants are going to be there and to talk to all the other gardeners.

Today I came home with 4 hostas, 3 forsythia bushes, a honeysuckle vine, 3 ferns, a dark maple tree sapling, and ornamental grasses. I love it.....
As soon as I got home I planted my hostas and ferns in my new bird sanctuary garden. Last time I posted a photo of my new bird garden I didn't have any plants in it yet. Slowly but surely it is starting to look better. Mom had already given me a bunch of hostas a few weeks ago. And I have tall ornamental grass planted all along the back.

If you are looking for me you usually can find me in a chair with the binoculars out by my bird garden. Tonight I enjoyed watching a towhee hop around.

W.O.F.

Some of my blogging friends have been showing their hens and chicks this last week. Which reminded me of my hens and chicks planter. I decided to showcase it for weird object Friday. I've had this for about 6 years and somehow it keeps growing. I do think this year that I need to give it some new soil. She is made of pieces of metal welded together.

Happy happy Friday Everyone!!!

A man, his beer and his dog

Craig made a fire tonight and asked if anyone wanted to come and sit outside with him. He didn't get any takers. Tonight was the final "American Idol" and the rest of us were all glued to the TV. But I did peak outside at one point and this is what I saw. A man, his beer and his dog. I couldn't resist grabbing the camera. I love this photo. Both Craig and Zoe have the exact same look on their face.
Craig was enjoying Zoe's company as much as he would have any human.

Zoe only got a taste.

The masked bandits

I know most people have issues with squirrels when it comes to feeding the birds. I have learned to live with the squirrels. They basically are leaving my hanging feeders alone but feast on my ground feeders. I only see them a few times a day. Sometimes I shoo them away but for the most part I have decided that they are harmless. And they certainly don't seem to be bothering the birds. They eat side by side.

Anyway, I have a bigger issue. Raccoons!! At least I'm blaming it on raccoons. They are tearing up my bird feeders. It all started some weeks ago when I discovered my hanging feeders tipped over and all the seed on the ground in the morning. OK, now I put my seed feeders into the shed about 9:00 PM and put them back out at 6:00 AM.

This morning was the worst yet.... First off I looked out the window and one of my sugar feeders is on the ground and the others are empty with muddy paw prints all over them. My suet feeders are riped off and I find them way out back by the woods. My gourd bird house is on the ground all muddy too. I had a small wheel barrel that I had cleaned up spilled seed and empty sunflower shells that I hadn't disposed of yet. It looked like someone put a bomb in it... all over the lawn.

So now what do I do? Put away every single suet, seed and sugar water feeder every night? I guess so if I don't want to pull my hair out every morning.

It's a good thing that I enjoy going out and "doing the birds" in the morning.

Painting the House

We are in the process of painting the exterior of the house. Our goal is to have it all done by Caleb's graduation open house on June 7th. I was feeling overwhelmed last week but we had a very productive weekend and I'm feeling good about it again. I would say that we are 2/3 of the way done.
I'm grateful that Craig does the high stuff up on the ladder.

During breaks I go and visit with my birds for a bit.

And the Orioles are here to stay!! At least they have been for over 3 weeks now. We see the male and female many times each day. I have even gotten to know their calls. When I hear them I go running to the back door and they are always there to give me a spectacular show. I talked to the lady at the "Wild Birds Unlimited" store and I told her about my Orioles. She said that if we have tall mature oak or maple trees that they are probably nesting in our trees. We have huge maple trees in our yard so I suspect she is right. I put oranges out for them every day too. But they have to share the oranges with the Red Bellied Woodpeckers. They love them too.

Jordan's track season....

Jordan is in her final week of track season. It was a slow start for her. But things have turned around for her and she is pleased with the outcome.
Yesterday was regional championships. Although she did not quality for the finals she did receive a PR (personal record) for her 100 hurdles.

It used to make me so nervous watching her jump the hurdles. Now I love it!!

I can always tell if she feels good about the run. She either has a smile on her face (like in this photo) or she is doesn't.

Fun with the Blue Birds

Things are going really well with Josh and Ty staying with us. Both of the boys have been a pleasure to have around. One thing that Ty and I have in common is our love for photography. Last night Ty and I were bored so we decided to drive over to my parents house for some photo ops. The Blue Birds did not disappointment us. My Dad actually has the Blue Birds trained. It is his goal to have them eating out of his hands by the end of summer. I believe he will. He made this bell and every time he goes out with meal worms he rings the bell. Mr. and Mrs. Blue Bird immediately come flying to the feeder for the worms. They let us stand within 10 feet of them. This is the meal worm feeder that my Dad made them. He constructed it so other birds wouldn't steal their worms. Both the Momma and the Daddy bird get worms out of the feeder (see the worms hanging from their beaks) and then they fly over to the nesting box and take the worms into the box for the babies. Ty and I thought we could hear the baby birds chirping away. I suspect soon we will see little heads peaking out the opening.

My Dad is so proud of his Blue Birds. He told me that he's paying about $7 a week for meal worms. It's worth every penny.

Here is Momma Blue Bird. She's so sweet.

This photo is compliments of Ty.