I Ran Away from Home

Sooner rather than later this year, I fled the heat of Texas and headed out to Idaho.  It was 95 the day I left and a balmy 60 when I arrived in Idaho.  Of course since I left, we have had the coolest May we have had in Texas in several years.  No matter...  Here are some of the daily views from my little homestead in Idaho.

 

A nest built over the back porch light  

 

Eggs laid May 2nd or thereabouts

 

Mama sitting

 

 

Birds hatched 14th or 15th, babies at 5 days old

 

 

 

We've had other wildlife in the garden too.

 

Several quail, they move pretty fast, so hard to get good photo.  The color is a bit off in this one, they are more greyish, don't know where the blue came from.

 

Ducks were pretty cute at first, but have become a bit of a nuisance, since they won't stay out of the pond, and it is a small pond.  They are also leaving droppings as ducks will do.  If they build a nest and then won't let me sit out by my own pond, I might not like that.

 

 

This post has gotten too long to show any of the beautiful flowers I have here, may do that in another post.  I have a bit of a challenge working on this little tablet hubby left behind for me to use.

 

Birdie Update

Before we left to go to Dallas a few days ago, Hubby peeked into the nest and one of the three eggs was missing. Don't know if a predator got it or what happened. There seemed no evidence of a broken egg, and the nest didn't seem messed up. I don't know if birds move their eggs from one nest to another. Anyhow, the missing one was the one I had thought looked a little deformed. I have no idea. When we got home last night the two eggs were still there. It has been 15 days since she layed those two, so I think we should be hearing "cheep cheep" any moment now. We decided not to try and wheel the entire vine away from the door. I guess we will be taking our chances with getting pecked on the head. I do hope we will get a peek at the babies and maybe get a photo of them.

Captured: By Mother Nature

There's a bird by my window. Soon there will be more. I've been trying to figure out how to tell this story in as few words and pictures as possible. For about a week before Memorial Day week-end, I'd been noticing a little more bird noise when I'd leave the house or come back in. We have a large pot with a trellis and vines in it right by the front door. A lot of mornings, one or both of us will sit out there and have our first cup of coffee. There had been a mockingbird hovering around the vine, and I'd seen him fly off with a twig in his mouth several times. I had told Hub that somewhere he was building a nest. Well, it took me about a week to realize he was not taking materials from there, but delivering them TO there. When I turned the pot, I discovered a NEST, right at the back of the trellis. So, Hub and I had this discussion about "should we move the nest, get rid of it, etc." We've been through this nest above door thing before. One year we couldn't even go out our back door the entire summer without getting attacked, because there were baby birds up above the porch light.

I got online and started doing research about birds and nests, etc. I've loved watching the birds for years, but really hadn't read a lot about their habits. So anyhow, it seems in most species, Papa bird builds several nests and Mama chooses the one that meets with her approval. For some reasons, she chose this one. Does not seem like a wise choice, since it is only about 6 feet off the ground, but what do I know. So I thought about it for a day or two..maybe she could just choose another nest. Then around Memorial Day, Hub comes in and says, OOPS...too late. There was an egg in the nest. The next day there were two, then there were three. The 3rd one looks a bit deformed, I told Hub that it's probably from "stress" on Mama.

So now we have a family in a high traffic area that will soon be attacking us or anyone who comes to the front door. The UPS guy and the FEDEX gal have already gotten a talking to by Mama Bird, and the eggs haven't hatched. She gets interrupted a lot, flys off to watch from a nearby tree, then comes right back.

I watched through the window and the screen for several days, but decided I wanted a better view, so I removed the screen, washed the window and now I have taken most of the photos from inside the house. I had to fix a small area so she wouldn't see my reflection or the camera. Hubby and I check out the peep-hole every night before we go to bed, and every morning. Can't sit on the front porch for now, but enjoying watching thru the window. We can go in and out through the garage and she stays put but sometimes the car door slamming will scare her off.

I'm wondering if we should wheel the entire pot down to the end of the porch. She'd have more privacy and maybe the comings and goings wouldn't scare her off so much. I'd love to see the baby birds and watch while they fly, but I don't want to get pecked on the head in order to do it.

For now, here is the story in photos. They are clickable to enlarge.


Vine by the front door.


Bird with building materials



Through the window screen


Bird at fountain


First notice of nest.


Mama just before she flew.


Sitting on the eggs.


Beautiful eggs. Notice the piece of blue string along the side of nest?


Screeching at the gardener.

My Favorite Color Day

It's a grey Saturday, a bit between mist and light rain. 65 degrees. Had an early morning appt. with the furnace/air conditoner man, just to make sure the system is working. Our weather this time of year is use the heater one day, the A/C the next. A lot of people complain about grey days, but I rather like them. Hubby was out of town all week, and I have still been sorting and re-organizing. This a.m. we went out for breakfast and a few errands, then he headed for the golf course. I have the rest of the day to play, create, or continue organizing. Or a little of each. We'll meet back up later for dinner and a movie. I think it's a fine way to spend a Saturday.

Look at my Crape Myrtle, known as the Lilac of the South. In February we are advised to trim them back, since they only bloom on new growth. Some folks do, some don't. I like the way Hubby trimmed this one. There was a little nest that he didn't want to disturb, so he didn't trim those two branches. I always thought most birds didn't return to re-use a nest the following year. I have seen a bird perched on top of that tree every day the past week. It does appear the nest is getting smaller, so maybe she's is just going for re-cyled building material, and building her nest somewhere else.


I enjoy the bare branch trees so much because you can better see the birds perched in them.

Are All The Birds Crazy?

Or is it just the ones in Texas? We have this phenomenon here that occurs every night about sunset. The trees are filled with birds that seem to come alive all at once. It looks like something from that long ago Alfred Hitchcock movie that scared the crap out of all of us. I have heard it from a lot of people who visit Texas. I know I have seen it in Austin, and in Dallas. I am pretty observant when I travel, especially about the birds, but I don't recall having ever seen it in other places, to this extent. If I'm wrong, please tell me, does it happen where you live?
At 6:52 beautiful sunset


At 6:54 crazy birds

These photos are a bit blurry. I am constantly trying to get good "bird on a wire" photos. I'm not always prepared, and those birds move fast.

Frosty Winter Grey

30 degrees this morning. Still sleeping with the windows open, we are brave, no? Both the man and I sleep so much better when it is cold, even though he probably wouldn't mind waking up with icicles on his nose...I draw the open window line when it gets that cold. The birds are huddled on the feeders, with Sammy Squirrel waiting on the fence. The neigbor's cat is watching Sammy. I like standing outside surveying the neighborhood before it wakes up. Coffee, newspaper, then later,CBS Sunday morning with Charles Osgood. Habits, routine. The things that lives are made of. Wrapping up January, in a warm and fuzzy blanket. Feeling aware of blessings, changes, hope.

Grey skies overhead, I love the bare branch trees


My Chai and I

After Hub leaves for the airport, I have a cup and the last of the Lemonade Girl Scout cookies, we bought just yesterday from the freezing little pink cheeked girls outside the Walgreens store. Well, there weren't that many in the package, really. Got to get off the sugar, somehow...

Where does the time go?

Here we are, halfway through October, and here I sit, with a dozen projects still halfway finished. I usually get such a burst of energy as soon as fall comes, and I feel renewed and capable of getting thing done. I am faltering this time, and it makes me feel crummy. Actually, I guess that is why I am faltering. I have been feeling physically and emotionally "crummy." Is that a medical diagnosis, I dunno...guess I could also describe it as feeling like crap, and that is not one either. I am dragging around with no energy, feeling sorry for myself. Doing things in fits and starts, and finishing nothing. I have spent the last couple of days sitting in front of the computer sorting photos, trying to find some "fall" stuff to post. Even my photos are a disorganized mess. But in every single album, there are birds and clouds, so here are some more.

Seven p.m. Grackles


Three on a wire


Wispy evening clouds