This has been a productive week. Two of our bluebird eggs hatched around the 26th. The 27th was the hub's birthday. I finally got the pots on the north side of the house planted and watered. I also cut down the Joe Pye weed. I discovered by accident last year that these back of the bed plants (about 7' tall) can be made to bloom later and shorter by cutting them back when they get about six feet high. I cut them back to a foot and a half. They'll still grow about four feet tall but they don't block the view anymore. And since they spread like the black plague but the butterflies love them, I hate to pull them out when they grow where they are not supposed to grow. I'm one of those kind of gardeners that very much dislike pulling flowers out when they grow in the 'wrong' place.
Still no rain to speak of. I watered the honeysuckle today, it's looking pretty tired and limp. We don't want the hummingbirds going thirsty, do we?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
We have babies.....
This has been a productive week. Two of our bluebird eggs hatched around the 26th. The 27th was the hub's birthday. I finally got the pots on the north side of the house planted and watered. I also cut down the Joe Pye weed. I discovered by accident last year that these back of the bed plants (about 7' tall) can be made to bloom later and shorter by cutting them back when they get about six feet high. I cut them back to a foot and a half. They'll still grow about four feet tall but they don't block the view anymore. And since they spread like the black plague but the butterflies love them, I hate to pull them out when they grow where they are not supposed to grow. I'm one of those kind of gardeners that very much dislike pulling flowers out when they grow in the 'wrong' place.
Still no rain to speak of. I watered the honeysuckle today, it's looking pretty tired and limp. We don't want the hummingbirds going thirsty, do we?
This is the card I created for my husband. The sentiment is from Papertrey but it comes from my heart. A couple of days ago he got out all the cleaning products to wash his car. I was pulling weeds and jokingly told him when he finished his car, he could do mine. He proposed I wash his (an SUV taller than I am) and he wash mine (a Saturn station wagon). I laughed and went back to my weeding. Later when I went to check the mail, my car sparkled inside and out. And that's just like him.... He's amazing.
Recipe: Papertrey Harvest Berries; Spellbinder Standard Circles Small; Memento Pear Tart, Memento Bamboo Leaves, Versafine Onyx Black; Papertrey Harvest Berries Die; Beckett Candlelight card stock.
Still no rain to speak of. I watered the honeysuckle today, it's looking pretty tired and limp. We don't want the hummingbirds going thirsty, do we?
This is the card I created for my husband. The sentiment is from Papertrey but it comes from my heart. A couple of days ago he got out all the cleaning products to wash his car. I was pulling weeds and jokingly told him when he finished his car, he could do mine. He proposed I wash his (an SUV taller than I am) and he wash mine (a Saturn station wagon). I laughed and went back to my weeding. Later when I went to check the mail, my car sparkled inside and out. And that's just like him.... He's amazing.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
From this window - 5/27...
The garden is growing well:
This is the area bordered by our family room, the deck and the gazebo. Our veggies are grown in pots behind a net stretched from the house to the stairs on the gazebo. This keeps the deer out of our garden and allows me to keep them well watered. We have five kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, bush beans, lettuce, green peppers and cucumbers. By late June I can pick a huge salad right off of my deck.
In the distance you can see the annual bed surrounded by net. The deer are crazy about the sunflowers we grow for the birds in the late fall.
This is the view from the stairs going to the gazebo looking out over the back yard. All the flower beds are lush this year but we've already had to water.
Another view of our veggie garden. I already have tomatoes on most of my plants - they were all started from seed in the greenhouse.
Looking up to our deck. The new canopy over the deck is larger than the one we took down this year.
Another view overlooking our pond and backyard. You can just see a corner of the shed.
The top pond.
The old shade structure without the canopy. Each leg has two vines at the bottom. A terrific addition to our garden this year.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Vines....
We still don't have bluebird babies. Mama is still incubating, daddy is still bringing her fat juicy bugs. We should have hatching almost any day now. The large annual garden is now planted; it's full of zinnias, cosmos, tithonia, salvia, gallardia, sunflowers and marigolds - all started from seed in our little greenhouse. With watering, we will have blooms earlier than normal.
The old shade structure sans canvas has been reassembled in the yard and the legs have been planted with cardinal vine and moonflower vines. With luck, the entire top of the 10 x 10 frame should be covered in white and red blossoms but mid-August. Cardinal vine bloom during the day and moonflowers bloom at night and have a heavenly fragrance. I placed a wrought iron bench under it which will make it difficult for my husband to mow there. We've had to start watering, it appears the drought out west has moved here. No appreciable rain for two weeks and none in the forecast. Every time rain is predicted it goes around us. Farmers will be hurting soon without a rain.
The old shade structure sans canvas has been reassembled in the yard and the legs have been planted with cardinal vine and moonflower vines. With luck, the entire top of the 10 x 10 frame should be covered in white and red blossoms but mid-August. Cardinal vine bloom during the day and moonflowers bloom at night and have a heavenly fragrance. I placed a wrought iron bench under it which will make it difficult for my husband to mow there. We've had to start watering, it appears the drought out west has moved here. No appreciable rain for two weeks and none in the forecast. Every time rain is predicted it goes around us. Farmers will be hurting soon without a rain.
Clean, Simple, Quick
We still don't have bluebird babies. Mama is still incubating, daddy is still bringing her fat juicy bugs. We should have hatching almost any day now. The large annual garden is now planted; it's full of zinnias, cosmos, tithonia, salvia, gallardia, sunflowers and marigolds - all started from seed in our little greenhouse. With watering, we will have blooms earlier than normal.
The old shade structure sans canvas has been reassembled in the yard and the legs have been planted with cardinal vine and moonflower vines. With luck, the entire top of the 10 x 10 frame should be covered in white and red blossoms but mid-August. Cardinal vine bloom during the day and moonflowers bloom at night and have a heavenly fragrance. I placed a wrought iron bench under it which will make it difficult for my husband to mow there. We've had to start watering, it appears the drought out west has moved here. No appreciable rain for two weeks and none in the forecast. Every time rain is predicted it goes around us. Farmers will be hurting soon without a rain.
I like the simplicity of this card. The flowers were parts of two different PTI collections and the faces are from Peachy Keen. Inks are Versafine and Distress.
Recipe: Beckett Candlelight card stock; PTI Floral Frenzy, Green Thumb; Peachy Keen PK-460 Happy Lashes; Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Ink Dried Marigold, Bundled Sage
The old shade structure sans canvas has been reassembled in the yard and the legs have been planted with cardinal vine and moonflower vines. With luck, the entire top of the 10 x 10 frame should be covered in white and red blossoms but mid-August. Cardinal vine bloom during the day and moonflowers bloom at night and have a heavenly fragrance. I placed a wrought iron bench under it which will make it difficult for my husband to mow there. We've had to start watering, it appears the drought out west has moved here. No appreciable rain for two weeks and none in the forecast. Every time rain is predicted it goes around us. Farmers will be hurting soon without a rain.
I like the simplicity of this card. The flowers were parts of two different PTI collections and the faces are from Peachy Keen. Inks are Versafine and Distress.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Digital Sentiment and Calendar for June
On a sad note, in checking the bluebird box today I discovered just three eggs - there were four the last time I checked. I don't see a broken shell anywhere around the nest box and I don't see the female anywhere. The male has been in the crab apple tree on his usual perch but she didn't show up. He's gone now and she hasn't been near the box in over 40 minutes that I know of. OK, she just showed up. I really wish she wouldn't scare me like that and I have no idea what happened to egg number four. One of nature's mysteries.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Happy Birthday to my Halloween Girl...
My daughter and son-in-law have just started their own business making Halloween monsters. I understand from his Facebook page that the patent for their business logo was just granted. Gruesome, right? They are hard at work on their second monster; their first one debuted at Forest City Fright Night in Forest City, IL last Halloween and my daughter finally finished the video.
Happy Birthday to my Halloween Girl
My daughter and son-in-law have just started their own business making Halloween monsters. I understand from his Facebook page that the patent for their business logo was just granted. Gruesome, right? They are hard at work on their second monster; their first one debuted at Forest City Fright Night in Forest City, IL last Halloween and my daughter finally finished the video. It's ironic that her birthday card should be a Simply Betty digital because I do believe that Simply Betty is purchasing their second monster - a scary clown. For those of you that follow the Make It Crafty's Facebook Page, you may remember the dialog about Betty creating a scary clown digi. Now you know the other side of the story. I am extremely proud of the coloring and background on this card, I think love helped.
We won't be celebrating her birthday for a bit due to work hours. We usually hold a big celebration for Mother's Day, my birthday, her birthday, hub's birthday because her hours are insane (she doesn't have time to read my blog so I can post the picture). And while we don't see each other as much as I'd like, I know she's always a phone call away. So, to my wonderful daughter....Happy Birthday.
Recipe: Simply Betty Pipper digital image; 3-D Crystal Lacquer-Berry; Spica Clear and Lilac; Stampin' Up Splatter; Bo Bunny Urban Stamp set; Memento Paris Dusk and London Fog; Spellbinder Standard Circles Small and Beaded Circles; Tiddly Ink Cupcake; Lilac Stickles; Action Wobble under sentiment; Sentiment: Bluebirdflats
We won't be celebrating her birthday for a bit due to work hours. We usually hold a big celebration for Mother's Day, my birthday, her birthday, hub's birthday because her hours are insane (she doesn't have time to read my blog so I can post the picture). And while we don't see each other as much as I'd like, I know she's always a phone call away. So, to my wonderful daughter....Happy Birthday.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Harry's Law...
Ready for another rant? I just read in our local paper that NBC is cancelling Harry's Law. They say it's "one of their more popular" shows but the people that watch it are too old. They don't mention too old for what. I'm not a big NBC fan. We don't watch reality (if we want reality we'll go to a family reunion). Great dialog and a wonderful cast are hard to find on television. I look forward to Harry's Law because it has both those ingredients as well as Kathy Bates. What more could television viewers want. I get tired of cleavage and personal drama. One of the reasons we have such a huge collection of movies is there is so little real entertainment on TV. I've never missed an episode of Harry's Law, I've even pre-ordered the series from Amazon. I wanted to express my unhappiness with NBC, but they don't have a place where you can vent. That might be why their ratings are so low, they don't allow us to tell them what we want to see. I hope another station picks up Harry's Law; if they do, they'll make me a truly happy camper.
You're just the best....
Ready for another rant? I just read in our local paper that NBC is cancelling Harry's Law. They say it's "one of their more popular" shows but the people that watch it are too old. They don't mention too old for what. I'm not a big NBC fan. We don't watch reality (if we want reality we'll go to a family reunion). Great dialog and a wonderful cast are hard to find on television. I look forward to Harry's Law because it has both those ingredients as well as Kathy Bates. What more could television viewers want. I get tired of cleavage and personal drama. One of the reasons we have such a huge collection of movies is there is so little real entertainment on TV. I've never missed an episode of Harry's Law, I've even pre-ordered the series from Amazon. I wanted to express my unhappiness with NBC, but they don't have a place where you can vent. That might be why their ratings are so low, they don't allow us to tell them what we want to see. I hope another station picks up Harry's Law; if they do, they'll make me a truly happy camper.
To honor Harry's Law and Shoe Store, I offer these boots. Snazzy, huh? Another Saturated Canary image. I'm still struggling with pleats. Not enough time to practice, we're still in the garden. I got all the veggies but the cucumbers and bush beans planted yesterday. I will show you pictures of our veggie garden area as soon as we've got it all cleaned up. Hubs is starting the screening process on the gazebo so we will be back to normal soon. Hope your day, wherever you are, is a good one.
To honor Harry's Law and Shoe Store, I offer these boots. Snazzy, huh? Another Saturated Canary image. I'm still struggling with pleats. Not enough time to practice, we're still in the garden. I got all the veggies but the cucumbers and bush beans planted yesterday. I will show you pictures of our veggie garden area as soon as we've got it all cleaned up. Hubs is starting the screening process on the gazebo so we will be back to normal soon. Hope your day, wherever you are, is a good one.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Here a seed, there a seed, everywhere a seed, seed...
Speaking of birds, we have been inundated with seeds this year. We have three large maple trees around our house and each one had a bumper crop of seeds. They were thick enough that they covered the grass and the flower beds that were the closest to the trees. Hubs was staining the deck and had dug trenches around the base so he could stain the lowest boards. The trenches filled with seeds, it rained and now we have literally thousands of germinating maple seeds. And I have Preen down in those garden beds so I can't imagine how many seeds would be coming to life without it. Our resident chipmunk loves the maple seeds but he can't eat them fast enough to suit me. We managed to sweep up a large garbage can full of them and that didn't make a dent. Luckily the seeds that germinate in the yard will be lost to the John Deere; unfortunately, the rest will need to be pulled by hand.
As soon as we breathed a sigh of relief over the end of the maple seeds dropping, we were faced with the seeds from the River Birch. We only have one but it's over our deck and shade gardens. The seeds look like oatmeal and so float on the wind making it all the way to the pond. The goldfinches love the River Birch seeds and help enormously in spreading them all over, while they feed it sounds like rain when they fall on the canopy on the deck. We had so many goldfinches when the seeds were ripe that I went through two full 24 inch thistle feeders in two days. And now the goldfinches seem to have left. They're funny that way - one day you have a huge flock and the next they are no where to be found. I've heard the oriole but he's hiding in the trees and we've been blessed with an Eastern Phoebe for the first time ever; he's been hanging around for several days. The bad news is hubs spent so much time around the deck both staining and replacing the lattice that the wrens seem to have moved from the deck nest box into the back of the shed in an old bird house mounted on a tree trunk. The male checked out the box on the deck this morning, but the female wasn't around and the box behind the shed had one egg in it yesterday. Same pair? Different pair? Who knows. The chickadees in the little box next to the trumpet vine in the front yard have disappeared. Dad had been scolding us every time we passed the box but suddenly all is quiet. That particular box only opens from the bottom so I will wait a day or two more and see if the wrens destroyed the eggs. As cute as wrens are, they are very destructive to other cavity nesting birds.
Now that the River Birch is done the cottonwoods have started shedding their cotton-like seeds. I see them float through the air everywhere. There are too many cottonwoods up here to even count. Another trip to clean out the gutters, hubs seems to do that every other day this spring. But we've had lots of birds, the flowers are doing very well, the rain has finally come, the temperatures are moderate, the gazebo is finished except for the screens and the door - life is good where we live and we hope it's good where you are. If something wonderful is happening in your garden, I'd love to hear about it.
As soon as we breathed a sigh of relief over the end of the maple seeds dropping, we were faced with the seeds from the River Birch. We only have one but it's over our deck and shade gardens. The seeds look like oatmeal and so float on the wind making it all the way to the pond. The goldfinches love the River Birch seeds and help enormously in spreading them all over, while they feed it sounds like rain when they fall on the canopy on the deck. We had so many goldfinches when the seeds were ripe that I went through two full 24 inch thistle feeders in two days. And now the goldfinches seem to have left. They're funny that way - one day you have a huge flock and the next they are no where to be found. I've heard the oriole but he's hiding in the trees and we've been blessed with an Eastern Phoebe for the first time ever; he's been hanging around for several days. The bad news is hubs spent so much time around the deck both staining and replacing the lattice that the wrens seem to have moved from the deck nest box into the back of the shed in an old bird house mounted on a tree trunk. The male checked out the box on the deck this morning, but the female wasn't around and the box behind the shed had one egg in it yesterday. Same pair? Different pair? Who knows. The chickadees in the little box next to the trumpet vine in the front yard have disappeared. Dad had been scolding us every time we passed the box but suddenly all is quiet. That particular box only opens from the bottom so I will wait a day or two more and see if the wrens destroyed the eggs. As cute as wrens are, they are very destructive to other cavity nesting birds.
Now that the River Birch is done the cottonwoods have started shedding their cotton-like seeds. I see them float through the air everywhere. There are too many cottonwoods up here to even count. Another trip to clean out the gutters, hubs seems to do that every other day this spring. But we've had lots of birds, the flowers are doing very well, the rain has finally come, the temperatures are moderate, the gazebo is finished except for the screens and the door - life is good where we live and we hope it's good where you are. If something wonderful is happening in your garden, I'd love to hear about it.
Toucan do it....
Speaking of birds, we have been inundated with seeds this year. We have three large maple trees around our house and each one had a bumper crop of seeds. They were thick enough that they covered the grass and the flower beds that were the closest to the trees. Hubs was staining the deck and had dug trenches around the base so he could stain the lowest boards. The trenches filled with seeds, it rained and now we have literally thousands of germinating maple seeds. And I have Preen down in those garden beds so I can't imagine how many seeds would be coming to life without it. Our resident chipmunk loves the maple seeds but he can't eat them fast enough to suit me. We managed to sweep up a large garbage can full of them and that didn't make a dent. Luckily the seeds that germinate in the yard will be lost to the John Deere; unfortunately, the rest will need to be pulled by hand.
As soon as we breathed a sigh of relief over the end of the maple seeds dropping, we were faced with the seeds from the River Birch. We only have one but it's over our deck and shade gardens. The seeds look like oatmeal and so float on the wind making it all the way to the pond. The goldfinches love the River Birch seeds and help enormously in spreading them all over, while they feed it sounds like rain when they fall on the canopy on the deck. We had so many goldfinches when the seeds were ripe that I went through two full 24 inch thistle feeders in two days. And now the goldfinches seem to have left. They're funny that way - one day you have a huge flock and the next they are no where to be found. I've heard the oriole but he's hiding in the trees and we've been blessed with an Eastern Phoebe for the first time ever; he's been hanging around for several days. The bad news is hubs spent so much time around the deck both staining and replacing the lattice that the wrens seem to have moved from the deck nest box into the back of the shed in an old bird house mounted on a tree trunk. The male checked out the box on the deck this morning, but the female wasn't around and the box behind the shed had one egg in it yesterday. Same pair? Different pair? Who knows. The chickadees in the little box next to the trumpet vine in the front yard have disappeared. Dad had been scolding us every time we passed the box but suddenly all is quiet. That particular box only opens from the bottom so I will wait a day or two more and see if the wrens destroyed the eggs. As cute as wrens are, they are very destructive to other cavity nesting birds.
Now that the River Birch is done the cottonwoods have started shedding their cotton-like seeds. I see them float through the air everywhere. There are too many cottonwoods up here to even count. Another trip to clean out the gutters, hubs seems to do that every other day this spring. But we've had lots of birds, the flowers are doing very well, the rain has finally come, the temperatures are moderate, the gazebo is finished except for the screens and the door - life is good where we live and we hope it's good where you are. If something wonderful is happening in your garden, I'd love to hear about it.
Recipe: The Paper Shelter Toucan digital image, DCWV Safari Chic, Stamping Scrapping Card Creator, Jilly Bean sentiment. Copics are shown above.
As soon as we breathed a sigh of relief over the end of the maple seeds dropping, we were faced with the seeds from the River Birch. We only have one but it's over our deck and shade gardens. The seeds look like oatmeal and so float on the wind making it all the way to the pond. The goldfinches love the River Birch seeds and help enormously in spreading them all over, while they feed it sounds like rain when they fall on the canopy on the deck. We had so many goldfinches when the seeds were ripe that I went through two full 24 inch thistle feeders in two days. And now the goldfinches seem to have left. They're funny that way - one day you have a huge flock and the next they are no where to be found. I've heard the oriole but he's hiding in the trees and we've been blessed with an Eastern Phoebe for the first time ever; he's been hanging around for several days. The bad news is hubs spent so much time around the deck both staining and replacing the lattice that the wrens seem to have moved from the deck nest box into the back of the shed in an old bird house mounted on a tree trunk. The male checked out the box on the deck this morning, but the female wasn't around and the box behind the shed had one egg in it yesterday. Same pair? Different pair? Who knows. The chickadees in the little box next to the trumpet vine in the front yard have disappeared. Dad had been scolding us every time we passed the box but suddenly all is quiet. That particular box only opens from the bottom so I will wait a day or two more and see if the wrens destroyed the eggs. As cute as wrens are, they are very destructive to other cavity nesting birds.
Now that the River Birch is done the cottonwoods have started shedding their cotton-like seeds. I see them float through the air everywhere. There are too many cottonwoods up here to even count. Another trip to clean out the gutters, hubs seems to do that every other day this spring. But we've had lots of birds, the flowers are doing very well, the rain has finally come, the temperatures are moderate, the gazebo is finished except for the screens and the door - life is good where we live and we hope it's good where you are. If something wonderful is happening in your garden, I'd love to hear about it.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Veggies....
It isn't quite bathing suit weather yet but it's getting there. Night time temperatures are in the high 40s and I even left my hanging baskets out last night at 48 degrees. Soon I will be planting all the annuals in the greenhouse, most of which are getting pretty tall now. Yesterday I planted my cucumbers and bush beans in the greenhouse so I'm looking forward to them germinating. I'm hoping to get our vegetable garden organized in the next few days. We can't have a traditional garden because of the deer so we plant veggies in pots in a protected area between the house, deck and gazebo. We separate it from the rest of the yard with a large net but we're planning on doing something a little more attractive this year. Last year we grew cucumbers, lettuce, green and red peppers, carrots, radishes and herbs. It wasn't worth the effort for the few carrots and radishes so I won't do those this year; I'm replacing them with Kentucky bush beans. I've learned to saute them with a little olive oil and a hint of garlic - yum.
So much skin....
It isn't quite bathing suit weather yet but it's getting there. Night time temperatures are in the high 40s and I even left my hanging baskets out last night at 48 degrees. Soon I will be planting all the annuals in the greenhouse, most of which are getting pretty tall now. Yesterday I planted my cucumbers and bush beans in the greenhouse so I'm looking forward to them germinating. I'm hoping to get our vegetable garden organized in the next few days. We can't have a traditional garden because of the deer so we plant veggies in pots in a protected area between the house, deck and gazebo. We separate it from the rest of the yard with a large net but we're planning on doing something a little more attractive this year. Last year we grew cucumbers, lettuce, green and red peppers, carrots, radishes and herbs. It wasn't worth the effort for the few carrots and radishes so I won't do those this year; I'm replacing them with Kentucky bush beans. I've learned to saute them with a little olive oil and a hint of garlic - yum.
This is a Saturated Canary image, just one of the many I love. Krista gets a lot of my allowance and I can't stop coloring them.
This is a Saturated Canary image, just one of the many I love. Krista gets a lot of my allowance and I can't stop coloring them.
Friday, May 11, 2012
The garden in spring....
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Time's dragging without you....
I've spent six straight days without my husband. We're not apart that long usually. He takes short overnight trips to take photographs but by and large, he's a home boy. We travel so well together that trips are not as much fun if we aren't together. Our next trip is in August when we will be heading to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Our longest stop will be in Port Angeles, Washington. We can head for the water, the mountains or the forest from there. We will also take the ferry to Victoria for a day; the last time we made that trip we saw Orcas from the ferry. While he's been gone there have been big changes to the garden. The hydrangea I made him move two years ago because it was doing so poorly on the south side of the house has buds on it for the first time since we moved here nine years ago. On the north side of the house in the craft room bluebird house there are two eggs. She will lay between two and five, one year I had six. She won't start incubating until she's laid her last egg. She comes in the early morning, lays an egg and leaves for the day. The male comes periodically and checks on the nest. My guess is she's out filling herself with protein for the next egg. Yesterday there were thirteen white water lilies blooming in the pond. That's the most at one time ever. It's too bad we will have to divide them before they over take the pond.
Time's Dragon Without You....
I've spent six straight days without my husband. We're not apart that long usually. He takes short overnight trips to take photographs but by and large, he's a home boy. We travel so well together that trips are not as much fun if we aren't together. Our next trip is in August when we will be heading to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Our longest stop will be in Port Angeles, Washington. We can head for the water, the mountains or the forest from there. We will also take the ferry to Victoria for a day; the last time we made that trip we saw Orcas from the ferry. While he's been gone there have been big changes to the garden. The hydrangea I made him move two years ago because it was doing so poorly on the south side of the house has buds on it for the first time since we moved here nine years ago. On the north side of the house in the craft room bluebird house there are two eggs. She will lay between two and five, one year I had six. She won't start incubating until she's laid her last egg. She comes in the early morning, lays an egg and leaves for the day. The male comes periodically and checks on the nest. My guess is she's out filling herself with protein for the next egg. Yesterday there were thirteen white water lilies blooming in the pond. That's the most at one time ever. It's too bad we will have to divide them before they over take the pond.
And on to my card: I fell in love with this little dragon from Magnolia the second I saw it. You just can't have too many dragons in your stash. I've attached him with a Wobble so he moves when you shake the card. I don't use them as often as I should, they're terrific.
Hope your day is going well. Everything is fine here.
And on to my card: I fell in love with this little dragon from Magnolia the second I saw it. You just can't have too many dragons in your stash. I've attached him with a Wobble so he moves when you shake the card. I don't use them as often as I should, they're terrific.
Monday, May 7, 2012
From this window - 5/7/12...
The bluebirds have been busy all morning creating a nest. The female started it with pine straw. She's almost finished because she's using soft dried grasses now. The male stops by the nest box every few minutes with something yummy to eat and to check her progress. If you look closely at picture 4, you can see the big fat grub in his mouth. I have never seen mate feeding behavior with bluebirds before although I see it frequently in cardinals.
The male in all his glory.
The female with a mouthful of nesting material.
Another load of nesting material.
A juicy fat worm for the nest maker.
These pictures were all taken using my mono pod from my craft room open window. I can sit at my computer and take these pictures. I watched the male chase off a female Downy Woodpecker who had checked out the box several times this week and made the mistake of coming back today. He also chased off the wren who has checked out the box with his female. The wren is now building a nest in the box mounted on the door frame of the gazebo. House sparrows are trying to build a nest on the ledge in the gazebo now that the screen is down. I'm too short to clean it out so it will have to wait until hubs comes home tomorrow. He says that Southern Illinois is suffering a drought and we're deluged with rain; all the birds he would be taking pictures of down there are up here enjoying the water. I will be sharing more pictures in the future.
Friday, May 4, 2012
From this window - 5/4/12...
For the first time since March I saw two deer run down the grassy strip across from our home. We haven't even seen any deer droppings in our yard this spring and the reason our grass is so lush is due to the ever-present deer droppings over the fall and winter. The does usually have fawns this time of year and have them hid somewhere in the trees. Several years ago we had one hidden next to our brush pile. After my husband discovered him, he still remained perfectly still and allowed us a really close look at him. Mom moved him the next day but we still saw him once in a while in the trees behind our home.
The hummingbirds have returned. One dominate male is protecting the honeysuckle. He stays in the crab apple tree and runs off any intruders. While he's protecting this side of the house, the rest of the hummingbirds are feasting on the other side. Hanging feeders so the birds at each feeder can't see the birds at the other feeders will keep the dominate males from hoarding all the food.
Two house wrens are singing in the yard, one by the deck where there are two boxes available and one that has loaded the back bluebird box with sticks (I cleaned them out today). There are two wren house in the back he could use, I try to discourage them from nesting in the bluebird box. However, wrens are protected so I can't trap him. I haven't seen any females yet so they may not have arrived.
The flock of rose-breasted grosbeaks have found the feeder again this year. They usually stop for a couple of days and then move on back into the trees to nest. I saw 3 males and one female this morning. The male Oriole hasn't shown up yet, I've been listening for his song.
It has rained for the better part of a week here. My husband left on a photographic journey yesterday and I'll be eating corn flakes for a week while he's gone (I love corn flakes, it will be a break not to cook). He finished putting up the canopy on the deck so I could sit out there and have my coffee in the morning. I'll move into the gazebo as soon as the floor is stained and the screens are back in.
The bluebirds have been back checking out the craft room house and either the same pair or a different pair was checking out the box in the back. I would prefer they nest where I can see them daily but I'll take them anywhere I can get them. A house sparrow has been spending time in the craft room box but I'm hoping if the bluebirds finally nest there, they will chase him off. I may be able to trap him if it keeps raining. The bluebirds use grasses as nesting material and they won't build until it dries out, giving me time to put in the trap.
We had tickets to see The Rat Pack is Back Wednesday in Peoria. My friend Ruthann and her husband also went although we didn't sit together. She is a big Frank Sinatra fan but I always loved Dean Martin with Sammy Davis Jr. a close second; I never cared for Frank Sinatra. Out of the four impersonators (Dean, Frank, Sammy and Joey Bishop), I thought Dean the most perfect but the show was worth every penny. The orchestra was filled with horns and their act was like the one the original Rat Pack did at the Sands in Las Vegas. If you're a fan of the Rat Pack, this was worth watching.
The hummingbirds have returned. One dominate male is protecting the honeysuckle. He stays in the crab apple tree and runs off any intruders. While he's protecting this side of the house, the rest of the hummingbirds are feasting on the other side. Hanging feeders so the birds at each feeder can't see the birds at the other feeders will keep the dominate males from hoarding all the food.
Two house wrens are singing in the yard, one by the deck where there are two boxes available and one that has loaded the back bluebird box with sticks (I cleaned them out today). There are two wren house in the back he could use, I try to discourage them from nesting in the bluebird box. However, wrens are protected so I can't trap him. I haven't seen any females yet so they may not have arrived.
The flock of rose-breasted grosbeaks have found the feeder again this year. They usually stop for a couple of days and then move on back into the trees to nest. I saw 3 males and one female this morning. The male Oriole hasn't shown up yet, I've been listening for his song.
It has rained for the better part of a week here. My husband left on a photographic journey yesterday and I'll be eating corn flakes for a week while he's gone (I love corn flakes, it will be a break not to cook). He finished putting up the canopy on the deck so I could sit out there and have my coffee in the morning. I'll move into the gazebo as soon as the floor is stained and the screens are back in.
The bluebirds have been back checking out the craft room house and either the same pair or a different pair was checking out the box in the back. I would prefer they nest where I can see them daily but I'll take them anywhere I can get them. A house sparrow has been spending time in the craft room box but I'm hoping if the bluebirds finally nest there, they will chase him off. I may be able to trap him if it keeps raining. The bluebirds use grasses as nesting material and they won't build until it dries out, giving me time to put in the trap.
We had tickets to see The Rat Pack is Back Wednesday in Peoria. My friend Ruthann and her husband also went although we didn't sit together. She is a big Frank Sinatra fan but I always loved Dean Martin with Sammy Davis Jr. a close second; I never cared for Frank Sinatra. Out of the four impersonators (Dean, Frank, Sammy and Joey Bishop), I thought Dean the most perfect but the show was worth every penny. The orchestra was filled with horns and their act was like the one the original Rat Pack did at the Sands in Las Vegas. If you're a fan of the Rat Pack, this was worth watching.
From this window - 5/4/12
For the first time since March I saw two deer run down the grassy strip across from our home. We haven't even seen any deer droppings in our yard this spring and the reason our grass is so lush is due to the ever-present deer droppings over the fall and winter. The does usually have fawns this time of year and have them hid somewhere in the trees. Several years ago we had one hidden next to our brush pile. After my husband discovered him, he still remained perfectly still and allowed us a really close look at him. Mom moved him the next day but we still saw him once in a while in the trees behind our home.
The hummingbirds have returned. One dominate male is protecting the honeysuckle. He stays in the crab apple tree and runs off any intruders. While he's protecting this side of the house, the rest of the hummingbirds are feasting on the other side. Hanging feeders so the birds at each feeder can't see the birds at the other feeders will keep the dominate males from hoarding all the food.
Two house wrens are singing in the yard, one by the deck where there are two boxes available and one that has loaded the back bluebird box with sticks (I cleaned them out today). There are two wren house in the back he could use, I try to discourage them from nesting in the bluebird box. However, wrens are protected so I can't trap him. I haven't seen any females yet so they may not have arrived.
The flock of rose-breasted grosbeaks have found the feeder again this year. They usually stop for a couple of days and then move on back into the trees to nest. I saw 3 males and one female this morning. The male Oriole hasn't shown up yet, I've been listening for his song.
It has rained for the better part of a week here. My husband left on a photographic journey yesterday and I'll be eating corn flakes for a week while he's gone (I love corn flakes, it will be a break not to cook). He finished putting up the canopy on the deck so I could sit out there and have my coffee in the morning. I'll move into the gazebo as soon as the floor is stained and the screens are back in.
The bluebirds have been back checking out the craft room house and either the same pair or a different pair was checking out the box in the back. I would prefer they nest where I can see them daily but I'll take them anywhere I can get them. A house sparrow has been spending time in the craft room box but I'm hoping if the bluebirds finally nest there, they will chase him off. I may be able to trap him if it keeps raining. The bluebirds use grasses as nesting material and they won't build until it dries out, giving me time to put in the trap.
We had tickets to see The Rat Pack is Back Wednesday in Peoria. My friend Ruthann and her husband also went although we didn't sit together. She is a big Frank Sinatra fan but I always loved Dean Martin with Sammy Davis Jr. a close second; I never cared for Frank Sinatra. Out of the four impersonators (Dean, Frank, Sammy and Joey Bishop), I thought Dean the most perfect but the show was worth every penny. The orchestra was filled with horns and their act was like the one the original Rat Pack did at the Sands in Las Vegas. If you're a fan of the Rat Pack, this was worth watching.
I pulled out an old Edwin for this card. I love this design paper, the whole Nantucket stack is fabulous. I colored Edwin to match the paper and used my JustRite alphabet to stamp the words. Ingredients and Copic colors are pictured at the bottom of this post - clicking on the picture will make it larger. Hope spring is as wonderful at your house as it is here.
The hummingbirds have returned. One dominate male is protecting the honeysuckle. He stays in the crab apple tree and runs off any intruders. While he's protecting this side of the house, the rest of the hummingbirds are feasting on the other side. Hanging feeders so the birds at each feeder can't see the birds at the other feeders will keep the dominate males from hoarding all the food.
Two house wrens are singing in the yard, one by the deck where there are two boxes available and one that has loaded the back bluebird box with sticks (I cleaned them out today). There are two wren house in the back he could use, I try to discourage them from nesting in the bluebird box. However, wrens are protected so I can't trap him. I haven't seen any females yet so they may not have arrived.
The flock of rose-breasted grosbeaks have found the feeder again this year. They usually stop for a couple of days and then move on back into the trees to nest. I saw 3 males and one female this morning. The male Oriole hasn't shown up yet, I've been listening for his song.
It has rained for the better part of a week here. My husband left on a photographic journey yesterday and I'll be eating corn flakes for a week while he's gone (I love corn flakes, it will be a break not to cook). He finished putting up the canopy on the deck so I could sit out there and have my coffee in the morning. I'll move into the gazebo as soon as the floor is stained and the screens are back in.
The bluebirds have been back checking out the craft room house and either the same pair or a different pair was checking out the box in the back. I would prefer they nest where I can see them daily but I'll take them anywhere I can get them. A house sparrow has been spending time in the craft room box but I'm hoping if the bluebirds finally nest there, they will chase him off. I may be able to trap him if it keeps raining. The bluebirds use grasses as nesting material and they won't build until it dries out, giving me time to put in the trap.
We had tickets to see The Rat Pack is Back Wednesday in Peoria. My friend Ruthann and her husband also went although we didn't sit together. She is a big Frank Sinatra fan but I always loved Dean Martin with Sammy Davis Jr. a close second; I never cared for Frank Sinatra. Out of the four impersonators (Dean, Frank, Sammy and Joey Bishop), I thought Dean the most perfect but the show was worth every penny. The orchestra was filled with horns and their act was like the one the original Rat Pack did at the Sands in Las Vegas. If you're a fan of the Rat Pack, this was worth watching.
I pulled out an old Edwin for this card. I love this design paper, the whole Nantucket stack is fabulous. I colored Edwin to match the paper and used my JustRite alphabet to stamp the words. Ingredients and Copic colors are pictured at the bottom of this post - clicking on the picture will make it larger. Hope spring is as wonderful at your house as it is here.
