Good neighbors!

 

I have a few dahlias at last!

Each morning I put on my ankle boots - to be safe from mosquitoes - and cross

 the damp grass to my 'currently traveling' neighbor's house.  

Nala awaits breakfast, a brush, a treat, and, if I'm lucky, there will soon be a

 cuddle as we move into week three . . . . . it takes her a while to get to

 that point! Later I return before dusk to do all that again. Sometimes I even pop back

 over around midday if I've left the door to the sunroom open for a few hours so she

 can have a change of scenery and watch the backyard birds.

Nala this morning.

Speaking of garden birds. . . . . . . . . 

Yes, I know one is not supposed to remove birds' nests and I never would disturb

 one whilst occupied. However, this cardinal's nest was recently vacated, a mom, dad

 and I think three babies, are now flying about, chirping happily in my back garden.

This nest was in a shrub by my neighbor's back deck - yes, the now 

silent deck attached to the empty house soon to be razed.

Many trees, and all the shrubbery, are certain to be removed once

work starts on the demolition and land grading. . . . . . so I 'rescued'

this sweet nest rather than see it crushed by the bulldozer.

Cardinals don't return to a used nest - next spring they will be 

constructing afresh for certain.

It's a spotlessly clean nest, carefully woven from dried twigs and grasses,

with several pieces of plastic added. . . . for waterproofing perhaps.

Nests are things of beauty and amazing architecture!

I then moved the nest here on the front porch 'nature table'.  

Almost immediately a very young, slightly ruffled, sweet Carolina wren showed up, 

stood on the nest and checked it out - too quick to get a photo but so cute to see.

Another week has gone and not much of interest has happened here.

I did go out yesterday to get my hair trimmed - still growing out my grey silver locks! 

It appears I will need to have half in inch of red chopped off every 5 weeks to keep

from looking really ratty! I no longer use any heat. Blow dryer, flat iron etc. all stored

away, natural waves are doing their thing, these days it's wash and go, which I have to 

admit I'm enjoying. My stylist says my grey is nice, not wiry, so hopefully some day

 I'll look 'presentable' again and be ready for travel, if we ever can, sigh!!!!

Hope your week went well and that you have a great weekend. . . . . 

ours may be stormy with some heavy rain and possible 

flooding in some areas.  

~ Take care - be safe ~

Just thinking about nesting. . . . . . . . . .

With the official first day of Spring now here. . . . .I've been thinking.

Mostly about the garden which requires a lot of sprucing up and TLC, and 

about the bird population which seems to be ever increasing around here.

It's a good thing! 

I need to start dragging home large bags of mulch to replenish the sad looking beds.

The sun has just popped out so it may be a good afternoon for a garden center

visit - with the temperature due to hit mid-60's.

Will there soon be more tulips?  This is the first and probably an old bulb, 

the stem and leaves are very short. Last Fall's planting are all in large pots 

and just coming up. . . . . . I hope they will be tall and strong, able to wave 

to passersby in the March winds.

Does my year-round robin, sitting in the fig tree, and whom I now think is a 

female, have a gentleman caller at long last? Is she playing hard to get? 

Will there be a nest construction project in the near future?

Note the suet cage on the ground - each time we fill it some animal, probably 

a raccoon, takes it down, opens it up, and has a greasy midnight meal.

Our woodpeckers are getting really upset!

Talking of nesting - will our longtime porch-living wren family be building again this Spring? 

I've already seen one checking the window box but still too cold and a bit early perhaps 

to start on construction.

My lovely blog friend Deb at Just Cats in still really snowy/chilly Ontario, Canada, 

has a great idea which I must share, and will be doing too as I already 

have the suet cage. Hopefully raccoons will steer clear!

She fills her cage with leftover scraps of yarn cut into 2" pieces, and even cat hair from 

her beautiful kitties - all of which nest building birds will pull out and use. 

Other bloggers, in their comments to Deb, also share the bits and bobs they 

put out for their birds, including lace. 

How lovely is that, a tiny bird weaving delicate lace through a twiggy nest.

 I usually tuck chunks of dryer lint into places on the front porch, and will be starting 

this again after my next laundry load - I have seen the lint used in the nests in our garden.

Hyacinths are late blooming this year too.  These will be pink and pretty, but blue

are my favorite - perhaps I can find some at the garden center for the dining room table 

Easter vignette. I love their fragrance

The white rabbits are ready, out of storage, and waiting for their place in the sun, and 

with Easter coming early I must stop thinking and get to work.

So dear friends, a very happy beginning of springtime. 

May your days get warmer, your blossoms bloom, your birds find mates, 

build pretty nests, sing early in the morning to start your day joyfully,

(notice how much louder they are singing now),

 and the real bunnies stay away from your lettuce!