The Proof is in the Pictures!

Upon arising this morning I was delighted to see not one but three pairs of Eastern Bluebirds checking out the three bird houses in our yard! Thankfully they continued their quest while I grabbed the camera.

Here is one pair perched in one of the trees - female above the male:



And here is a male perched on the little white birdhouse (after I snapped the picture he ventured inside to take a look around). If you look closely at the right side of the background you can see how the sun causes the snow sparkles like diamonds in places.



How delighful it is they have returned!!! A sure sign spring is definitely on its way.

Ta Daaaaaaaa!

It was really late last night by the time I turned out the lights but...the afghan is finally done (well, there are still some yarn ends to weave in on the back side)! I think I could have finished it sooner had I not taken breaks to make other things - stained glass and a few other crochet projects. I even have the dog's Christmas gifts finished: croched coats that will be sure to help keep them warm come those cold winter days (and nights). When I have more time, I'll do an updated project slide show.


I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I looked out the window. There, perched on the clothesline posts were...Eastern bluebirds! SEVEN of them! They fluttered around the back yard for a while, even checking out the bird houses. The last time I saw them was three weeks ago and I figured that was their last stop here before heading south. Don't they know it's November and this is Wisconsin??? The weather has been really mild of late. Gosh, on Saturday the high was 68 degrees! I hope these are signs of a mild winter this year. Well, one can always hope, right?

The Next Project

After finishing Simon's sweater I began yet another afghan. I keep finding cute, free patterns in the yarn aisles. When finished it will have seven rows of eleven motifs surrounded by nine border rows. I'm not sure if this one will be a gift or if I'll keep it. I like the color combinations and how it's looking as I put it together. Have another stained glass pattern ready to go and will probably work on marking and cutting the glass later today.


The other day I was traveling to a friend's house and spotted this eagle's nest (always nice to have the camera handy). It's about 6 or 7 miles from our house and near the Branch river so we don't usually see eagles flying around home. But Dan said on Sunday afternoon he saw two eagles soaring above the barn.

All Done

And now the throw is finished! I'm not sure I would have made it any larger since the stitches got a bit too hard on these old arthritic fingers. But I do like how it turned out and it will sure be a warm one to cozy under come those cold, frigid winter days and nights.

Last evening we finally got a couple of rain showers. A much needed dose, even if still all to brief, of natural moisture for my gardens and the lawn. All the plants looks much more perky this morning. As the second wave of rain was passing, the sun poked out in the west and a full rainbow graced the sky. A beautiful sight to feed and calm the spirit!

Update

Well yes, I did have the afternoon to crochet and, yes, I did finish Amelia's sweater. I think it shaped up pretty well.
The Eastern bluebirds are very busy this afternoon getting the nest ready for the second laying of eggs in their new house. As I was watching them for a few minutes, I noticed a "strange" bird sitting on top of the clothes line crossbar. So I got out the binoculars and took a closer look. At first glance I thought it was the orchard oriole that has been frequenting the hummingbird feeder. Then I saw not one but two heads! On closer examination, they were barn swallows. Now, I had never before seen barn swallows perched...and for so long! So I got the camera and zoomed in. To my delight, the picture I snapped was of mother swallow feeding her young!

For the Birds

It's been a super busy day at the hummingbird feeder - Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, and even the hummingbirds have been battling for a drink all day long! So...I snapped a few more pictures and made this slide show. Enjoy!

Bird News

For the past couple of days the oriole pair who nest in our neighbor's huge elm tree have been visiting my window-mounted hummingbird feeder. Apparently they are able to drink from this one - a newer version this year. It's both comical and delightful to watch these colorfully "giant" birds come so near the house. They are giants as compared to the multitude of tiny hummingbirds who visit the feeder throughout the day.

I was able to catch the female on my camera yesterday. Her male partner was here too but I guess he decided to be a gentleman yesterday and let his "lady" feed first. He is much more camera shy than she is.

As of yesterday the bluebird eggs have not yet hatched. Mother and Father bluebird are very diligent in sticking close to the birdhouse.

They're Back...

Lo and behold, I caught a glimpse of something very familiar while going out to get the mail. It took off quickly toward the north side of the house. I rushed inside and went to the bedroom window. Sure enough, there he was...an Eastern bluebird perched in the tree by the little white birdhouse!

Well...I had not cleaned out the birdhouse last fall so I went out to do just that (I hear bluebirds don't like "used" nests) and all the while he stood watch nearby and chirped emphatically at me. What I presume was his mate echoed the chirping from a nearby power line. What a joyful sight and sound!

NOW spring is here!!!

Too Quiet; Too Still

Over the past two days both of the little baby Eastern bluebirds died. The adults are still around, mostly in the evening, but there will be no little ones to watch take their first flight. Some would say, "They were only birds". But they were much more than a mere "thing". They were a part of this beautiful creation - creatures of wonder that brought great joy to my heart. It saddens me deeply that they did not survive.

Captivated by Nature

This is fast becoming one of my favorite times of year. The yard is alive with activity! The raised vegetable garden beds are looking good and everything is growing well...so far. Even the pumpkin and watermelon seeds I planted a couple weeks ago have sprouted and are developing new leaves. If they all produce, we'll have lots of pumpkins for carving (and canning) and an abundance of watermelon to eat come early fall. I'm hoping the cucumbers do well as I really have a taste for grandma's pickle recipe this year.

Besides the garden, watching the birds has been a joy. A couple weeks ago the baby Eastern bluebirds hatched and just last week, one day, I was late for work as I spotted the little ones perched on the crossbar of our clothesline post just as I was about to head out the door. It was captivating to watch as one by one each little one took flight...all but one, that is. This little straggler needed some encouragement from Father Bird. But eventually he (or she) made a short but glorious flight. I have found it both amazing and delightful that they are still sticking around so long this year. Each evening I watch as they come out from hiding and flutter around the yard. I can't remember them ever staying so long after leaving the nest. I Imagine Mother Bird will soon be laying her second batch of eggs in the little white birdhouse. And then I can start all over keeping watch. The hummingbirds are coming around enmass. Their antics are delightful. Early this afternoon I saw a doe standing on the road and the gopher that resides way too close to my gardens greets me each morning as I leave for work. For living out in the middle of nowhere, so to speak, there sure is a lot going on!

Late last week we got an over abundance of rain. So much so that nearly the whole yard was flooded three times in one night! Luckily there was only a tiny amount that seeped into the basement and the sump pump didn't even have to start up.

Been working on a few stained glass pieces - they're in the slideshow. Health things have keep me busy...or not. With all the wet weather and higher humidity, my RA has been acting up. Add to that increasing osteoporosis and a battery of tests. So far nothing too serious. And, I've been running with Dan's aunt to doctor appointments as well.

Be sure to check out the newest pictures of Miss Amelia on my photo album site. She came for a visit yesterday and was quite the socialable little lady!

Time Off

Been a few weeks...again! Lots of things have occupied my time since I last posted. The weather has been up and down - nice warm and sunny days mixed in with cold ones. We even had frost one morning the week after Memorial Day! The three baby Eastern Bluebirds have hatched and are being well cared for. They're growing nicely and I imagine will soon be testing their wings. Yesterday I saw a female Oriole sitting on our clothes line post with some string in her beak. She's either building or adding to her nest.

The garden is planted and doing well so far and the flower beds are planted as well. A few shrubs that had seen much better days have been removed. The swing set is disassembled and pumpkin and watermelon seeds were planted where it used to occupy space. My final paper for school has been written, submitted, and reviewed. And...the fire wood pile has grown significantly in anticipation for the next two winters. Amid all this activity, we made a trip to the cemetery on Sunday before Memorial Day to plant flowers at my dad's grave. I usually had made a wreath and floral arrangement of silk flowers but this year wanted to do real flowers.

You'd think with having 10 days off I would have worked on stained glass. Well, no, I just didn't have any energy for that with all the work that needed to be done around the house. But, I went back to work yesterday and when I got home, after taking the dogs for a walk and backing a batch of chocolate chip cookies, I started in on stained glass again. I completed two small flower pieces (they're in the slide show) that will probably make it to the holiday bazaar. There is a great connection with going to work and busying myself with stained glass. I have been finding the situation at work to be frustrating and immersing myself in stained glass really helps take my mind off, well, literally everything else. Kind of like an oasis in the desert. Still sacred time...

Returning Tenants

Had the day off but spent part of it in the dentist's chair. Alas, the last two original fillings had to be replaced. I wonder...now do we start over replacing fillings for the second time??? Perish the thought!

I had mentioned in an earlier post that the Eastern bluebirds had been spotted in our yard. Seemed they were here one day and then gone again until...today. Lo and behold, a familiar pair stopped by this afternoon, took a look around, and decided to once again, for the third year in a row, occupy the white birdhouse that Simon and Dan built. Soon to be mother bird was busy bringing new grass and straw into the house as she begins to build her nest.
The picture isn't the greatest as she was rather shy and after several attempts to snap one outside, I was able to snap one from quickly from the bedroom window as she rested oh so very briefly on the perch of the birdhouse before going inside. You have to look closely but...there she is! It will be great fun watching the pair complete their nest and then keeping a check on the tiny blue eggs until and after they hatch. The first year she laid two eggs, last year it was three. We do have a second birdhouse, but the tree swallows seem interested in that one - that will be good to keep the mosquito population under some control...