Sparrow News

Well, it was a cold evening last night.  We could see our breath in the morning... After such a HOT weather- this is a bit nutsy!

We did not think that mama was taking care of her babies... We never saw her in, on or around the nest.  This made me sad of course, but I left their fate in the hands of God and their mama...

This morning coffee- garden check was postponed because of the cool temps.. If she was there I did not want to scare her off the nest.


Work, work, work to do inside the house... And so at noon I did my garden check...The mama bird was sitting on the nest.... So I did a bit of watering and after she flew off I went back over and snapped a pic of the two little ones.  They appear to be beginning to get their feathers.... How cool is it to watch them grow!



And so I thank God for the flying friends in my backyard.  So very small and entertaining.

I need to pick up some bird seed today.... :)  Feeding the birds makes me happy~

For The Birds

The continuing saga of the Sparrows in my backyard....

The story began with us working in our garden.

Monday, May 21st
One of our Burning Bushes which usually was home to a Robin every year had some type of ick on it... and because it was so close to the garden I asked my husband to cut it out.  I had off and on looked for a nest in it this year but did not see one...

As my husband fired up the chain saw and began cutting it down... a bird flew from the bush.  I stopped my husband and sure enough, there was a small nest... made of grasses.  3 little blue eggs and a larger brown egg.
What to do now?

I picked the nest out of the bush and looked for a spot nearby to place the nest... The lilac was the only thing available.  I removed the brown egg and tossed it aside, before placing the nest carefully in the lilac.   My husband finished cutting the bush out.  It was late in the afternoon, and I sat on the deck and watched the birds fly around frantically searching for their little brood.  Finally we had to leave for a baseball banquet feeling a bit discouraged about the situation.

Tues, May 22
The next morning, I went outside to check on my garden and the little nest  and Mama was sitting on it.  Amazing!  Thank you, Jesus!

Well, that lilac wasn't giving much protection from the sun and rain... so we tied some branches from the pine tree in it... Well, again... Would the birds come back to the nest or abandon it?  All day we watched as the parents flew around squeaked and chirped but seemed to wary to approach... Again disappointment over the situation.... Even if they came back would the eggs be viable... I wondered.  I often said a little prayer for the feather family in the backyard.

Wed. May 23
Coffee in the garden the next morning showed that mama had indeed returned to her nest.  and so whenever I was in the garden I peeked at the nest.  still- 3 little blue spotted eggs.  Wondering if they would or could still hatch.

Saturday, May 26
My morning coffee-garden check showed 3 little blue eggs.  Later when I looked, there was a pink baby with dark downy fluff on it.  And then later another... 2 little babies had hatched.

Sunday, May 27
Still two babies...We looked them up in the Bird Field Guide and found out that they are Chipping Sparrows.  It rained really hard.

Monday, May 28
Still 2 babies at the coffee-garden check.  Later I went out to plant some seeds in the garden and the mama flew off the nest so I looked in... Nothing the nest was empty.  I looked below.  The ground below is covered with ivy... I looked at the nest again and saw that it had a hole in it.  So I searched the ivy below carefully and they were in there- still alive.  What to do... I took the nest and pushed it back together and set them in it and set it back on the branches... But this was not good.  It would just fall apart again.  What to do... I searched the house for something anything that could hold the nest yet drain.... Nothing... No idea.... I tried to tie the pine branches around it to hold it in place and together.  I sat down and said,  "What am I to do Lord?   Do I give up on these little things?  What is the lesson to be learned here?  I got my answer.  We don't give up on things.  We use our heads and our hearts.  As I searched my kitchen drawer for a small funnel and some twine... I placed the nest in the funnel and tied it in the lilac.  And again waited... and watched for the mama to return to her little ones in the makeshift nest.  To no avail it seemed-  maybe because now my scent was on the little ones or too much on the nest...

We went to bed and as I laid my head down I wondered about the birds and my husband said to me,  "I pray that the mama is on the nest and the babies will be alright." And I said, "I was just thinking the same thing."

Tuesday, May 29
Coffee-garden walk revealed that mama was indeed on her nest.  And when she flew off I peeked in and the two little babies were doing just fine.

God is so good.  He created a world filled with amazing creatures that are resilient, adaptable and strong... Creatures that we can enjoy and that we should care for and appreciate.  And if He cares about them, how much more must He care about us! I feel so blessed!  Thank you, Jesus!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day... It makes me think of all the men and women who are serving and have served our country and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.   Thank you to all of them and to their families.... To those who did not return, those who came back hurt, injured, or damaged.... I pray for them all and for their families...

We are so fortunate to live in a country that still affords us much freedom.  One that has such a high standard of living compared to many other places in the world... We should not feel guilty about that, but instead realize what we have and be generous with it... God blesses us daily and we need to remember to give Him thanks for all we have as individuals and as a country.

Today many will celebrate in some way or form... For our family, this weekend is filled studying for final exams and with the beginning of graduation party season----many parties coming up... Wonderful kids and families that we have spent the last 12-13 years beside at school.  It is such an exciting time for them... Making their plans for the future and testing the waters- so to speak, on their own for the first time.  I love seeing how they have matured and grown after their first year of college... My daughter included.

My son has math tutoring today to study for that final. Studying for his biology final also.... And that is it for finals for him I think... I pray that he and his friends do well  and that they feel confident going in to the tests.  That God will take away all the stress and also for the teachers because I know they are ready for a break from their students and work.  Summer vacation is nearly upon us... Yeah!!!

As for me, I would love to get the rest of my garden in.... Plant a few more things... And because it is going to be a scorcher today, try to get a few things done inside.  My carrots have finally sprouted,  as have my Italian Beans that my neighbor gave me some seeds to grow.  Corn is sprouted-- and I may plant some in between those sprouts... I think there is enough room... I love having a garden... This morning my husband made a spinach (from the garden) omelet and it was wonderful...

Yesterday, My husband worked on my flag pole planter and it looks great.... We had to buy more brick last night to finish it. Once he is done, I will have to dig it up and replant... But it will look wonderful when we get it finished.




It is so quiet here this morning... Once my son gets up, I will feed him and run him up to tutoring and then I think we shall go to Panera and get something to sugar us up, while he works on his Biology Exam Notes...  When we get back then work in the garden with my husband and later grill some burgers for dinner with the fam... It's gonna be a great day.

Projects

So many projects to do around here.... Inside and out....

Yesterday we worked on the garden.  We laid landscaping fabric around the garden, and put down landscape timbers to frame and hold it down and then two yards of mulch.  What a blessing it is to have a truck!  $16 a yard if you haul it yourself....  Now to finish planting... And figure out how to put my potatoes in this year.  Last year, they were so yummy.

My daughter helped me do the mulching... She was a big help and it went pretty quickly.  I got cleaned up and ready for a meeting which never happened... So my husband got another load of mulch and said I could do my front flower beds with it... I didn't want to... I was tired.  I told my daughter, under my breath, "I don't want to do it today" and she said, "Then let's not"  but I said, "We have to".  Not because he would get upset but because he is such a hard worker and if I wanted something done and he was tired he would do it!  We make a good team because he pushes me and I make him relax a bit.  I am so fortunate and blessed to have such a good man- and handsome and strong too!  So we need another load to finish up the job... But it looks pretty good so far.


My son and husband cut a piece of granite for a desk top... That was quite a job... It looks nice but isn't quite done yet... Just needs some finish work.

And they cut the granite for the top of the buffet.


The deck is getting refinished... We are trying to find something that will last longer than a year or two... So we are going with a product called Restore.  We will see how that goes.

The Sun Room is getting a new floor.  We bought tile before Christmas and then waited.... My hubby thought maybe we should do Nature Stone but we couldn't get get anyone to call us back... Guess they don't need the business or something, so we will go ahead with the tile. The windows in there need washing. That is something I can get done this weekend.  A big job but not too hard.

Last night I picked Spinach, Romaine and Buttercrunch lettuces from the garden... So good.  My corn, beans, cabbage and butternut squash is coming up... No sign of carrots yet... They seem to take a long time to sprout.  But everything looks like it is growing well. Strawberries are beginning to ripen... And it is nearly time to cover the blue berries with bird netting... I love having a garden with fresh and organic things to eat.

It would be nice to find some kind of fencing (that looks attractive) for around the garden. We had some orange safety stuff so my husband put that up to keep the bunny out.  It does work- it just doesn't look pretty and makes it more difficult to weed and or harvest. .. So I need to figure something else out, but in the meantime, it will do.

Today we are going to finish the mulching and then make some chocolate covered pretzels for a Graduation Party.  That should be fun- Making them and the party!  Somethings on the to do list are more fun than others.  Well, here we go~time to get started with my day.

Quiet Mornings

I love mornings... The quiet of it.  Getting up early and sipping my coffee.  Checking the garden.  Sitting on my front porch watching the birds.  Soaking in the peacefulness. Thinking about what to do today.

I looked through some photos on the computer and was amazed at the beauty of the flowers and animals and scenery and so I feel led to work in my garden and yard.... As the laundry is mostly done and dishes only take a few minutes.  Dinner will be easy.... I have a crock pot roast from yesterday, shredded beef is something  you can do a lot with and I can search for a recipe later.


Track was over on Monday.   Tuesday (last night) we had a soccer meeting.  Here we go with HS sports already.  My son's a Senior next fall so it will be his last year... I will try to enjoy it all.


But the end of this year is as busy as the end of any school year and so the last few weeks and the next two are crazy.... And I am so ready for it to be over... Summer vacation, time for relaxation....  But first, there is work to do!

In my Backyard

So yesterday, we were checking the garden and the burning bush next to the garden had some kind of crud on it- some thing attacking it and attracting the ants... So I asked my husband to just cut it out.  And he did.  As he cut away at it with a chain saw... A bird flew out... Oh no... See, every year a robin would nest in there but this year she did not... I checked earlier in the month.  And so we thought the property was vacant.

I stopped my husband and sure enough the next cut would take out the branch with the nest... The nest, which was now exposed to the elements, contained 3 little blue eggs and one larger brown egg.  I have heard that some birds will lay eggs in other birds nests and then the adoptive parent will care for the egg, and feed the baby which when it hatches may kill the others.  Very interesting... So what to do... I took the larger egg out of the nest and then placed the nest in the adjacent lilac bush.  Then sat up on my deck and watched the two sparrows fly back and forth looking for their nest and the clutch of eggs.  Sadly and to no avail I watched and after awhile I had to leave to go to my sons Baseball Banquet.  I felt bad about the little broken family that had been thrown into turmoil through no fault of their own.

After the banquet, it rained and it came down pretty hard... The sound of the rain was music to my ears.  The ground was getting a good soaking and that it would be good for my garden. My kids were together and my daughter was helping my son study for a Biology test.  More Music.


This morning when I got up, I started some laundry.  There was a bunny in the backyard near the garden... I  think that he was the one nibbling on my lettuce the other day... I have no evidence of that, but that is my assumption.  We put up a bit of fencing and since then the lettuce has been untouched....

I got a cup of coffee and went to check on the garden... Would anything have sprouted... Was the rain too hard... Did things wash out... And so, hopeful, I went outside.  Everything looked fine and as I walked along one bed... I thought of the  nest... Those three little blue eggs exposed to the weather last night... No longer viable, lifeless shells, and I walked over to take a peak... But I couldn't see the eggs because Mama was sitting on them in the nest.... AMAZING!  She found them and she took ownership of them even though I had moved them to a different place and space....  Wow... Picture me smiling...  It made me think how  God must look down from his throne and smile while we go about doing his business.   Living life, trying to please Him, the one who made all things... When times are good or even when life get crazy and things go awry---  we shouldn't give up.  :)

So I made a wide berth around her and checked on the rest of the garden... And everything looked fine... The radishes and turnips sprouted... Wow... Lots of life around here...  Picture me still smiling!

SuperMom's Alter Ego

SuperMom -vs- FatMom

I was thinking last night, that again, I have become FatMom--- She sneaks up and invades my presence when I am SuperMom for too long.

SuperMom can forget herself, her needs and desires for her family.  She does not complain about this... She loves "Doing",   "Helping",  and "Being there".  SuperMom can drop everything and bake brownies or cupcakes in an instant.  She can rearrange schedules with frightening ease and order.  She always has time to drive on a field trip or to practices.  Her house is mostly clean, everyone's laundry is done and there are always good things to eat...  SuperMom never forgets, and tries to please all members of the family.  She knows that little things make a difference.  She can help her kids study, whip up a practice test, or whatever is needed for school.  She is the finder of misplaced or lost items... Her familiar cry is "Let's retrace your steps".  As she races around to help in the search (sometimes by herself).  Supermom is an amazing woman, her yard is well kept.  The pets are tended to in a loving manner.   With seeming effortlessness, she manages everything and without complaint... usually.  LOL 

But Supermom can overtake the woman, and then her alter ego FatMom appears.  This is because when the woman forgoes her own desires in order to take care of her family.  She often eats on the run and skips her workout because of time factors... too much to do that day.  Sometimes she is just too tired to do it.  If something pops up with the family that causes a schedule conflict she usually cancels her plans.  FatMom  will sometimes get frustrated with herself.  Feeling like she is not on top of things.... Sometimes she feels sad and eats ice cream or something else to give her a boost, a reward.... But it doesn't help in the long run.  When FatMom has totally invaded it is apparent because the woman has nothing to wear, nothing that fits well and a change must be made..... Immediately!  

Today I say, "I must stop my quest to be SuperMom and just be mom.... Because that should be good enough...."   This maddness must end!  :)