When was the last time you went on a picnic? Eating fast food in your car or on the bleachers at your kid's little league game doesn't count.
No, a picnic needs food prepped and packed from home, plates, napkins, and a blanket. It requires you to sit on the ground.
It's been a while since I actually did that: sit on the ground and eat food that was served on a blanket. Usually when we eat outdoors we use a picnic table or the little wooden folding camp table that a neighbor made us years ago as a thank you after DH gave him some rough sawn pine boards. But what with having K3 visit this week, I'm doing all sorts of things that I haven't done in a while.
Pb & j, lemonade, cookies, some fruit, and a blanket in the yard. Easy peasy picnic!
Now it's your turn! Go on a picnic (pb & j optional, you can eat fancier if you'd like, but don't forget the blanket!) and you can leave the yard if you wish. ;0)
Friday, June 27, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Special Guest
I haven't posted much lately. I even missed posting a Challenge last Friday. That is because DH and I made an out of state trip to see DS2 compete in Nationals with his Concrete Canoe team (they came in 8th Overall), and while we were there, DS1, K2 and K3 traveled to meet us. It was great to see them all, and even better to bring K3 back to Michigan with us for a visit.
Which means, however, that this Grandma is on two-year-old patrol from the time I get up in the morning until about an hour or two before I go to bed at night. And that blessed hour (or if I'm lucky, two!) with a sleeping toddler is spent getting the house cleaned up before my blonde whirlwind wakes up and blows through it again.
Honestly, though, we are having a lot of fun. It's been 14 years since I had a 'round-the-clock two-year-old shadow. I'm not getting a heck of a whole lot done around the homestead (oh, the weeds in the garden!!), but I'm coloring, and playing ball, splashing in puddles, reading old favorite books, giving concerts of not-yet-forgotten children's songs (thanks, Raffi, for burning them into my brain so well), watching the ducks and geese and turkeys and chickens, even making a trip through the grocery store with a passenger in my cart (and neither one of us cried). I also have a chef's helper. And a reminder not to leave the butter dish uncovered if I turn my back for a minute.
K3 will be with us for about another week, then it will be time to go home to SC and greet her baby brother when he makes his entrance into the world.
Which means, however, that this Grandma is on two-year-old patrol from the time I get up in the morning until about an hour or two before I go to bed at night. And that blessed hour (or if I'm lucky, two!) with a sleeping toddler is spent getting the house cleaned up before my blonde whirlwind wakes up and blows through it again.
Honestly, though, we are having a lot of fun. It's been 14 years since I had a 'round-the-clock two-year-old shadow. I'm not getting a heck of a whole lot done around the homestead (oh, the weeds in the garden!!), but I'm coloring, and playing ball, splashing in puddles, reading old favorite books, giving concerts of not-yet-forgotten children's songs (thanks, Raffi, for burning them into my brain so well), watching the ducks and geese and turkeys and chickens, even making a trip through the grocery store with a passenger in my cart (and neither one of us cried). I also have a chef's helper. And a reminder not to leave the butter dish uncovered if I turn my back for a minute.
K3 will be with us for about another week, then it will be time to go home to SC and greet her baby brother when he makes his entrance into the world.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
The Storms We Didn't Get Yesterday. . .
. . .We are making up for today.
I was awakened about 3:30 this morning by rain coming in the window at the head of my bed. Dreaming about getting a shower is one thing; actually getting one while you lay in bed is another.
After shutting the window, I went back to sleep, and slept really well. For some reason, I have always slept better during a stormy night than a calm one.
The next thing I knew, it was six a.m., but still very black out, darker than the sky had been even at 5:00 a.m. for several weeks. I thought I had just beat my alarm clock by ten minutes, then I realized that what had awakened me this time was a change in the sound of the storm. The wind sounded differently, it's howl had changed pitch. I decided to get up for the day, and check things out for myself. I even briefly thought about waking up DD2 and sending her to the basement, until I realized she wasn't home, having spent last night at a friend's house.
Clouds were whipping by outside, driven down from the north. Their bottoms were suspiciously unflat, even pointed in areas. I kept an eye on them while I brushed my teeth and got dressed, looking for any points that might start extending ground ward. A sign that I, myself, should probably retreat to the basement.
None did (and so I didn't either), in fact within a half hour the brunt of the storm had passed by. Now the sky looked more like morning. A gray, dreary wet one, but at least it resembled morning more than pre-dawn. Time to head out to feed the horses down at the farm.
It only rained about twenty more minutes in the next two hours, which allowed me to get most of my animals chores done without the aid of my raincoat. (Side note: that raincoat is probably the best 25 cents I ever spent, purchased at a garage sale in 1993 for a quarter, I've been wearing it for outdoor work in rainy weather ever since.)
We had about a five hour reprieve from any stormy weather; then, mid-afternoon, the black clouds rolled back in. They came from the west, but as the front hit, the wind abruptly changed to be from the north again. This little place here was swiftly enveloped in the storm. It seemed like the clouds wrapped around the property in a giant bear hug.
The temperature has dropped ten degrees in the last thirty minutes, since I began snapping pictures of the clouds that were moving in. It's a decent storm; I think the eye is overhead at the moment, as the sky has lightened, the wind died to nothing, and the rain is a steady gentle patter on the roof. Just a few minutes ago I had to have every window in the house closed, as the wind was pushing rain in from every direction. The leaves on the trees were all belly up in the rushing wind, but now they hang quietly, as if asleep. Thunder rumbles and echoes, not quite dying away entirely before it increases in volume again. I'm ready for round two; the backside of the storm.
I love storms. They fascinate me. I think in another life; or rather, had I been born a girl-child in the nineties instead of the early seventies, I might have become a storm chaser. As it was, I was married with four kids before I was aware that such a career even existed. A little too late for me. So, I am content being a storm observer from this little place here.
I was awakened about 3:30 this morning by rain coming in the window at the head of my bed. Dreaming about getting a shower is one thing; actually getting one while you lay in bed is another.
After shutting the window, I went back to sleep, and slept really well. For some reason, I have always slept better during a stormy night than a calm one.
The next thing I knew, it was six a.m., but still very black out, darker than the sky had been even at 5:00 a.m. for several weeks. I thought I had just beat my alarm clock by ten minutes, then I realized that what had awakened me this time was a change in the sound of the storm. The wind sounded differently, it's howl had changed pitch. I decided to get up for the day, and check things out for myself. I even briefly thought about waking up DD2 and sending her to the basement, until I realized she wasn't home, having spent last night at a friend's house.
Clouds were whipping by outside, driven down from the north. Their bottoms were suspiciously unflat, even pointed in areas. I kept an eye on them while I brushed my teeth and got dressed, looking for any points that might start extending ground ward. A sign that I, myself, should probably retreat to the basement.
None did (and so I didn't either), in fact within a half hour the brunt of the storm had passed by. Now the sky looked more like morning. A gray, dreary wet one, but at least it resembled morning more than pre-dawn. Time to head out to feed the horses down at the farm.
It only rained about twenty more minutes in the next two hours, which allowed me to get most of my animals chores done without the aid of my raincoat. (Side note: that raincoat is probably the best 25 cents I ever spent, purchased at a garage sale in 1993 for a quarter, I've been wearing it for outdoor work in rainy weather ever since.)
the 25 cent raincoat,
a bit grubby on the sleeves but still waterproof
We had about a five hour reprieve from any stormy weather; then, mid-afternoon, the black clouds rolled back in. They came from the west, but as the front hit, the wind abruptly changed to be from the north again. This little place here was swiftly enveloped in the storm. It seemed like the clouds wrapped around the property in a giant bear hug.
to the northwest,
over the hay field
low-hanging cloud bottom over hay field
to the west,
going to come over the orchard and the duck/turkey/goose pen
looking south southwest,
over the garden
northeast,
over the field
due north
Then the rain hit, suddenly and hard. No warning sprinkles, just a sky that burst open and down came the rain, so thick you could hardly see through it.
the field and oak tree
The temperature has dropped ten degrees in the last thirty minutes, since I began snapping pictures of the clouds that were moving in. It's a decent storm; I think the eye is overhead at the moment, as the sky has lightened, the wind died to nothing, and the rain is a steady gentle patter on the roof. Just a few minutes ago I had to have every window in the house closed, as the wind was pushing rain in from every direction. The leaves on the trees were all belly up in the rushing wind, but now they hang quietly, as if asleep. Thunder rumbles and echoes, not quite dying away entirely before it increases in volume again. I'm ready for round two; the backside of the storm.
I love storms. They fascinate me. I think in another life; or rather, had I been born a girl-child in the nineties instead of the early seventies, I might have become a storm chaser. As it was, I was married with four kids before I was aware that such a career even existed. A little too late for me. So, I am content being a storm observer from this little place here.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Another Baby Quilt
Time is getting short before my nephew is due to arrive in this world, and I figured I should probably get his quilt finished. Today's weather forecast was originally stormy, so I had planned that, being stuck inside due to inclement weather, I should spend a few hours sandwiching and quilting my newest creation.
The weather forecast was wrong; not a drop of rain fell all day. It was, however, hot and humid, so the middle hours of the day were best spent indoors. And, while I had the iron out and heated up for pressing the backing fabric of the quilt before assembly, I knocked off my pile of ironing too. Killing two birds with one stone, as it were. (And much easier to explain how several hours of my day was spent 'playing' instead of working, LOL)
I really like how this latest quilt turned out. I had chosen the fabrics, wanted to do pinwheels with them, and drawn up a couple different color combos and placements for the blocks. DD2 was privileged enough to be my design consultant (I have yet to make a quilt from a kit or pattern thought up by someone other than myself), and she picked the design that featured an equal number of light and dark blocks.
Now that the quilt is done, I really like how it turned out. She has a good eye. I'll have to remember to get her opinion for future designs too.
I call this one "What's His Name's Quilt", since, as last I heard (two weeks ago), his parents had not yet agreed upon a name for him. He'll be here in the next seven days--as per a deadline given by the obstetrician--so they'll be deciding on a moniker pretty soon. Or else this eccentric old aunt will start referring to him in person as WHN. ;0)
The weather forecast was wrong; not a drop of rain fell all day. It was, however, hot and humid, so the middle hours of the day were best spent indoors. And, while I had the iron out and heated up for pressing the backing fabric of the quilt before assembly, I knocked off my pile of ironing too. Killing two birds with one stone, as it were. (And much easier to explain how several hours of my day was spent 'playing' instead of working, LOL)
I really like how this latest quilt turned out. I had chosen the fabrics, wanted to do pinwheels with them, and drawn up a couple different color combos and placements for the blocks. DD2 was privileged enough to be my design consultant (I have yet to make a quilt from a kit or pattern thought up by someone other than myself), and she picked the design that featured an equal number of light and dark blocks.
Now that the quilt is done, I really like how it turned out. She has a good eye. I'll have to remember to get her opinion for future designs too.
I call this one "What's His Name's Quilt", since, as last I heard (two weeks ago), his parents had not yet agreed upon a name for him. He'll be here in the next seven days--as per a deadline given by the obstetrician--so they'll be deciding on a moniker pretty soon. Or else this eccentric old aunt will start referring to him in person as WHN. ;0)
Monday, June 16, 2014
Just Hangin' With the Wildlife
It was a busy weekend at this little place here, but not much of interest to write about. Hoeing weeds in the garden, replanting my peas (sometimes you just gotta till it under and start again--a few pea plants in all of six double rows made that area just not worth weeding, so I had DH hit the pea patch with the tiller and I replanted them in hopes of better germination this time), splitting and stacking wood for this winter. . .
Mowing the lawn and the paths in the garden, as well as the perimeter path around the property. Planting a few annuals in the flower beds. Grilling and chilling with some burgers and some micro brews out by the fire ring. . .
It was a pretty quiet weekend, and we got a lot of work done.
DD2 had gone with me when I went shopping on Friday, and she talked me into the annuals that I bought. I did need a few to dress up the front flowerbed and the flowerbed in front of the propane tank now that the early season flush of perennials is just about over. Next come the day lilies and the Asiatics, then there isn't a whole lot of blooming things other than some salvia and black-eyed Susans (called brown-eyed Susans around here, as one of my grandmother's was named Susan and she had brown eyes. . .) to carry the floral show through until it's time for the mums in the fall. Hence a few pansies and petunias sprinkled in here and there for interest. Plus I needed marigolds to put in the garden amid my tomato plants to ward off tomato worms.
Anyway, DD2 was admiring the hanging baskets of annuals at the store, and I happened to mention that I had an old, empty hanging basket in the barn that she could use to make her own arrangement. We also have potting soil, so why buy a basket and dirt just to get the pretty flowers when we could buy her choice of flowers (on sale, of course) and she could make her own personalized basket. She immediately chose three different types of annuals she wanted to make her very own basket with, a combination that would be much more colorful that anything ready-made at the store.
Creating that living floral arrangement took her an hour or so this weekend. She hung it on the (previously empty) shepherd's hook in the front yard. About five minutes later, she declared it 'needed something to balance it out', as my shepherd's hook is the kind that can hang two things, not just one. It didn't take her long to rummage around in my collection of 'haven't used it in years but can't quite get rid of it' items out in the barn and come back with the hummingbird feeder. She proceeded to wash that up, look up a recipe for homemade hummingbird food (4:1 water and sugar, plus a little red food coloring), and once the feeder was filled, hang it opposite her basket of flowers.
Within a few hours a bluebird was drawn to the colors now hanging from the shepherd's hook. It added even more color while it perched for a few minutes, checking things out.
By the next morning several hummingbirds had discovered the feeder. I was able to get a picture of one, later in the day. It appears to be a female ruby-throated hummingbird.
Looks like DD2 needs to whip up another batch of hummingbird food.
We even had a deer come in about 50 yards from the fire ring, lay down in the shade of the big oak tree and just watch us for a while.
Have I ever mentioned how much we love living at this little place here?
Mowing the lawn and the paths in the garden, as well as the perimeter path around the property. Planting a few annuals in the flower beds. Grilling and chilling with some burgers and some micro brews out by the fire ring. . .
It was a pretty quiet weekend, and we got a lot of work done.
DD2 had gone with me when I went shopping on Friday, and she talked me into the annuals that I bought. I did need a few to dress up the front flowerbed and the flowerbed in front of the propane tank now that the early season flush of perennials is just about over. Next come the day lilies and the Asiatics, then there isn't a whole lot of blooming things other than some salvia and black-eyed Susans (called brown-eyed Susans around here, as one of my grandmother's was named Susan and she had brown eyes. . .) to carry the floral show through until it's time for the mums in the fall. Hence a few pansies and petunias sprinkled in here and there for interest. Plus I needed marigolds to put in the garden amid my tomato plants to ward off tomato worms.
Anyway, DD2 was admiring the hanging baskets of annuals at the store, and I happened to mention that I had an old, empty hanging basket in the barn that she could use to make her own arrangement. We also have potting soil, so why buy a basket and dirt just to get the pretty flowers when we could buy her choice of flowers (on sale, of course) and she could make her own personalized basket. She immediately chose three different types of annuals she wanted to make her very own basket with, a combination that would be much more colorful that anything ready-made at the store.
Creating that living floral arrangement took her an hour or so this weekend. She hung it on the (previously empty) shepherd's hook in the front yard. About five minutes later, she declared it 'needed something to balance it out', as my shepherd's hook is the kind that can hang two things, not just one. It didn't take her long to rummage around in my collection of 'haven't used it in years but can't quite get rid of it' items out in the barn and come back with the hummingbird feeder. She proceeded to wash that up, look up a recipe for homemade hummingbird food (4:1 water and sugar, plus a little red food coloring), and once the feeder was filled, hang it opposite her basket of flowers.
Within a few hours a bluebird was drawn to the colors now hanging from the shepherd's hook. It added even more color while it perched for a few minutes, checking things out.
By the next morning several hummingbirds had discovered the feeder. I was able to get a picture of one, later in the day. It appears to be a female ruby-throated hummingbird.
We even had a deer come in about 50 yards from the fire ring, lay down in the shade of the big oak tree and just watch us for a while.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Challenge #23: Make Dessert
This should be a challenge that everyone can participate in. I can't imagine anyone out there in the wide wide world who might be reading my blog and is unable to take part in this challenge. It's not limited to those who have children, it's not limited to a certain gender, it's not limited to those who live in rural areas. It's not limited to those who have animals, or gardening space, or crafty aspirations, or cluttered closets. This is a challenge without prejudice, lol.
Make dessert.
There it is, in all it's glory: make dessert. Whatever your heart desires. Or, maybe whatever you have readily available. Right now, for us at this little place here, it's strawberries. We have enough strawberry preserves in the cellar to last another year or two, so I'm not so concerned with 'saving' the strawberries that ripen daily this week and next (and then that's about it for my personal strawberry season) for jam making. Instead, we are eating our fill of them. Strawberry smoothies. Strawberries on my breakfast granola (yum yum yum! and yum again!). And of course, strawberries in desserts. Last night was parfaits made with chocolate pudding, fresh strawberries, and freshly whipped cream. Pure decadence!
Plus, this Sunday is Father's Day, and most people I know have some sort of special meal for their dad or their husband (ie. their children's dad) on that day. Add dessert to that meal, and you've got this challenge wrapped up. One of those no-brainer kind of things that you can look back on and feel a sense of accomplishment for without actually having to add in a herculean task to your all ready busy life.
Besides, who doesn't like dessert?
Make dessert.
There it is, in all it's glory: make dessert. Whatever your heart desires. Or, maybe whatever you have readily available. Right now, for us at this little place here, it's strawberries. We have enough strawberry preserves in the cellar to last another year or two, so I'm not so concerned with 'saving' the strawberries that ripen daily this week and next (and then that's about it for my personal strawberry season) for jam making. Instead, we are eating our fill of them. Strawberry smoothies. Strawberries on my breakfast granola (yum yum yum! and yum again!). And of course, strawberries in desserts. Last night was parfaits made with chocolate pudding, fresh strawberries, and freshly whipped cream. Pure decadence!
Plus, this Sunday is Father's Day, and most people I know have some sort of special meal for their dad or their husband (ie. their children's dad) on that day. Add dessert to that meal, and you've got this challenge wrapped up. One of those no-brainer kind of things that you can look back on and feel a sense of accomplishment for without actually having to add in a herculean task to your all ready busy life.
Besides, who doesn't like dessert?
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Diversity
I'm not talking about people here. People are their own ball of wax, and I'm not touching that subject with a ten foot pole.
Nope, this post, this Diversity, is about my observations on how the flora and fauna of this little place here has changed in the twelve years we've owned it. How it was as a farm field (conventionally grown grain crops) with a chunk of woods, a weedy wooded fence line, and a road frontage with a few large walnut trees but mostly brush and vines. How it is now with hay field, yard, garden, orchard, partially cleaned road frontage and fence line, and it's original wooded chunk.
The first thing I noticed, when we began making our personal mark on the land, was the absence of earthworms. No matter where in the vast acreage of field I dug, I could hardly find an earthworm. That just seemed so strange to me. Worms live in the soil, so why, with all these acres of soil, could I not find even a handful of worms? What was up with that?
The second thing I noticed, when we attempted to grow a small patch of pumpkins and corn in what was cut off from the acres of field by the loop in our driveway (a piece of ground we commonly refer to as "The Circle"), was that the soil was hard, pale clay. And that no matter how much water we hauled to those plants, they didn't grow. Every single seed had sprouted willingly, but after that initial sprout, it was all downhill for those poor plants. Despite the watering and the weeding, they were all pale, sickly looking seedlings. Most of them died within a few weeks, and all of them by about the ten week mark. Not a single pumpkin nor ear of corn was produced. Meanwhile, back at our other home, the one we owned and lived in prior to buying this little place here and completing construction on this house, my garden thrived. Same weather, same care in terms of watering and weeding, even same variety of seeds, but different soil. At that house the garden had been carved out of a long-time lawn, the soil was sandy loam, and it received an application of composted pony manure every fall/winter. No sprays or pelleted fertilizer had ever touched that garden (due to DS2's sensitivity to chemicals), unlike the nasty clay soil I was trying to grow corn and pumpkins on at this little place here. Interestingly, the corn in the garden at the other house was a healthy dark green and thrived all summer long, growing taller than DH and producing well shaped ears that were filled with juicy kernels.
As the years went by, and I started an official garden plot at this little place here, I hauled in, spread on, and tilled in several tons of composted horse manure. As the years went by, the soil in my garden loosened, and darkened, and didn't crust as badly. And the worms, oh my gosh, the worms! I can't put my trowel in the soil anywhere in that garden and not come up with two or three or more earthworms. What a difference from not one worm in a whole shovelful of soil at the beginning of my gardening endeavors at this little place here. (Interesting sidenote: on the acres we lease out that are still farmed conventionally, there continues to be a lack of earthworms.)
It is not just the worms that have migrated in and thrived. The number of species of birds continues to increase. At first, we only saw birds in the woods, with the occasional starling taking up residence closer to the house (like in the boom of the backhoe we owned at the time). I was still putting out bird feeders back then, and rarely saw anything other than starlings and a few sparrows, with goldfinches showing up if I filled a feeder with thistle seed (something I really regret doing now, as thistles continue to be a nemesis in the garden, whereas before feeding the darn birds thistle seed there were no thistles. . .).
Now we have robins and larks and house finches, barn swallows and tree swallows, several types of sparrows, red winged blackbirds, hummingbirds, bobolinks, yellow warblers, kildeer, bluebirds, catbirds, and new this year is a northern mockingbird. And I have not set out a bird feeder in probably seven or eight years. They all have natural food sources here now, as well as nesting sites. When the majority of this little place here was mono-cropped, sprayed field, they didn't have that except on the edges: the woods, the overgrown road frontage and fence line. Now there are flowers and bushes and trees scattered here and there; there are the pests that like garden plants and herbs and hops--the pests that are the natural food source of those birds. As long as the birds are around, the pest population never gets so bad that it makes a negative impact on my harvest of those plants, herbs, and hops. I get fed, the birds get fed, and I get to enjoy the birds too.
I'm a believer in diversity. I've seen for myself what a difference there can be when there is a variety of plant life on a piece of land; how that in itself will bring in a diversified fauna, and how they all interact together to keep things balanced.
(As an example of how abundant the bird population has become, the following pictures were all taken so far this month, either in the garden, near the house, or near the barn.)
Nope, this post, this Diversity, is about my observations on how the flora and fauna of this little place here has changed in the twelve years we've owned it. How it was as a farm field (conventionally grown grain crops) with a chunk of woods, a weedy wooded fence line, and a road frontage with a few large walnut trees but mostly brush and vines. How it is now with hay field, yard, garden, orchard, partially cleaned road frontage and fence line, and it's original wooded chunk.
The first thing I noticed, when we began making our personal mark on the land, was the absence of earthworms. No matter where in the vast acreage of field I dug, I could hardly find an earthworm. That just seemed so strange to me. Worms live in the soil, so why, with all these acres of soil, could I not find even a handful of worms? What was up with that?
The second thing I noticed, when we attempted to grow a small patch of pumpkins and corn in what was cut off from the acres of field by the loop in our driveway (a piece of ground we commonly refer to as "The Circle"), was that the soil was hard, pale clay. And that no matter how much water we hauled to those plants, they didn't grow. Every single seed had sprouted willingly, but after that initial sprout, it was all downhill for those poor plants. Despite the watering and the weeding, they were all pale, sickly looking seedlings. Most of them died within a few weeks, and all of them by about the ten week mark. Not a single pumpkin nor ear of corn was produced. Meanwhile, back at our other home, the one we owned and lived in prior to buying this little place here and completing construction on this house, my garden thrived. Same weather, same care in terms of watering and weeding, even same variety of seeds, but different soil. At that house the garden had been carved out of a long-time lawn, the soil was sandy loam, and it received an application of composted pony manure every fall/winter. No sprays or pelleted fertilizer had ever touched that garden (due to DS2's sensitivity to chemicals), unlike the nasty clay soil I was trying to grow corn and pumpkins on at this little place here. Interestingly, the corn in the garden at the other house was a healthy dark green and thrived all summer long, growing taller than DH and producing well shaped ears that were filled with juicy kernels.
As the years went by, and I started an official garden plot at this little place here, I hauled in, spread on, and tilled in several tons of composted horse manure. As the years went by, the soil in my garden loosened, and darkened, and didn't crust as badly. And the worms, oh my gosh, the worms! I can't put my trowel in the soil anywhere in that garden and not come up with two or three or more earthworms. What a difference from not one worm in a whole shovelful of soil at the beginning of my gardening endeavors at this little place here. (Interesting sidenote: on the acres we lease out that are still farmed conventionally, there continues to be a lack of earthworms.)
It is not just the worms that have migrated in and thrived. The number of species of birds continues to increase. At first, we only saw birds in the woods, with the occasional starling taking up residence closer to the house (like in the boom of the backhoe we owned at the time). I was still putting out bird feeders back then, and rarely saw anything other than starlings and a few sparrows, with goldfinches showing up if I filled a feeder with thistle seed (something I really regret doing now, as thistles continue to be a nemesis in the garden, whereas before feeding the darn birds thistle seed there were no thistles. . .).
Now we have robins and larks and house finches, barn swallows and tree swallows, several types of sparrows, red winged blackbirds, hummingbirds, bobolinks, yellow warblers, kildeer, bluebirds, catbirds, and new this year is a northern mockingbird. And I have not set out a bird feeder in probably seven or eight years. They all have natural food sources here now, as well as nesting sites. When the majority of this little place here was mono-cropped, sprayed field, they didn't have that except on the edges: the woods, the overgrown road frontage and fence line. Now there are flowers and bushes and trees scattered here and there; there are the pests that like garden plants and herbs and hops--the pests that are the natural food source of those birds. As long as the birds are around, the pest population never gets so bad that it makes a negative impact on my harvest of those plants, herbs, and hops. I get fed, the birds get fed, and I get to enjoy the birds too.
I'm a believer in diversity. I've seen for myself what a difference there can be when there is a variety of plant life on a piece of land; how that in itself will bring in a diversified fauna, and how they all interact together to keep things balanced.
(As an example of how abundant the bird population has become, the following pictures were all taken so far this month, either in the garden, near the house, or near the barn.)
barn swallow in the rain
(they have a nest above one of the second story windows)
male gold finch
male red wing blackbird
bluebird
northern mockingbird
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