Hummingbird rescue (another one)

I heard a worried squeaking and knew we had a bird in the house. Sure enough, nAimless had a hummingbird in her mouth. I made her give it to me, it was a male rubythroat, such pitiful chirping! I guess he assumed the transfer from cat mouth to human hand couldn't be good. I went on the porch and opened my hands and he made a beeline for the big holly tree. Yea! I had just fleadoped all the animals so I was REAL glad I'd washed that poison off my hands right away. No telling what Frontline or Advantage would do to such a little fellow.

Two or three days ago I rescued one that had flown in through the open back door and was frantically trying to get out the window. Sounded like a giant bumble bee. They're surprisingly easy to catch.

Text Heute, Bilder Morgen.

Heute habe ich den Tagelang gearbeitet.

[Lately- spAEtestens?] lese ich Flylady.com, und in der letzen Woche ist das Haus auch sauberer und [neater - mehr ordentlich?] geworden. So also, frUEh Morgens putzte ich in der KUEche und im Bad, und dan hab' ich mein Computer-tisch [desk?] gut geordnet. Sollte zwei Minuten dauern (Flylady's "hot spot" exercise) aber in zwanzig Minuten war ich fast damit [through - durch? fertig?].

Heute habe ich auch angefangen mehr Wasser den tagedurch zu trinken. Das ist auch so ein Flylady Ding. Na, dan war ich mit dem [desk - Tisch] fertig und ging zu'm Haufen im Ofen-zimmer (wo der Holz-ofen ist, und auch meine NAEhmaschine) und hab den Haufen aufgehoben. Das meiste war [tools - schraubenzieher usw.] von, oder fUEr, meine Arbeit (Electriker). Die habe ich alle zur Garage genommen, und die werden den ein anderen Tag weiter weg-getan. Das war ein riesen-Haufen und hat UEberhaubt nicht lange gedauert. Danke, Flylady!

Na, dan war's Mittag, und ich machte aus Zeitschrift ein einfaches Muster fUEr eine... ... ...na so was! FrUEher kennte ich das Wort, was ist das den... was man trAEgt zur Hausarbeit. 'Ne Schirze! SchUErtze? Die habe ich ausgeschnitten und genAEht, sieht ganz vernUEmftig aus, aber wenn ich sie trage seh ich dick aus. Ist aber bestimmt nicht nur die SchUErze.

Taschen hat sie. Die Taschen war'n schOEn wenn ich die WAEsche spAEter reinbrachte, na, da hat' ich ein Korb, aber die [clothespins - Klammern? WAEsche-klammern?]die gingen mir in den Taschen. Heute war auch das erste mal dies Jahr das ich die Leine benutzte.

Dan machte ich Abendessen, was bei uns meistens mehr wie Mittag ist und dan Mittags haben wir Suppe oder 'ne Stulle oder Salat... wir hatten heute Abend so ungefAEhr Reste: von Sonnabend's Truthan (drippings - das Fett?) hab ich wieder Sahne (gravy?) gemacht, und dazu hatten wir Kartoffeln, Champignons, und [stuffing/dressing ?] Da is vielleicht noch eine Stulle-wert Fleisch und dan mach ich 'ne schOEne Suppe mit den KOErper. Wenichstens hoffe es wird schOEn.

Dann hat der Mann Rasen gemAEht und ich zog Unkraut. Aber nicht das alle Unkraut, sonst hAEtte ich kein Rasen! Der LOEwenzahn ist noch hUEbsch, da mach ich nur die ausgeblUEteten ab und lasste die schOEnen, dem "Purple Deadnettle" zog ich auch die langen BlUEten ab (wenn's zu lang wird, wird's gemAEht, und dan hab ich keine Wildblumen). Man, da sind eine menge Veilchen! SUEss sehen die aus. Ich fand auch ein Halbdutzent Sonnenblumen (ganz kleine) im Rasen, da legte ich Steine rum, das die hoffentlich nicht gemAEht werden.

In der NAEhe der Vogel-fUEtterer zog ich unkraut, das [ragweed] und [garlic mustard] und andere, und so 'nen kleinen Spatz hUEpfte mir ganz nah, so ein Meter weg. Der war UEberhaubt nicht nervOEs. Ganz jung war er bestimmt. Ich hoffe, er ist mit dem Katzen [more cautious - passt besser aus].

Na, Morgen mach ich Links und Bilder, aber nun mach ich Schluss. Ich habe noch nich mein email angesehen Heute, UEberhaubt nicht, und halb-zehn Nachts ist es hier!

nAimless' gift

 
I was sitting at my computer, my back to the room, when I heard a THUNK behind me. I turned to look, and saw my cat nAimless (formerly known as Nameless) sitting on the arm of the big chairtrap, staring down into the livingroom's short trash can. Curious, I walked over to see what she was looking at (and what caused that "THUNK," anyway?). In the trashcan was a black bird. I picked it up and it didn't react. I took it to the front porch, laid it on the porch rail and it just lay there. I thought, "it has a broken neck," and picked it up again, not sure what I wanted to do, but not wanting the cats to torture it either. th'Mr opined its neck was not broken; the bird was in shock. So I carried it back through the house, to the back porch. I got the empty hanging planter I'd used before --from here on known as the bird recovery room-- and pulled some dry grass to put in it. By this time the bird was hanging on to my shirt with one talon. When I got bird and recovery room to the recovery tree I tipped bird toward the basket, let go of bird, bird hopped into basket, I hung basket in tree and I walked away. Not five minutes later bird was gone.

It's started

 
Something woke me. Some noise, I come instantly awake, worried about "my babies," my hair standing on end.

I get a housecoat and flashlight, walk through, counting heads. th'Mr in bed beside me, breathing well. Two cats in bed with us, Raleigh & Nameless. Booger in the living room, Klutz asleep in a chair, the dog Grrrl asleep in another, Shorty on the dog bed. In the kitchen, Sapphire on the table over the heater. Back into the living room; Winston asleep on the laptop case. That's all but Roadie (as usual). Sweep the flashlight under the bed. th'Mr stirs, says, "what time is it?"

"Quarter to four," I answer.

I lay back down. Five minutes later, realizing I'm indeed wide awake I get up, go in the kitchen, heat a mug of milk with almond extract. Tense, I spill a little too much almond into the milk. To the computer, check mail, check facebook.

Drink my milk, start a game of mahjong.

The noise! Again! The flashlight in the chair with me, in my hand, I follow the noise. Booger, shoulders hunched, heads to the stoveroom. I follow. He's under a table. I say his name. He stops. I reach for the noise, grab the baby bird.

It tries to bite me. I talk to it, take it quickly outside. There's a hanging basket, empty. Bird into basket, basket into fragile tree limbs. Maybe I'll be lucky. Sometimes when I check, they're gone. Other times they die in the basket.




Back in the house, muddy feet, Booger sulks, still under the table. I pet him, praise him for letting me have the bird, for there being no visible damage.

It's started. I love Spring, but not this part.

Happy Holiday

Same three turkeys have hung around in the back yard all week. When I go outside they head for the woods, but they look less alarmed all the time. Winston was outside stalking them a little while ago. That was a funny sight.

The tom's limp is much less noticeable today.

We both think it's a good idea to buy some cracked corn (or something) to scatter in the yard for them. They're our guests, after all.

In a little while we're going to split some firewood. That'll probably send them walking majestically toward the woods again.

Turkeys, as seen from my desk

A bit hard to see, but there are three of them. The biggest, a tom I believe, has a pronounced limp. I scattered bird seed around the wood pile & garden, and after a couple hours they came back. The same three, I assume, the biggest one limping.

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early morning weirdness

After feeding the cats, letting the dog out & back in, and fixing my cuppa tea, I sat down at my computer, which faces a corner where two windows meet. I saw a large dark shape detach itself from the top of the apple pine walnut tree to my left (east) and sail into the neighbors' yard; I thought, "Hawk" and worried about cats, theirs more than ours, because while ours are all full grown theirs include a crop of kittens...

In just a minute I saw the large dark shape walking around under their birdfeeder --definitely turkey-shaped. "Aha," I thought. "We have some pretty tame wild turkeys." But I already knew that; witness the photos I've taken of the flock walking around in my backyard; they seem to see me more as an annoyance than a threat and only when I persist in coming closer and closer do they head for the woods.

(note to self: put turkey flock pix up) ...here's a link to last year's turkeys:
MeowMom: turkey weather?
(and Banjo/Boots pix)

Well, these neighbors with the crop'o'kittens and birdfeeder have also two dogs; the elderly Banjo and the younger Boots. Wasn't long before Boots came tearing out in attack mode (fetch mode?) and yon turkey went into take-off mode: it taxied for a short while, then lifted off, then currrvvved upward-- and, I presume, flew back into my apple pine walnut tree to roost once more.

There's still snow on all the north-facing slopes, by the way. I expect we'll have that till April or so...

brief everything update

We spent early May painting and reflooring half the house and now we're "destashing," to borrow a word from fiberholics. Both of us have tossed our closets a couple of times, weeding out more and more of the unused space-takers, and will continue to do so till there are open spaces everywhere. I have shredded and composted years worth of unnecessary paper. We have freecycled and goodwilled and passed on to family members furniture, furnishings, and books. Everyone's breathing easier, the house is easier to clean, things are easier to find and we're having more fun and more time to have fun in.

The garden looks good. This year it's closer to the house and already I can tell the weeds and rocks we made war on last year (organically: picking by hand) are not as persistent this year. The perennials all seem to have survived (maybe not the torch lilies), even the tiny yellow rose bush. We've cut back roses and apple trees. The yard looks better than it has in years.

The hummingbirds came in early May, and judging by early numbers it looks like we'll have more than ever.

Th'Mr is getting his health back and is back to work, with two separate projects going, and I'm looking into getting an advanced degree when my own work schedule calms down some. I love what I do, but some days I can really tell I'm not a kid anymore. The degree I'm looking into will get me out of the "bull work" of the trade and into the fine tuning: away from the mechanics of the operation and into the (climate controlled) control rooms. It's all good.

chemical weirdness and oops

On the way home Wednesday I turned on the flashlight I keep on the passenger seat in order to better see the odometer (Astro's dashlight is weak, gas gauge is way off, and I keep track of ~when~ I need to fuel up by how far I've gone since the last time). The flashlight flickered, then went out. Okay, no big deal; it needs new batteries.

Later Wednesday night I grabbed the big flashlight off th'Mr's desk to investigate a corner of the livingroom. It flickered and went out. Later, when I jokingly told him I'm killing flashlights, he turned on that same big flashlight, and it stayed on. I am killing flashlights?! Yesterday he asked if I'd tried the little one in Astro again since then. I hadn't.

But this morning, looking for envelopes, I tried the big one on his desk again. Again it flickered and went out.

So I went outside, to Astro (who, by the way, got two new tires yesterday, but no tune up) and got the small, passenger-seat flashlight, which didn't even bother flickering. Okay, it's 26 degrees out, the cold kills batteries. I brought it in, will put in a couple of new double-A's, and see what happens next.

Oops. Twentysix degrees out. I also brought in five hummingbird feeders, three of which are frozen. Hope they haven't cracked. I guess the hummer season is over for the year.

surprise!

It's Monday, and I'm not at work.

It is really hard for me to leave home Monday mornings (and easy for th'Mr to convince me not to go). Imagine how hard it would be if I were leaving every morning, instead of just once a week!

It's not a great idea financially, though. At least I don't have to worry about losing my job. I'll have that till it ends, unless I really screw up (fail a drug test, get caught with a camera, etc).

Haven't seen any hummingbirds in three or four weeks, but I'm leaving the feeders up a little longer for stragglers. The goldfinches are all now brownfinches. Overnight temperatures have been in the forties. The leaves are turning -- maybe it'll be a pretty fall. Maybe the cold weather will pass as quickly as the summer seemed to. I'm already ready for spring, and planting.

getting there

All right!
Got up and finished a book while having a tub soak, found the gloves, fixed the cucumber salad, gave the cats their liver, got in an hour of porch sitting split between cross stitching, brushing Winston and taking hummingbird pictures, started the pork roast, went to the bank & grocery while the pork cooked, dosed Grrrl and Nameless, and now I'm logging some bills at wheresgeorge.com.

Still have laundry & packing to do; I could still use a nap, and the closet light might wait another week, but I've cleaned out the fridge and have a plan for some sewing next weekend:

A couple weeks ago I bought two sets of high-thread-count sheets at a yard sale; one is queen and one is double, so both are the wrong size for our full-size bed, but if I cut a strip out of the fitted one that's too big and sew it into the one that's too small I may have two good sets of sheets when it's done. Or I'll be out seven bucks, but that's worth the lesson.

convince me

Well, some time between mowing, pulling weeds in the garden, refilling the hummingbird feeders, shredding cucumbers for cuke salad, planting my bamboo-that-is-not-really-a-bamboo and having a beer, I decided that six months from now we won't even notice the roughly twohundred dollars I'll miss by not going to work tomorrow, and that there's really too much left to do to declare the weekend over. Simple as that.

Laundry is still unfinished, I haven't unpacked/repacked, I have a pork roast thawed that I need to cook, have to finish making the cucumber salad, liver is thawed to feed the cats (I don't like to refreeze it once it's thawed), still have two netflixes to watch, haven't done the first bit of knitting or cross stitch this weekend, my back hurts, I want a nap --a real nap, a daytime nap, not a night-- and a drink, I haven't found the gloves I brought th'Mr from work, haven't done any cat brushing this weekend, Nameless Roadie and Grrrl still need their flea dope doses, haven't been to the grocery yet, I have the light in my bedroom closet still to replace and I'd like a long soak in the tub...

th'Mr tells me the Perseids meteor shower is going on tonight, and if it's clear out we ought to drive up to the Enex Cemetery (where we got married, yes, in the woods, at the cemetery) to watch it. Because that's far enough away from city lights & so forth, which is one of the reasons we got married there -- no traffic noises, etc. So I hopped on line to see if it's clear or cloudy out. Really, right now it's in that grey area between daylight and dark you can't tell if the stars will come out or not. Simplest is go to my google home page and see what the weather says.

Productive

Friday I fixed the lawnmower - like I thought, it was the carburetor float stuck open, but the reason was not because it was "gunked up," like I supposed, but the arm coming from the throttle lever was not hooking up with the piece of wire going to the float. Once I hooked those up together I was able to mow. Got about half the backyard cut down, then moved on to the next project...

Tinkered with the biggest of the window A/C units & decided it wasn't fixable --not by me anyway-- so instead got another one out of the barn and put it in the kitchen window. The bigger one sat in the living room window and would have cooled the whole house, except it only ran once, till I touched it. Someone told me I shouldn't have touched it quite as hard, but I really don't think that's what it was.

Then we made a run to Lexington, picked up th'Mr's new desk and visited the Liquor Barn to the tune of $150.- Beer, wine, champagne, vodka, gin, tequila, rum, jack daniels and wild turkey. Happy camper, I am.

Forgot all about knitnight.

Saturday I caught up my email --that took several hours-- then at eleven I took off for the vet's (to get more flea dope - we'd had enough on hand to do only 3/4ths of the cats and no dog), who closes at noon Saturdays, and made a quick stop at Lowe's for a porcelain fixture for my closet. The switch on mine burnt out months ago. Got one of those, some wood glue for th'Mr's desk project, 50' of 12/3 cable ($16+ cheaper than buying an extension cord, considering I have cordcaps galore laying around getting dusty, some suet (I thought the birds only want that in the winter? Silly me for thinking.) which we're going through as fast as sugarwater, and another plant for the fence row. The plant is an evergreen which gets red foliage in the fall; it's in the bamboo family so it might be invasive. I'll do some research before making the final decision on where it gets planted.

When I got back from the vet/Lowe's run I cleaned the kitchen and woke up th'Mr --he swears during the week he does not sleep past noon like he does on the weekends-- and put together not one 50' but two 25' extension cords.

Then I assembled the desk. That took the rest of the day, since first I had to move out the old desk, clean the floor & wall and paint the wall before I could begin. Today I'll do the hutch; it shouldn't take near as long.

the old blog - click here to view it

Am I a different person than I was two years ago?

Am I cutting my throat linking this here without thoroughly going over the archives?

Hey, it's not as if I plan to run for public office or anything...

why the hummingbird feeders are not emptying as quickly...

where the hummingbirds go

Here's Winston come running to help me take pictures, or whatever else I have planned. Also in the picture are echinacea, daylilies, yellow lilies, sunflowers, and a lot of weeds red and white clover, fleabane, and the bean fence.





The garden gnome was a gift from one of my grandmothers to the other. I was the only thing they shared in common --they didn't even speak the same language. To his right (my left) are echinacea and sage, on the other side is stonecrop, not yet in bloom.




My herb garden has exploded... left to right Monarda, chives, basil, oregano, marjoram, coreopsis, lavender, rosemary (hidden under the) nasturtium.





Coreopsis.





Sunflowers (from birdseed), and Monarda.


My upload thing seems to have locked up, so anything else will have to wait till after the grocery store run.

save the oil

Here's th'Mr's new toy, a charcoal starter I bought him for fourth of July (or, "for no reason but I wanted to buy him something now that I'm working"). For those of you who are not familiar with this sweet gadget, you put the charcoal in the top, smash some newspaper into the bottom, light the paper and wait five minutes, then pour your white-hot charcoal into the grill. No fluid. No charcoal starter fluid. Did I mention, you don't use any smelly, expensive, petroleum-based starter fluid with this thing?



In the background, Klutz is hunting the evil cricket.

Below is a weed. A tall weed. This tall weed dwarfs the sixty-pound dog standing nearby. I was just curious what it would turn into, so I let it grow. I'm still curious. It's still growing.



Clockwise from top: Shorty Winston Grrrl. That's not cat litter, it's birdseed. Note Shorty's front paws are folded (in prayer?); Winston's hind legs are in teenager-lying-on-the-floor-in-front-of-TV mode. Grrrl's a dog.

view from my desk

Just finished resizing and naming several dozen photos from the digital camera (isn't it amazing how many pictures we take now that they're instant, how few we throw away since storage is so simple?), looked up and saw finches on the feeders. They didn't turn out too bad considering I took the picture from my deskchair, through the windowscreen?

to be continued

Last weekend we were wondering where all our hummingbirds have gone. We still saw several at the feeders, but a week earlier the fourteen feeders were emptying every two-three days, and now they were languishing...

I think I know why.

Photos to follow.

Saturday, and my head is empty

Or I suppose I could say my mind is blank. Don't know where to start... I'm looking out the window and see light fog. Birds are singing. There's a riot of color from coreopsis, nasturtium, and the sunflowers that have all begun opening. Last weekend I took pictures, but haven't had time to resize them to put on the blog (being still on dialup I'm kind of sensitive to filesize). I'll try to do that today.

In an hour or so I need to take the van to the muffler shop, because the tailpipe fell off. th'Mr will have to go with me, because Astro needs to be dropped off and left a while. This means th'Mr has to get out of bed, which means I need to finish up on the computer so he can go online. We have separate boxes but only the one phone line.

I have another window open to my ebay account, where I still have to leave feedback for a few items that arrived this week - I've been on a spree going through th'Mr's amazon wish list and ebaying the books & music I found - and while I'm at ebay I need to look for another ball of yarn with which to finish his white socks (the ones I work on while I'm on break, at work). It's Paton's Kroy Whitecap, in case anyone out there is looking on (and not commenting), and has a spare ball of it...

Also this weekend I need to pack --albeit only for three nights-- and make "plans" on how I'll live in a hotel (bring yarn and books) and what I'll eat (bring containers to contain take-out food) and what I'll wear to work and to not-work.

Guess I ought to make a hotel reservation too.