Category Archives: Birds

Coveting The Cherries

Berries, Birds, Cherries, Reflections

As quickly as spring turned into summer, strawberry season turned into cherry, blueberry and currants season.

IMG_5283

As my husband and I sat on the deck yesterday, looking at all of the cherries that needed to be picked, he commented that he was surprised that we hadn’t seen any robins eating the cherries. I told him I would pick cherries tomorrow.

Along toward evening Scout needed to go outside and as I opened the door to take him out a robin flew out of the cherry tree. It had a ripe cherry in it’s beak and flew on top of our neighbors house so I could watch it eat it’s prize.

It is now game on – to see who can get the cherries first.

As soon as Scout was done with his business I got busy picking cherries. We didn’t have a cherry crop at all last year but the tree seems to be making up for it this year.

IMG_5287

I picked about a quart of cherries while the robin sat on the neighbors house and chirped at me. As darkness began to fall the mosquitos chased me inside.

I picked another two quarts this morning. For now I am just freezing the cherries but as soon as this extreme heat wave is over and we turn off the air conditioning I will be baking a cherry pie.

There are still enough cherries left on the tree for me to pick a couple more quarts and the robin to have it’s share as well.

IMG_2927

(The above photo was taken in 2016)

What is your favorite kind of fruit pie?

Nature At It’s Best!???

Birds, Nature, Reflections, The Farm

Last December my husband installed this knotty pine ceiling in the over hang of the barn. He spent many hours going up and down the ladder, measuring and cutting boards, then fitting them together and screwing them into place. It turned out beautiful!

IMG_4683

We decided to put the ceiling in to keep nature out.  Before the ceiling was put in the upstairs of the barn was not fully enclosed. There was about a six inch gap along the entire length of the barn. Not only did this gap allow cold air in it also made easy access for bugs and potentially even birds.

The rafters were exposed on the underside of the overhang making a tempting location for wasps to build nests, and the cedar box which encloses the front horizontal support beam was also open. This could have become a perfect nesting place for any number of birds or even a cozy place for raccoons to camp out.

While we have a great appreciation for all God’s creatures there are places we are not willing to share with them. Thus the ceiling served to keep these parts critter free.

IMG_4236

Yesterday evening my husband worked at the farm staining bees hives, preparing them for the bees that will be arriving in a couple of weeks. After he had finished staining this hive he placed two flats of pansies on top to keep them protected from the heavy rains that were in the forecast.

IMG_4929

This afternoon, as I went to move the pansies, look what I discovered. Despite our best efforts someone (bird) decided to make our barn their home.

IMG_4930

Now there is no disputing that those pansies make a beautiful home, but this just isn’t going to work. The bee hive needed to be moved into the barn for now, but will soon be moved to the apiary where it will become home to some of our new honey bees.

I would be happy to donate this flat of pansies to these birds so that they could raise the next generation, but I am not sure that we have place to locate the flat that would make everyone happy.

 

IMG_4932

Just shaking my head.