Yesterday in the early morning, there were four bluejays flying around the property – much like the robins did. It took me a couple of beats before I realized they were trying to get to the water in the birdbath but it was frozen.
I ran outside and chopped up the ice, but I think it was too late. If they returned, I didn’t see them. Sorry, guys! I know there are heaters for birdbaths, but, no. I can easily go out there and chop up the ice as part of my morning routine.
It’s 23 degrees outside as I write this. The porch plants came inside on Saturday and they’ll be here for a couple more days, but frankly, there will only be a couple of days in the week ahead where the nighttime temps are above freezing. Sigh. This is the part I dislike; deciding when to let go. Because then, it’s official: winter weather is here.
We are in the middle of a project. The entrance/step up to the front porch has deteriorated a bit. The porch is bluestone and the skim coat and quite a bit of the cement has deteriorated. Yesterday, we cleaned up the ‘riser’ to the porch and mixed some Quikrete. Trowels in hand, we started to fill in the areas that had deteriorated – adding stones and support along the way. Don just left to buy some more QK, as we will now call it, and today we’ll add another layer, hopefully completing it with a smooth skim coat.
Just call us Mr. and Mrs. Amateur Mason.
The World of King Arthur in progress. Have I told you that I love jigsaw puzzles?
So that’s the day ahead: washing the sheets, a little work on the puzzle, reading, vacuuming, and finishing up our masonry project.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
yay to you and don for taking on the masonry project. you two have shown yourselves to be quite capable people!
the puzzle looks fun and it sounds like you’ll have a nice day ahead. i hope that’s exactly what you have.
had a quite-up-close talk with sweet, brave burl (baby earl) this morning … as i was filling the tray feeder, i saw him on the roof. he quickly moved to the gutter, then onto the deck railing, then closer to me on the railing before hopping down onto the deck and then came within a couple feet of me. i kept filling the feeder and talked to him, telling him that he needs to stay back until the food is in place and to not get close to people because not everyone will love him like we do. am not sure he was listening, but i hope he will learn to keep his own social-distancing.
gotta love nature (well, most of it)!
happy, safe monday to everyone!
kathy
Hopefully, Burl is listening to you and heeding your advice!
Stay safe, Kathy.
i guess he is listening to me, just not understanding yet!
kathy
xo
I was thinking how cold it was here this morning, 50°…. until I read your temperature! Brrrr…. Those birds are lucky to have you to chop the ice off their water! They are fun to watch. Some neighbors a couple houses down have persimmon trees, which are pretty laden with fruit now. The squirrels and birds, especially the big crows, have been feasting and they’re very fun to watch. Good luck with your masonry!
Thanks, Barrie.
My back is complaining, but we’ll take a day off and then do the skim coat on Wednesday.
Stay safe.
We rarely see bluejays at our place…lucky you.
Please take pics of your masonry job…we have deteriorating risers as well…and are looking to DIY a fix. It’s nearly impossible to get people to do menial concrete jobs around here…so we are curious how difficult or easy it is to do. Good luck to you.
We are off to run errands. Gorgeous day here…temps in the upper 50’s, after freezes about a week and a half ago, I’ve said my goodbyes to my plants….they were gorgeous this year. Interestingly, my eucalyptus seems unaffected by 20 degree temps…and looks great, sitting in a pot. I’ll keep it as long as I can outside.
Enjoy your day! ;)
Thanks, Donnamae.
I was outside working today, but I didn’t check on the impatiens. They survived the first couple of frosts, but I suspect last night’s finished them.
Stay safe.
That puzzle is totally gorgeous. I think it might be one of my favorites of this genre. And you’re plowing along on it!
Well done on the steps! I’m very impressed!
Thank you, Jeanie.
Resting my back for a day or so before we complete the job.
Stay safe.
dear Claudia/Don — glad you can work on your porch risers now — did you know it can become too cold to work with cement? learned that when building this house 50+ years ago when temps went very cold w/o warning — stuck w/unfinished basement and brickwork until warmed some. of course, am sure improvements have been made in building products by now. we have an unusual visitor — a gyrfalcon (all white w/black dots on some feathers) spotted at the back of our property two days this week — sitting in the sun on a now bare walnut tree — very large, beautiful, quite a stand out. have also had a flock of robins visiting/refueling b/f continuing on farther south AND have been singing each a.m. like in springtime–I call it “a gift”. stay safe
Yes, but it’s fine here. We wait until it warms up during the day. Start in around 1 pm and finish by 2:30 which gives it 2 or 3 hours to dry. Since it’s Quikrete, it dries fast.
I still hear birds singing a bit in the morning. I’ll take it as long as I can get it.
Stay safe, Linda.
I have to tell you we got a heater for our bird bath a couple years ago and the birds love it. We still have to break ice off around the edge but it keeps the water in the center thawed. We have an outdoor outlet by our back patio door so its easy to run an extension cord to the bird bath.
Take care
Yes, I have a friend who did that, but our birdbath is too far away from an outlet.
Thanks, Marilyn.
Stay safe.
That’s a beautiful puzzle. I envy you your patience because there’s no way I’d be able to finish it. The leaves are pretty much down now but we’re enjoying unseasonable weather. By Thursday it’ll be 68, so they say!
Take care,
Kay
We might reach 60 tomorrow, but nothing as warm as what you’re getting, Kay!
Stay safe.