I’m an empty nester.
I noticed that the robins were feeding those babies less frequently. The day before yesterday, one of the robins constantly cheeped at me, so I know there were still babies in the nest. Yesterday, in the morning, I heard one of the parents cheeping again and I looked outside to make sure there were no predators in the area. All was well.
Later in the day, I went out simply to see if I received a warning of some kind.
Silence. No mama. No papa.
So I went over to the nest to discover it was…empty.
They’ve fledged.
I imagine the cheeping I heard yesterday had to do with getting the last of the babies to fledge.
I got sad. I’d become used to the constant warnings from the mama and the papa. It was too darned quiet yesterday!
I found myself wondering, where are they now? Where did they go?
Sigh.
I’ve also noticed that the brown thrashers, who had a nest in the brambles/wild roses right outside the kitchen window, have disappeared. There was a period where I saw them all the time, getting worms from the ground, flying into the brambles, flying back out for more food.
It was just last week that I realized I hadn’t seen them recently.
They come. They make their nests. I get used to seeing them. And then they’re gone.
This is the way I feel when I start to see the bunnies less often, as well.
I feel like my little family has dispersed, they’ve left home.
I cannot tell you how steamy it is here. Yesterday (and today) I woke up to steamy windows and so much humidity! Yesterday it was 88° and felt like 96°. Today I had to flip on the A/C as soon as I got up. We are supposed to get storms later in the day. It feels like August instead of June!
Tomorrow, I head into Manhattan to watch a performance of Anastasia and take notes, so I’m spending the night in the city.
Happy Monday.
I’ve noticed fewer birds at the feeders. The heat is terrible. I have to water our few plants constantly just to keep them going and it’s only June. It is hard to be an empty nester! Enjoy your trip to the city. Hugs!
I see robins and catbirds taking a bath in the birdbath because it’s so hot out!
Having two wonderful daughters leave the nest, I can understand your pain. Their dad and I did our jobs, and you did yours…quietly waiting and watching! Now we are watching our daughters watching the nest with their own “babies”. Do they realize how quickly the time passes? They seem to be constantly holding the kids tightly, letting go when necessary! Our fourteen year old grandson worked wheat harvest this year!
Have fun at Anastasia and being in the City! Our friends left yesterday for Chicago to see Hamilton! I saw Showboat one time in Chicago with Dick Patton actually playing the captain! Many best wishes to you and those you love, Becky
Time passes so quickly, Becky!
I know your friend will love Hamilton. I’m looking forward to seeing Anastasia again but I’ve spent quite a few nights in the city this year and it is losing its appeal! Ah well. It’s just one night this time.
I know you must be so very tired of the hot/humid weather that you are having right now with it not being normal for your area. I hope it cools off for you soon!
We have already reached100 degrees here and our heat index was 109 yesterday and of course the humidity is hanging around. This is our tenth summer here and I believe I have just about reached my limit.
It is so hard on an individual emotionally. The temperature stays at or over 100, there is no rain for weeks even months, the humidity rolls in and out, allergies are just horrible because of the lack of trees in the area. I just can’t deal with the heat so I stay inside most of the time and that gets to me emotionally.
Your creatures and your yard are so lovely! I hope you get to enjoy them for a few more months. Safe travels into the city this week. Happy Monday Claudia.
It’s storming at the moment – lots of thunder. Still humid, so the weather has yet to break. I think it will be nicer for my trip into the city tomorrow.
I hope you don’t mind a question about your work. I saw an article that the actress Michelle Williams is doing a biopic of Janis Joplin. How does it work? She has a very slight voice in real life – she portrayed Marilyn Monroe and from the reviews, got the voice, tone, even the singing down very well.
But Janis had such a strong, vibrant voice. It’s seems like a real challenge to go from one extreme to another.
Thanks
The heat/humidity combo sounds daunting. Even when I lived on the Gulf Coast, I don’t recall steamy windows, and it gets BAD summer weather. How are you feeling, for all you’ve got coming up, battling the weather and getting into The City? You’d said you were feeling less than great. Better? Hope so!
I imagine all that concrete of skyscrapers/sidewalk/street ‘absorbs’/generates a lot of heat in Manhattan (not a lot of green!). Last nite, I watched an old Rick Steve’s show I’d recorded about Andalucia in Spain (Malaga, Cordoba, Costa del Sol/southern Spain) and one of his guides was mentioning how cool (natural cooling per se) the very narrow (Moorish) streets/walkways were between tall buildings – – a genius architectural element to shield the residents from a searing-hot sun, aided even more so with the whitewashing of the buildings in those small ‘canyons’ of the city. This led me to read a little about whitewash as ‘paint’ and how it’s a mix of lime and chalk which they could choose to add soap or salt or even flour to, which I thought was interesting (it even has antibacterial qualities). “Whitewash is especially compatible with masonry because it is absorbed easily and the resultant chemical reaction hardens the medium.” Another example of the old ways of doing things sometimes being the better way.
How weird; my comment got tagged onto Moggie’s, which wasn’t my plan!
xo
I’m feeling a bit better. It’s sinus/allergies and some days I’m fine, other’s I’m not so fine. I’ll be okay to go into the city tomorrow.
You know, I coach actors in their speaking voices, but I don’t coach the singing part of acting, so I don’t know how she’ll do it. I imagine she’ll have a special coach for that. Janis also misused her voice – I doubt very seriously if she could have kept singing on that abusive-to-the-vocal-cords level for long. She would have ruined her voice. So Michelle, if she is indeed singing the songs, will have to be careful.
She’s not who I would have cast, however. Interesting.
Thank you. It seemed an odd choice to me, too, but I know there is a lot of behind-the-scenes training that takes place, so I was just wondering.
You’re welcome.
I’m trying like heck to blow this cooler weather your way…evidently it’s not working! Going to weed today…my gardens need it desperately. Safe travels tomorrow! ;)
Thank you, Donnamae. Still humid, still stormy – stuck inside.
Well…I was surprised…evidently rain was forecasted…and they were right. No weed pulling here. ;(
Huge, huge thunderstorm here. Rather scary! Lots of leaves and catalpa blossoms on the ground.
Have a good time in NYC, Claudia. Even though you’ve spent quite a bit of time there lately, you’ll get to see cast and crew again, and I know seeing them makes you happy. Our heat wave, highest temps in the mid-90’s in my area, and around 100 at the wedding I attended Saturday, just broke. It was too hot to do anything! But today will be a reasonable high 70’s, so we are going to our favorite ice cream shop, Fenton’s, featured in the Pixar movie “Up”.
It will be in the eighties tomorrow and much more comfortable.
I always feel sad when I see the babies leave the nest. It reminds me of when my girls left. We had storms here late yesterday and into the night. It cooled it down a bit for the day. xo Laura
Glad I’m not the only one! I get attached to them!
If those robins were happy in their little nest, I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see more activity soon for another nest to be feathered! Our robins raise at least 2 batches each summer. Lots of bird babies right now running to catch up w/ mom & dad with their mouths wide open!! Such fun to watch!
I am so happy the heat broke here yesterday. We had 90’s for a week straight. Too much too soon. We are having a rain shower right now, so hopefully that will mean an evening off from watering. I hope you have a good Monday and a chance to have a nice long chat w/ Don on his day off!
It’s raining right now, so at least I don’t have to water, Chris!
Good Morning,
It is so funny that you mentioned that it feels more like August….I have noticed that I have nuts on my black walnut tree already. That is quite early for MN.
I enjoy reading….but I do not comment much…
I should check out my black walnut tree!
Black walnuts! Yum!
Not a walnut fan! I like my trees, but I don’t usually eat walnuts!
It is sad when the birds or animals are gone. Our baby squirrel must have gotten strong enough to go on his way. Have a good time n the city. Stay safe.
Marilyn
Thank you, Marilyn. You must miss your baby squirrel!
Hi Claudia, I really am glad you are feeling better….you have a lot on your plate with keeping that beautiful yard looking ..well, beautiful!
I know your post was full of things I want to talk and write about and I can not even get my head around it…
Who in the hell~~o’ think these Reps care?? I could not be a Repub; there is not genetic material to turn me into having the thought processes they do.
The healthcare crap they hide, the turning the other way when the leader in chief Arggggh! is well…a person with serious thinking issues.
I go back to Sandy Hook when those ‘innocents’ as well as Gabby and the thousands daily across this Nation are shot and wonder well, maybe will this horrific “thing” that happened on the ball field may make them love the NRA a little less? Nah. They stop caring about citizens when the fetus comes out of the womb and becomes a baby, as far as I am concerned.
Anyway, gotta travel today and my brain is “full”. ha! The weather is unpredictable except the hot part.
Love and peace to a very kind good person; I wish we were real friends at least in the same state. You are so nice and a cool individual= with a warm heart, beautiful girl!
Take care , you All who are online today at Claudia’s blog.
Katheryn
Than you so much for your kind words, Katheryn!