The David phlox is blooming all over the big garden bed, with more yet to open. Yesterday, I was outside and the breeze activated the intoxicating scent of those flowers.
It is the prettiest time in the gardens.
I worked outside for a while yesterday, pruning the brambles and the elm seedlings that pop up in the garden. I’m allergic to elms – if I touch a leaf, I get a welt on my skin – so I donned a long-sleeved flannel shirt and pruned a lot of it. I also got rid of several other seedlings that have staked a claim in the garden beds. After working there for a bit, Papa and Mama Catbird had had their fill of my proximity to the nest. One of them repeatedly gave the warning call, the other gave a warning cheep, not unlike what I hear from robins.
They were not happy with me. I finally gave up; there was one elm on the other side of the porch railing from the hydrangea where the nest is, and I figured that would be too stressful for the birds.
I checked on Mama this morning. She’s patiently sitting on the nest.
A monarch was dining on the coneflowers and then landed on the burning bush.
We saw the most amazing thing yesterday morning. I happened to be in the kitchen. I looked out the window over the sink and there was a wild turkey (I hadn’t seen one on the property for a long time.) I could see 4 babies with her. I told Don to “get over here quickly!” As we watched her walk through the wild grass in the direction of the Dude in the secret garden, we were amazed as we counted 12 babies! 12 little darlings wending their way through the tall grass and following mom as she walked on the stepping stones that go up to the back forty. It was such a gift to see them! She was rather majestic and the babies were adorable. (They’re called poults.)
I tell you, it’s all in the timing. I just happened to be there at the right time.
Lily, Holly, and Pru in the roombox.
I found the perfect place to get light-filled pictures of the interior of the box. See the green showing through the windows? That’s a wall in our upstairs half bath. I carried an old 50s-era step stool from the studio into the bathroom, then carefully placed the room box on the seat. The morning light was perfect. That half bath is so tiny that I had to sit on the toilet seat to get the photo. But it’s perfect. We have so many things in our house and it’s small, so it’s almost impossible to get a picture of this roombox without something that has nothing to do with the ‘scene’ showing through the windows.
This was the roombox when I first got it. There were stairs going up to a loft, but I never really got into doing anything with it. After starting to collect Blythes, I got the idea to repurpose the box for them, so I removed the stairs and loft. It was marketed as the Lori Loft and I got it for about $40 from Target. It’s basically made of foam board. (In the past, I’ve also been known to use it as a stash for some of my handbags.)
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
You certainly have some lovely things in your home, both inside and outside. How wonderful to have seen the wild turkeys!
Twice within the last couple of days I have rescued butterflies from the clutches of my cat. She brings them to me as gifts and sets them down on the carpet. The butterflies are smart, they play dead and I have been able to gently scoop them up in paper kitchen roll. Once outside, I release them and off they fly! In Winter, she does the same with dead leaves.
Happy Wednesday
Amazing! I’m glad she doesn’t harm them. And how smart they are to play dead!
Stay safe, Dee Dee.
Like you and Don, we love seeing the wildlife on our property. A few years ago my husband was keeping an eye on an owl on our property that seemed not to be doing well. Someone came to rescue it but unfortunately it did not make it despite the fact that he gave it water. Animals can really hide their sickness or weakness in order to survive. Our property looks the worst it has in our 30 years here. My husband had Achilles tendonitis in late May and thankfully he is slowly recovering bit the weeds etc. are terrible. And you know how much fun it is to keep up on the yard work in this heat and humidity. It is what it is! You and Don take care!
Glad he’s recovering, Carlotta. I know how hard it is to keep up with all that yard work normally, but when one or both of us is not at our best, it’s double hard. The important thing is that your husband has time to heal.
Stay safe.
Turkeys started showing up in my town about 30 years ago. There are a lot in the hills east of us, but we’re separated by a channel and two freeways. But, haha, it’s not as if they walked down the hill into our little town; the channel and roadways aren’t barriers for birds that fly.
This year’s poults are now teens who haven’t learned the rules yet, lingering in the middle of the street. Fortunately, all drivers I’ve seen respect the turkeys and either wait patiently or gently honk to get them moving. There’s a flock that lives in the center island of one of our wider streets. From a window table at our favorite ThaiJapanese restaurant, one can see them start running and “take off” into the tops of the pine trees for the night.
We also have flocks of Canadian geese who stopped off on their migration south some decades ago, experienced the nice weather and abundance of water and food and decided to stay. We have mallards all year round, but the migratory ducks don’t stick around after their migration stop-over.
There is a nesting pair of bald eagles on the golf course. Lots of shore birds, of course, since we have beaches and a wild bird preserve.
Obviously, we have turkeys year round and we have Canada geese year round as well. They fly over our house all the time. And bald eagles. Love that two different parts of the country 3000 miles apart can have the same birds!
Amazing that a flock lives in the center island!
Stay safe, Wendy.
So many happy distractions to keep you…distracted! It’s hot and muggy here…after several thunderstorms this morning. Hibernation time.
Enjoy your day! ;)
Yes, it’s turning hot and muggy here – I think Thurs – Saturday will be yucky!
Stay safe, Dannamae.
Lovely to see the wild turkeys and their babies. You and Don provide a safe haven for all kinds of critters. Lily, Holly and Pru are ever so cute. Enjoy these beautiful summer days even if it’s too hot. We’re in for a another heat wave starting tomorrow. Fall, where are you? 🍁. Hugs, Elaine
It will be very hot here starting tomorrow. Sigh.
Stay safe, Elaine.
I love that you get to see so much wildlife from your windows.
It’s one of the joys of living here, Linda.
Stay safe.
wow! twelve babies and their turkey mama! glad that you and don were both able to see them all! :) may you see them and the snoozy groundhog again, and may all the elms leave you alone.
you made it work … the roombox looks great, and the wall color showing through the windows makes it look like the girls are in a tree house. good job!
made two trips over on this very hot day and brought back several more bins of things to enjoy, sort and store/share/shred … art, decor, papers, photos. sorting is very hard because of grief and because i am not a ruthless person. i like my “creature comforts” anyway, plus am very sentimental. but i am sorting and we make trips to donate things (that family doesn’t want) every week.
grateful for things enjoyed and kept/rehomed, the experiences, memories and especially my family and God’s kindnesses and help.
taking a little break at the moment (obviously) and then will take a shower. that will feel better.
hope you, don and everyone else have a nice night, stay cool and safe. happy wednesday and beyond.
kathy
Thank you so much, Kathy.
Stay safe.
Lolly won’t give up the chair…..love the expression on her face. It is as if she was told to sit still for just one more minute so you could take the photo. The other girls look slightly irritated. Very nice composition….(the green of the hat and tights and the green hint of outside from the window). Just curious……how many outfits have you collected for the extensive wardrobe for the girls. They must have a seriously large walk in closet!
When I was a little girl…..I loved to play with paper dolls…..I even drew and cut out extra outfits for them. I also loved changing clothing and arranging hair on all my dolls. I would display them on the top of a large chest that my mother kept her tablecloths and doilies in. When the faces of my baby dolls would start to fade from all the handling…..she would expertly and painstakingly paint their lips and rouge the cheeks and hand paint the lashes and eyebrows. A good memory.
I have no idea how many outfits I have – a lot. So many that I rarely buy any now.
If I buy any at all, they’re for the little dolls – they don’t have a lot.
Stay safe, Maria.
It’s nice seeing the room box as it was when it started for an idea of scale and perspective. You’ve found the perfect home for your girls!
The poults sound amazing. A photograph of the heart to be sure. (That’s how I felt on Rick’s bday canoe trip. I’d given him\ my phone, not confident about ending up in the water myself and there was no way to get it from him once we started without tipping for sure! So, I missed photos of three herons, including one in flight, and a myriad of beauty. Definitely photographs of the heart.
I saw an old friend I’d not seen in 50 years, now retired from theatre but I gave him a start, casting him in his first role at MSU in 1972. Since then he’d focused mostly on Shakespeare but bagged it all about 10 or 15 years ago. We had a great catch-up and it reminded me how much I miss theatre.
So nice to see old friends, Jeanie.
I used to canoe down the AuSable. The camp where I was a counselor for two summers was fairly close by and the counselors would go on a canoe trip toward the end of the summer. I even know how to tip a canoe and right it.
Stay safe, Jeanie.
Hi! I’ve gotten behind in your blogs. I was probably sleeping through the days. Ruby looks beautiful, I love your quaint box for your dolls. The phlox picture is so pretty. Can you believe it, it rains and rains here, with all the storms that you had last year. The grapes are small and the raspberries too. Dory the dog doesn’t even find many berries to eat. She’s too busy getting skunked (3 times). I’ve had it up to there!
I still get so sad about my cousin’s death in January, she was like the big sister that I had always wanted. I just don’t understand how quickly she died, broke my heart. Today was busy as our family buried Mike’s father. He’s out of pain from his back, his heart and Parkinson’s. Five of the six sons were there many and many family members. My old friend and Mike’s cousin Kathy was not there and I really missed not seeing her. Years ago we were good friends.
I’m a night owl, but sleep until about noon. Wednesday I’m going to the hospital on many recommendations. I’m a little scared to find out the reason for my sickness. But it’s time. My friend looked it up finally, and thinks it may be lymphoma but leukemia is in my family. My symptoms are about a page long. Pain and severe tiredness and now sweating profusely are the biggest problems. I put antiperspirant on my face today! Fibromyalgia would be a welcome diagnosis. I’ve taken off my rings except for my wedding rings, as they don’t fit anymore. Please pray or think of me, my friends. Thanks
Sending prayers for your return to good health, Irene.
Stay safe.