With Molly and Jethro, Off on a Jaunt

There's nothing really exciting to see around here, but since I'm easy to please, I still enjoy it when Molly and Jethro take me for a walk.  There is plenty of flora and fauna in our little neck of the woods, and I tried to capture a little of it with my cell phone camera to share with you.

There were more pictures of various wildflowers and such, but my cell phone is being ornery and not letting me have them.  Some of the photos aren't the best, but here's what I was able to get.

I hope you enjoyed our little jaunt!

New Windows = Stunned Oriole (Not a Goldfinch After All)

I finally have all the windows in my house replaced, much to the chagrin of my feathered friends.  I don't think there's a window in this house now that hasn't been christened by a bird, usually with a loud whack.

Just now as I was reading email, a bird hit the window beside me.  I knew it was a hard hit, so I opened the window and looked down and sure enough, the pretty little Baltimore Oriole (originally was thinking it was a goldfinch) that had been playing in the quince bush was on the ground.




I went out to look and at first she appeared ok, was sitting upright and looking around, but not moving.  I bent to pick her up and she didn't even flinch.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Pretty little Baltimore Oriole let me pick her right up

When I turned to get a better look, I could see that she had blood on her beak on both sides, so she must have whacked her head good.

Oriole after flying into my window

I had a friend hold her so I could get a better photo.

After a couple of minutes she still showed no signs of wanting to fly away on her own, but I couldn't leave her in the back yard for my dogs to get her.  I still had shavings from when I had my chickens, so I tossed a few into a plastic tub and set the oriole in that, then put the tub inside my large chicken coop with the pop door open.  She'll be safe from the dogs, and if she can fly up out of the tub and out of the coop, she should be able to make it to safety.

Sure hope the little gal makes it ok.  I'd hate for word to get out that it's dangerous to visit my bird feeders.




Update:  About ten minutes later I saw movement in the quince bush and a flash of yellow.  I checked the tub and my little friend was gone, so apparently she was ok after a bit of a rest.  As I walked over to the quince bush, she flew off.


After looking at the photos again, I don't think this is a goldfinch at all.  The beak is too long, and the bird is larger and I think the tail is longer than a goldfinch.  A friend suggested she might be a Baltimore Oriole and after looking at other photos, I agree.

Why White Armbands and Banners?

With each passing year, the atrocities that occurred in Nazi death camps become fading memories for all but those who were touched personally by the monster known as Hitler.  What many don't know is that similar atrocities occurred in much more recent history.

The words of my friend, Nina Rotz:

On 31 May 1992, the Bosnian Serb authorities in Prijedor, a town in north western Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued a decree for all non-Serbs to mark their houses with white flags or sheets and to wear a white armband if they were to leave their houses. This was the first day of a campaign of extermination that resulted in executions, concentration camps, mass rapes and the ultimate removal of more than 94% of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from the territory of the Prijedor municipality.

Nina lived through this horror.  Many did not.

White banner displayed on my front window

Nina has created a Facebook event for you to join and share with your friends.  Please consider wearing a white arm band or displaying some sort of white flag or banner on your home today, May 31, to show your solidarity against similar massacres throughout the world.  Such a simple act to remember not only those who died, but those who relive the horror.

*&#*%! Canadian Thistle

(Click photo to enlarge ... not that it needs it.  Sigh ...)

What a Difference a Year Makes!

Well, I guess it's been two years or better.

I was plundering through old photos today, looking for some 'before' pics to add to another post I was going to write, and came across one I'd forgotten.

This is a photo of what one of the flower beds looked like more than two years ago.  Ewwww.

First things to go were that big honking tree that was half dead and the poor, sickly-looking variegated shrub in the middle.  I dug up and moved one of the Rose of Sharon from the back yard and added a few more hosta, but that was about it.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Last year a friend replaced my front door and also got rid of the landscaping timbers and put new edging around the space for me.  It was much better, but still not 'done'.



Just a little different, huh?

Japanese Quince Bush Isn't Quince-ing This Year

The crazy weather we've had this year with mild winter, early spring, then a few days of below freezing temps after everything started to sprout has left several things lacking around here.



My Japanese Quince bush in the back yard is usually the first to bud, right around the time forsythia makes its showing, and sometimes before.  This year, everything started to green up nicely, but it never did flower.  It's normally come and gone by now and I'm sure no flowers means no quince fruit.  It's a huge shrub,  probably 8ft tall or better and at least that wide, and there are two lonely little flowers side by side at the top of the bush.  It should have been a mass of color in a peach-y pink and I was truly disappointed, especially since I moved my home office to where I see out that window from my desk.

(click photos to enlarge)

Two lonely flowers on my Japanese Quince bush

Isn't this a sad sight?  My poor Quince bush!

Since the quince isn't much to look at, I thought I'd stick something else outside this window for a bit of color.  I found a nice double shepherd's hook and hanging basket at Aldi's a few weeks back (the basket was only $2.99, I believe), and I picked up some flowers on sale at Lowe's when I got the garden soil and mulch for the hosta bed I just finished.   Added a pretty glass hummingbird feeder for the other hook, and here's the finished product.  It's a lot fuller and prettier than the photo shows, but I never could get the light just right to make the colors pop, no matter what angle I shot from.

It's a far cry from a fully bloomed Japanese Quince, but it's better than nothing. I've made a promise to myself that I'm going to spend more time outside in the good weather rather than chained to this desk anyway.

Let's see just how long that lasts.

Putting the Hosta Bed to Bed

I posted a few days ago on where I attacked the Canadian Thistle, and again when my hosta bed was almost finished.  The only thing left to do was mulch, and mulch I did.

(Click photos to enlarge.  It's worth the closer look!)

Ready to tackle the last step - mulch

I've got one last little thing to add to this little garden area, but it won't be in until next week.  I'll share that surprise later, but until then, here's the finished hosta bed with a few impatiens tucked in.

I'm pretty pleased with the way this turned out.  Now to keep the cats from using it as a litter box and digging up my hard work.

Many more home and garden projects still to tackle, so watch for what's up next!