Ready to Soar

I had a little audience while I was watering my flowers the other evening. 

A pair of young bluebird eyes (or two) kept peeking out from the hole in the nesting box.  They would make little peeping noises, raise their heads to look out at me, then, dart down out of view, giving a bit louder cheep when they discovered I was still standing nearby.  It became a hilarious game after a few minutes! 

I realized I couldn't get too close to the nest, however.  Once I stepped just a couple of feet directly in front of them, they looked out at me and were probably geniunely frightened.  They stopped chirping and got very quiet.  In a way, I was glad they recognized the threat of a potential predator. 

These cute little bluebird youngsters are about to leave the nest, to strike out on their own in the great big world.  They clearly were viewing that world from their nest, as they were preparing to fledge, to lift their wings and fly out for the very first time.  It must look large, scary, and, most of all, unknown to them.

Of all things that came to mind at this time, I was reminded of the scene I came upon while shopping the day before I had my little game with the bluebirds.  I had stopped to pick up a few small houseware goods in Target, and I saw multiple mothers walking the aisles with their older teenagers, buying supplies for college.  Many of those young people are preparing to step out in the great big world themselves, and deal with experiences they've only been told how to manage to this point.  The term "leaving the nest" is quite a cliche, but I clearly saw the parallel this week, in a way I never previously had.  

It seems, however, that we usually have more than one "leaving the nest" moment in our lives.  We stand at the precipice of unfamiliar territory, peering over the edge, preparing to step out and soar over it.  We're just waiting for that one, motivating moment, in which we will lift our wings to take flight.     

Growing Up

A quick update on the baby bluebirds:  I peeked in to check on them just a few days ago, and they are continuing to grow and thrive!  They were a bit sleepy at the time, but, at approximately 8 days old, they looked healthy.  They're also looking slightly less like little aliens and more like little birds.  Like much of the country, we're in the middle of a heatwave, so I'm keeping fresh water in the bird bath to keep the parents well-hydrated.   These little ones are nearly halfway to the point where they will begin to leave the nest!   

Cautiously Optimistic

Cautiously optimistic... that's likely to be the theme of the week here.

I've got tomato plants loaded with green tomatoes.  We're within days of canning them... possibly.  Unfortunately, the first four tomatoes that ripened from my garden had blossom end rot.  I'm not sure if I can avoid it for all of the rest of my fruit, but I am certainly trying.  

It's possible that the extreme heat and humidity, along with the daily thunderstorms we experienced last week, took its toll on my garden.  Luckily, we've had a small reprieve with a weekend stretch of cooler-than-average, dry weather.

Another part of the problem may have been the fact that I took the tag that came with my "Celebrity Bush" tomato plants too literally.  The tag said, "Does not need staking."  Ha!!  If you don't mind the tomato plant lying on its side once the fruit begins to grow, it doesn't need staking!  I've learned my lesson on that one.

I removed the rotting fruit and used string and T-posts to lift all branches as far off of the ground as possible.  I clipped all yellowing leaves.  I dried the bottoms of the tomatoes that had been touching the ground.  My garden now looks like it contains a series of badly engineered suspension bridges, but it may produce edible tomatoes! 

The cucumbers are also looking healthy and have produced a few cucumbers -- that are the correct shape!  (You may remember that my classic struggle with cucumbers involves the fact that they want to grow in round shapes in my garden.)  The cucumber vines are absolutely loaded with blossoms and will, hopefully, yield quite a few pickling cukes in the coming weeks.  I will post pictures soon.

We've got another hot and humid stretch coming, so it remains to be seen how successful all of this work will truly be.  However, it's nice to enjoy a little optimism for now.

Birthday Blooms

The other day, I noticed that our neighbors had a birthday party at their place.  Birthday balloons decorated the mailbox and family gathered to celebrate.  The sweet young lady who lives next door was turning 13!

I wanted to mark the occasion with a gift, so I turned to the one thing that is plentiful in my yard right now:  flowers.  I managed to put together a few black-eyed Susans, blooms from a butterfly bush, and a couple of begonia sprigs.

I'm sharing this only because it's one of the only times I made a decent-looking arrangement.  I don't have the natural "eye" for flower arranging, but I am willing to learn, and I've wanted to acquire those skills for a long time.  Every year I consider taking a little course on it at the local community college.  Practice makes perfect -- so I'll just keep growing flowers and trying to put them together until I find what works!  Luckily, this time, it turned out to be something I could share.

Prairie Flower

Some flowers can't help but bring a smile to your face. 

I've found such an example in a flower I planted around my mailbox last year.  Black-eyed Susans, otherwise known as Rudbeckia, are simple, showy, and easy to grow.  They are native to the prairies of the United States. As a strategically planted wildflower, they will quickly brighten up any dull space on a property.

Black-eyed Susans love the sun.  My mailbox gets sun all day long  -- hot, sticky Carolina sunshine these days -- and the plants appear to love it.  This variety is the Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' and these plants have grown large and healthy with very little maintenance.  I fed them just once, this spring, and they've grown so tall that they've crowded out most weeds on their own.  If they don't have adequate moisture, however, they quickly let me know by lowering their blooms and leaves.  Daily watering is imperative, especially as the plants produce buds and blooms.    

Black-eyed Susans attract bees, butterflies, and flying insects of all kinds. 

They will steadily produce blooms to cheer the inside of a home as well.  I recently cut my first blooms to bring indoors.  Last year, I attempted to place them in a vase, but it just didn't quite look right.  I tried again this year, and it still doesn't work.  Somehow, in a fancy clear glass vase, the flowers look...uncomfortable.  So I tried something a little different.

That's a bit better.  Understated, unfussy, yet beautiful.  I would expect nothing less from a prairie flower. 

Babies!

While I was out weeding this morning, I noticed mama bluebird flying in and out of the nesting box.  I thought it was time to take a look at what she's been cooking in there!

I recruited my husband's help so that we could open the box, view its contents, and leave as quickly as possible.  As we approached, I could hear muffled peeping from inside the box.

From the research I'm doing online (there's nothing like learning on the fly!), it appears that the nestlings are perhaps one to two days old, as they are readily gaping and their down feathers have started growing.  I examined them quickly, and it appears that 3 of the 4 eggs have hatched.  The last egg may not have hatched yet, or perhaps the nestling was buried out of view underneath his/her siblings and is still too weak to gape. 

Now that we've managed, as a group effort, to create a successful nesting environment and hatch babies after all of the bluebirds' efforts this year, I am experiencing feelings of cautious celebration and, of course, worry.  I plan to check on the babies once or twice more while they are still in the nest.  My husband has strict instructions not to mow too close to the nesting box, to allow the parents to continue regular feedings, and I'm going to see if I can find a way to make mealworms available without attracting any predators or nest robbers.  This photo will probably also be my last one using the flash, as I don't want to affect the nestlings' developing eyesight (their eyes will not open for a few days yet).

I am enjoying the fact that we have reached this milestone with our feathered residents!

Garden Helpers

Although I usually prefer writing about my observations in the garden and the yard, I felt it was time to get a little more personal, and introduce you to my garden "helpers."  Well, in their own minds, they are helpful -- to me, they are good companions that I usually need to work around while they are outside, but who always make me laugh.  The time we spend outdoors together can often be the highlight of my day.

Tucker

Tucker is our 2-year-old cattle dog/ husky mix (we think), and he is the more dedicated "gardener" of the two.  He is an observant companion who will happily dig additional holes near any place I've been working.  Once, a day after I planted two gardenia bushes, he did me the "favor" of moving my potted herbs (growing in small temporary pots on the front porch) to a hole he dug right behind the new gardenias.  He lost the parsley along the way, but was otherwise incredibly proud of his efforts.  Who can punish a dog who so badly wants to help?  He has an innate guard-dog mentality, and alerts us to the presence of any stray turtle, snake, rabbit, or squirrel that may (God help it) enter our yard.  He loves to sit on the porch, preferably in the shade, guarding his domain, but he is nothing but a one-dog wriggling, kissing, welcoming committee to any person who visits our home.  His favorite activities are eating, watching TV, and observing the birdfeeder from our kitchen window (he is strangely protective over the birds -- he only chases squirrels from it). 

Meadow

Meadow is a 3-year-old Welsh Corgi/ Jack Russell (to the best of our knowledge), and she basically runs the show around here.  Tucker may do the digging, but she supervises his every move.  No mole or wayward lizard in the yard escapes her notice; she roams the yard with her little terrier nose searching for any new disturbance.  If she detects something worth investigating, she sends the signal -- and that's when Tucker comes running, her personal four-pawed wrecking crew, and they get to work.  She also does a rather good job manipulating her people into doing what she pleases.  When not scheming to control our lives, and Tucker's, she enjoys going for car rides or lounging (kiddie) pool-side.  She is also a strong, smart little dog -- she can jump to a level several times her own height, and she knows that if she can just get that door handle to turn once she jumps up to that level, she can control her own destiny... 

Playing outside in 2009 (Tucker was a puppy)

Dedicated gardeners know that dogs can be destructive, and sometimes they frown upon the impact a dog can have in a gardening home.  It's true that both of my dogs are confined by an electric fence to areas of the yard that do not include my vegetable or flower garden.   However, it does help that, although I am trying to cultivate several different types of plants (flowers, shrubs, vegetables), I don't care as much about the "grass" part of the lawn.  It's a good thing, too, because, due to several mole-hunting incidents, our turf's landscape has changed over the last couple of years.  And, it has taken some convincing to get the dogs to realize that the hose and sprinkler are used for something besides their personal enjoyment.  I realize that not only do my dogs keep me company while I'm outside -- they keep me entertained, and they do mean well in their role as protectors and "helpers", misguided as their actions may be.  I couldn't imagine our home or our yard now without their presence.  They may re-appear in this blog from time to time, as they inevitably generate stories with their antics.

Now, if you'll please excuse me as I conclude this blog post -- Meadow is trying to get my attention.  I think I need to go fill up the kiddie pool for her again.

Eggs

The other day, I checked on the bluebird family in our new nesting box.  I found a little set of pretty blue eggs inside!

I then went to the mailbox and decided to clean out the old nest that seems as though it's been sitting there for weeks.  When I looked at it, it did seem as though it was a little larger than it had been previously.  I pulled it out, and found another set of eggs -- four in total.

I don't know if those eggs are old and have been abandoned, or another bluebird couple have set up squatting rights in the old mailbox nest.  However, just in case they are viable, I put the nest back where I found it.

I couldn't help but think -- this is a very random thought -- that if hope had a shape, it would probably be oval.  Nothing is so clearly symbolic of hope as an egg.  And I certainly have seen a lot of eggs around here --including the eggs we found after the spring tornado, and the 2 eggs that fell out of the other nest in the neighboring mailbox, and these latest discoveries, I've seen at least a dozen songbird eggs this year.  Lots of eggs and no babies....  yet.

Hope remains.