Friday, March 05, 2010

Building Nests + 6 Words

There's always that one day that marks the end of winter and suddenly you're soaring into spring with all its glorious re-birthing. Today was that day for me!

crocus
The crocus and daffodils are blooming earlier this year after a very mild winter. February was unusually warm... 40s and 50s, no freezing at night. My neighbor, over at Herb Crazed, grows hundreds of daffodils on her triangular property, a joy for all of us! Check out her two recent posts, one about deer resistant plants and one about daffodils. These are hers, by the way.

daffodils
The robins are back, hopping around moss-coated rocks in search of worms. Soon our 5 acres will team with all sorts of woodland birds. And two of them will commandeer our bird houses!

bird house, madrona trees
bird nest, side view
This is the remains of a nest from last year, which my husband cleaned from one of their houses. If you study it, you can see that the little tykes know how to build! The sticks, carefully sized, are placed one west, one south, one east, one north and back to west. It was easier to see this pattern immediately after the nest came out of the bird house. I took this picture a day or so later and the wind had already begun to destroy it.

bird's nest, inside view
This picture is the nest from our other bird house. I love the little feathers woven into the sticks. I think both residents were sparrows... but I could be wrong about that.

Yesterday I spent the whole day with Christi of Sweatpea's Path on Lopez Island. We stitched, talked, ate delicious home-made chicken soup and walked the paths through her neighbor's 80-acre woods... 50+ degrees and sunny! Could it be better? Well, yes, it could. Add to the above that she's tamed a whole flock of chickadees to eat bird seed from her hand. They're so tame, some of them will sit or her dog's head. Wouldn't I love a picture of that!!! I fed them too. Amazing and sweet to feel their little feet on my fingers, look eye-to-eye with them and watch them choose a special seed. Chickadee-dee-dee!

Words for March BJP

March 1, sat outside on our deck, quietly contemplating the sky and madrona trees, then quickly wrote the first six words that came to mind. They are:

Build
Fly
Reflect
Explore
Learn
Dance

Of these, the one which seemed the most compelling at the time was Explore, so that's my "featured" word for this month's BJP. While with Christi yesterday, I started stitching a bunch of different fabrics together, layering them. They may have to be part of it.

Takin' a Leave of Absence for Two Weeks!

My husband and I are taking our first significant vacation in 13 years of being together!!! We're going to Arizona, where we'll see a couple of Mariners spring training games, visit the Phoenix art museum, take a motor cycle ride to the Jerome-Sedona area, spend 2+ days at the Grand Canyon, and photograph blooming cactus (I hope) and wild flowers. We'll be away from our computers and home responsibilities for nearly 2 full weeks. Glorious!

17 comments:

  1. I am so jealous, though I have heard a robin sing, so there is hope that this Winter will eventually make way for Spring!

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  2. We had the hard winter here in Maryland and everything is later than usual. Still, crocus are blooming and there are buds on the daffodils. Have a wonderful time in Arizona. Sounds like a trip to feed your spirit.

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  3. Our Robins have returned as well and theya re very perplexed with all of the snow!!!! Our spring will be late this year!!!
    Love your words for this month and the thought of you being able to take a real vacation!!! have a wonderful time!
    now I am off to visit the blogs of your friends!!!
    thank so much for posting the pics of the incredible nests!!
    Hugs!
    E

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  4. Oh, I think we got your winter weather in Ohio this year! Such a relief to know Spring is on its way...we actually saw sunshine yesterday, and the snow seems to be melting. Thank you so much for the lovely flower photos, and the bird's nest is a treasure.

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  5. Robin, enjoy your vacation also. I can't wait to see all of your pictures. Gita

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  6. We here in Spokane have felt like it was a coastal winter and so mild....still only the hellebore are blooming and I can hardly wait for daffs also.. Have a great trip and fly on your motorcycles, explore the desert, reflect on all the beauty and dance to the sounds of birds in spring.... enjoy

    Gerry K.

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  7. Good for you! Enjoy your vacation! Love the flower pics. Today, in Northern Indiana we woke up to dense fog. Later my husband called me to let me know it was snowing. I personally think it was frozen fog mist falling to the ground. Wow that was lyrical...frozen fog mist.

    Explore is a good word for you this month for sure.

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  8. Have a wonderful holidays, Robin!

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  9. Only one vacation in 13 years?! I have been trying to take one significant one (in another country) per year! :) Anyways, have fun in AZ. I hope to visit that state someday.

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  10. Heh...! I can't remember the last time I had a real vacation, either, but I do take advantage of those shorter staycations and even daycations whenever it's possible. Enjoy your time exploring Arizona! It's a beautiful place. Can't wait to see pictures and read stories of your journey,

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  11. Have a beautiful time together exploring Arizona...I hope you dance! xo Susan

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  12. How thrilling you'll be on a real vacation for two whole weeks. Have a wonderful time in Arizona; they've had quite a bit of rain this year and the desert should be gorgeous. Enjoy!

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  13. Anonymous6:12 PM

    Have a wonderful trip, and when you come back perhaps you will reveal the secrets of training a chickadee. We have many of them at our backyard feeders, this would be so neat!

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  14. Chickadees are among my most favorite types of birds. We are fortunate to have many wintering here in our yard.

    Have a wonderful vacation, Robin!


    Kathy V in NM

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  15. Anonymous10:16 PM

    Have a great time Robin. Looking forward to hearing all about it.

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  16. Anonymous3:45 PM

    We are still waiting for the snow to melt off our crocus's. however the canadian geese are starting to make their way back up...and I killed two yellow jackets rooting around my garage for a new home. Hate wasps! If you don't have a purpose in my garden, I don't have a purpose for you!

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  17. Are you two home safe, dear Robin? I thought of you soooo much, traveling about on this very significant vacation, being away from routine, seeing new things (hopefully desert wildflowers!) and EXPLORING :>]]

    I am greatly looking forward to seeing your March piece...seeing where your words take you. It was such a **joy** to have you here, share my little spot of earth with you and some of the wee marvels - chickadee dee dee - and watch you combine all that cloth, make all those tiny stitches and turn them into something altogether different and wonderful... Come back anytime, my friend!

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