What a case of "Bed Head"!!

Well, the last little Carolina Wrens have left the nest. This is the family raised in my lantana pot, severely hindering the lantana growth and blooming because of all the digging around the parents did and because I had to be so careful and chintzy with the watering so as not to waterlog the nest. I was probably too careful - the nest was probably much better armored than I guessed. The first picture shows pretty much naked little babies and just a couple of days later they had the funky "bed-head" look with feathers and the down sticking up so wildly as it was being replaced from below with the feathers. The babies were just about eye level to me and looked as though they had a bad case of the morning-after syndrome. The pictures just don't do justice - it's a cheap camera and I'm no photographer! The down just looks like a blur in the picture, but it was really spiky.

I've been trying to keep up with reading blogs even though I haven't had time to post. Everybody seems busy and doing all sorts of wonderful things. I was blessed by attending the annual retreat for the teachers (and now Board) of our Christian school, which was incredibly wonderful. Then had a pretty stressful end-of-month at the medical office where I work. The heat is really getting to folks (95 - 103 each day), so tempers flare easily and you feel tired and drained even when you haven't done much. ( Sure makes me appreciate air conditioning, though!) Then Thursday evening, Evan and I were part of a group of folks from our local theatre group who performed some short skits for the annual Pasta Premier, which is a fund-raiser for the local Museum. The Museum is housed in the old Borden Milk plant, so even though air conditioning has been added, it was pretty hot backstage and onstage. (Yes, the stage was added SINCE the days of milk processing - when parts of the building were being somewhat renovated to enhance its functionality for the community.) In addition to the rooms with museum displays, there is the small theatre-type area, a tiny kitchen, a good lobby, and a very pretty little courtyard. Lots of weddings and wedding receptions are held at the Museum. Our theatre group has put on numerous plays there, also, inlcuding dinner theatre and dessert theatre.

Oops - I'm out of time! SOOOOO many chores are calling to me!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Almost Ready to Leave the Nest

Well, the babies are growing by leaps and bounds. Both mom and dad keep the airways hot with their frequent trips back and forth with luscious bugs and such for the little ones. As mom flies away, dady flies in. When I'm there at the table, dad, the more intrepid parent, just hops on up and into the backpack to feed the babies. Mom, on the other hand, hops all around, fussing loudly. She'll even hop up to the backpack and then back down. She could feed the babies two or three times in the time she takes going back and forth while she fusses at me. If I stay nice and still, she'll eventually take her goody to the babies, but she sure makes a big production out of it.

Daughter Beth informed me a couple of days ago that these birds had a two story condominium and so evidently were a bit floocier than the others we've had. So I looked inside the bag again and saw she was quite right! Due in part to the way the backpack is not sitting completely upright (it's fabric, after all, and not full of stuff) and that my small umbrella (to be with me at all times during jaunts around and about whilst in the UK) is conveniently near a wrinkle in the side of the backpack . . . they've been able to spread out as the babies have grown. Quite convenient, because we've all looked at nests that were fine for a few little eggs but then were overflowing as the little birdies developed and grew. ANYWAY - there are babies on two levels now.

The birds in the picture have quarters in the upper story. The moss to the left leads down to the lower level.

I guess that's enough of The Tale of the Carolina Wrens for today. More than enough!

We had a lovely storm yesterday evening and were blessed with just a tad over a half inch of rain. I hope some of the rest of you got a little rain, too. The farmers around here are seriously worried, both the cattle farmers and the crop farmers. I even heard that Jack Daniels, which is just up the road a piece, is talking about cutting production because the famous spring which has supplied their water for lo these many years is geetting very low. Now that's a first! (Personally, that doesn't concern me like the plight of the farmers - just mentioned it because it's indicative of just how low the water table is and how serious the water situation is.)

Got chores to do - better get up and at 'em!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!!