Painted Birdhouses

I painted some birdhouses.  I gave 3 to my parents and kept 3.  I've never painted something like this, so I practiced on the back of each one, before I tried my design on the front.

I think they turned out pretty nice!  My parent's already have birds nesting in the birdhouses that I gave to them.  Mine are still empty, but I have some other bird houses in the yard full of nesting birds, so maybe they will be chosen to raise a little family next year.

Mourning Dove

This mourning dove visited the pond yesterday.

Birds, Bees and Blooms

Yesterday, I stalked a hummingbird in the garden.

I tried and tried to get a good picture of him (or her?), but he was so fast.

He also didn't like it when I got too close to him, so I had to sneakily zoom in from a distance.

I'm not sure if it is the same pair, or their children, but a pair of hummingbirds nest in the lilac bush on the edge of my yard. They have been raising their tiny little babies in the same spot for at least 5 years.

This was the best pic I took of him.

Here is his pretty green back.

He really likes every painted lady (flower).

He is so tiny!

Some water lilies in my pond.

Summer sunflower.

Doesn't that just look like pure Summer?

Garden Closeups

These are pictures I took before I left on vacation.

The lettuce is eaten, the birds are already out of the nest and the flowers have dropped their petals. That's the nice thing about photography - it holds a moment forever.

pansy

robins
They are now eating my strawberries.

iris

columbine

Catty

bee

columbine

Frosty Pheasants

I took these pictures today on the way to visit my chickens.

There is a spot in the road close to a sloe where pheasants hang out.

You might have to look closely to see them.

There is one flying!

One in a tree.

I have been watching these pheasants all winter.

What do they eat?

The snow is really deep.

Another one flying.

I raised pheasants one summer.

They are not very friendly birds.

And it is impossible to tame them......I really, really tried to tame them.

They didn't like it!

When I drive by, I'm always afraid they will hit my car when they are flying over the road.
I know someone who had a pheasant hit and smash their passenger side window.

This one is hard to see.

He blends into the cattails.

Chocolate Bird's Nests

Chocolate Bird's Nests

1 can shoestring potatoes

14 oz. chocolate

(I used Wilton's Candy Melts - 7 oz mint and 7 oz. dark chocolate)

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Melt chocolate in the microwave.

Combine with shoestring potatoes.

Press into muffin cups and refrigerate overnight.

They can be made ahead - just keep them in the fridge until you serve them.

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To serve: Fill with mint ice cream and decorate with Chocolate Snowflakes

Birdbath, Blooms and Junk

Oh, yeah!

It's JUNKY!

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This is a pic of last Tuesday's haul from Goodwill.

I had my little gardening friend, A., over

and we went crazy.

Then we stayed up until 12 o'clock making

glass flowers!

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Now A. is just as addicted as I am to making

garden (junk) art.

All of our finds - What could we possible DO with this junk?!?!

A teapot birdhouse.

This is a work in progress. It still needs paint and

a cute sign to welcome the birdies.

We are thinking : Welcome feathered friends,

but we're open to suggestions!

A birdbath.
Remember those 4 soda/malt glasses from the first pic?
And the blue bowl?
Here they are reborn!
P.S. It's not crooked - I just have a leaning problem


Top view.

Side close up.

These are the backs of the plate flowers.

You can see the bell hangers in these pics.

A.'s plate flower creation.

She gave it to my 86 y/o grandma.

So sweet!

My plate flower.

The plate is very iridescent in the sun, but

of course the sun WOULDN'T come out!