Hey Baby it's Cold Outside

Hey Baby it's COLD Outside!

Well it's November in Indiana and it's cold out, That's not unusual, But that doesn't mean that I have to like it , Does it? I think I'll stay inside today and do some shopping on line. Aren't we so lucky these days? We can stay at home and shop. Cool huh?

Lets talk Christmas Presents. Do you know what you are going to buy for all of the people on your list? If you do you're probably the only person who's prepared. I haven't a clue as to what I'm going to get for those on my list. Some of them will get a birdhouse or birdfeeder. But I'm thinking of giving some of them hammock chairs.

I think the older kids will love them for their bedrooms. I had always wanted one when I was a teenager, but you couldn't find them anywhere (as my kids say) way back when.

Some of the boys on my list would love the wooden bug house. They like to catch lightning bugs . The bug house would be good for temporarily holding butterflies too, Or frogs and toads. We have a lot of those here,But I have the kids put them in toad town ,in my front flowerbed. That's where all of my frogs and toads live. Well with the exception of one toad that kept hopping all of the way to the back garden every time he was moved. I finally just let him stay there. We also have a lot of lady bugs around here. I think it's because of all of the fruit trees out behind our house.

Some people may get a desk top fountain because there are so many to choose from that I'm sure I'll find one for anyone that is hard to buy for. One thing that I think will make several people happy is the lighthouse with a solar light. It is so nice. I wouldn't mind having one of those myself. But one thing that I want myself is the hummingbird weathervane. It would look real nice in my garden too.

Well I seem to be getting more shopping done for myself too. Iguess my garden will be full next year. I can't help it, there are so many cute things for my outdoor areas that I get carried away sometimes.

BURRIED ALIVE!

Hi Everyone,
Today I went out to get the paper and couldn't believe my eyes, when I opened the door and My whole world is covered in leaves. I can't even see the driveway. For some reason all of the trees in this area have waited to drop their leaves all at once. Usually we have to use the bagger on the lawn mower and clean some up as we cut the grass, But this year grass cutting is over and we're supposed to get some snow tomorow. I can hear the birds but I cant see them anywhere. I am going to make my way to the birdfeeder and put some seed in it. I bet they are wondering why the trees are getting bare so fast. Hopefully they are prepared for a long, cold winter.
I still have some empty birdhouses, So they had better move in fast. Every year I wonder why I stay in Indiana, Well I guess it's because my family and friends are here. I also believe that the grass isn't greener on the other side anyways. There are good and bad things anywhere you would go.

We have a lot of snow here in Indiana, but we have snowmen. Some places can't say that, and we usually have a white Christmas too. I know a lot of people wish they had snow at Christmas. I wouldn't mind the snow so much if it wasn't so cold. I have a lot of time until planting time to plan next years garden. But I'll worry about that after Christmas. Christmas is family time. Of course anyone who knows me knows I love to decorate at Christmas too. I also have a lot of sewing to do too. I like to make unique gifts for people. Busy, Busy. So much to do. BYE!

The birdlady

More Birds For Indiana
Has anybody else noticed that as the years go by, there are more types of birds in Indiana than ever before? The reason for this I don’t know. It could be many things. Less area for them to live because of development maybe, Climate change? More birds than there use to be.
They seem to be migrating here more than they use to. I know Indiana has Bald Eagles, however I think the Owl population is going down, I see Blue Heron now, and the Hawk and buzzard population seems to be greater than before. I use to see a lot of those birds in Arizona and other South Western states, But not here in Indiana. Hummingbirds are on the increase it seems. At least I can’t remember seeing them when I was a kid.
I would love to see some of Indiana’s rare birds visit my feeders. I have found a rather nasty pile of internal organs in the middle of my back yard that I assume were dropped by a hawk or other predatory bird as it flew over, It almost had to be something like that because it’s a fenced in area.
We have a pond on both sides of us, but they are way back where you can’t see them. I’m guessing that’s why there is so much wildlife around here, I would probably get to see more if we were closer to the water. All animals need water, If I had a lot of land I would make my own wildlife habitat. With fountains, waterfalls, and feeding stations of all types for the birds and the animals. Then make areas in which people could blend in while they sit and watch the wildlife. That would be great. As it stands now I do consider myself lucky to live in the country where I can see a lot of things you can't find in the city. I'm sure that a lot of people would rather live in the city. But not me, It does make it easier when you need somthing from the store, or when you're younger and want plenty of things to do when you get bored. I have lived in the city,and I prefer the peacefulness of the country. I live on a short section of a street that doesn't go through, and no houses on the other side of the street at all. Just one big farmers field. I do have neighbors on both sides, But that's O.K. I'm not totaly isolated. But Nobody bothers anybody else unless it's important. One of these days I would like to move to a more remote area than this but, I hate to move. So maybe not. I guess I'm getting too old to be too far out. No one will want to come this far to take care of me when I get too old to take care of myself.

Bald Eagles and other wonders
As you know I live in Indiana and there are a lot of different birds here. Did you know that Indiana does have Bald Eagles? At one time the bald eagle was considered an endangered species and I in danger of extinction. A lot of people have seen bald eagles in Indiana, sadly, I am not one of them. I intend to some day. I have seen plenty of hawks and Blue heron, They are truly amazing, But seeing a bald eagle would make me very happy. Even happier if I happen to have my camera with me. Most of them have been in January and February.
Living out in the country, we see a lot of animals, raccoons, deer, turtles, frogs, rabbits, opossum and of course cats horses, cows pigs and lots of chickens. I wouldn’t have it any other way I love animals and would hate to live in a big city where you have to go to the zoo to see any animals. But then again they get to see dolphins, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, camels and other nice animals too. But I don’t have to pay to see them. Sometimes I have to get them out of my trash cans. Or chase them out of my vegetable garden. But that’s o.k.

More prepaing for winter

More preparing for winter today

Well it got real cold last night and we had to use the furnace for the first time, So it seemed like a good idea to finish some of the outside work today around company that showed up unexpectedly. That was fine with us though, we don’t get to see our kids and grandkids enough. The new baby wont be little for long. He’s already 17 days old.

The whole big flower bed is cut down now except for a few mums and a few Autumn Joy Sedum, The birdbaths and birdfeeders are still there, soon the top of the birdbaths will be on their sides so water doesn’t gather and freeze causing them to break. The birds will get water from the snow. Yeah, I said the dreaded word snow. The only time I like to see snow is on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I think snow is pretty but It’s also cold and I hate cold.

I like to decorate for Christmas though. I also have some new Christmas decorations in my store now. I love the stepping stones that are shaped like Christmas light bulbs. And the birdhouse that looks like a tree ornament, I haven’t decided how to decorate this year, but that’s a good start. I like to use some sort of path lights if I can find some. I have to decorate before it gets cold though, because like I said I don‘t go out in the cold unless I absolutely have to. Decorating is important but I still don’t consider that important enough to drag me out into the cold.

I will go out long enough to feed the animals but even that is a pitch and run deal. I get real bad headaches if I’m out in the cold for long. I feel sorry for the animals and birds that are out in the cold. If I was a bird I would have to fly South. Who am I kidding I’d have to move South cause I’d never make it flying, I’m an old bird. The
birdlady

Kid Days

What do you miss most about being a kid?

I don't really have any garden related things to talk about today. So I thought I'd talk about when I was a kid and all the things I miss about the carefree days of a being a kid with no worries at all. I miss laying in the middle of the yard for hours on end looking at the clouds and imagining what they looked like. A monkey or a lion? I miss sitting on my friend Barberas swing staring up into the tree twisting myself up in the swing and letting it unwind, twirling round and round until I was too dizzy to stand up. Now I get dizzy for no reason and don't like it.(Menieres disease) I miss the stupid things we use to talk about when my friends and I slept out in my tent in the woods.I don't miss school that much. But then again who does? I had a bike that I rode almost every day, Of course only country kids know around the block is 4 miles. You had to have a bike. My friend lived just down the road, 1 1/2 miles down the road ,that's 3 miles round trip. Funny I can't even get my daughter to go to the mail box and back. We had chores then too, today kids look at you like you're crazy if you ask them to do anything. When we wanted to ride our bikes to town it was over 5 miles there. Mostly we just hung around the farm down the street and helped them out with the animals. We cleaned the barn and fed the pigs and washed down the cows and brushed the ponies and all kinds of things. I've always loved animals of all kinds. I guess some things don't change. I still love animals, I still have chores, I still get dizzy, It's still a long way to town, I still spend a lot of time doing things for others. But now, if I laid out in my yard for hours staring at the sky they'd probably send either the county coroner or the mental health people to get me.
the birdlady

THE BIRDS

Alfred Hitchcock THE BIRDS

Remember that old Thriller The Birds ? In the movie there were birds everywhere. For the last couple of days in the early evening When I go out the back door, I can hear the constant chatter of hundreds of birds, It's a deafening sound . I look around they have all gathered in the trees it's really strange. There are no birds flying around anywhere they are all pearched in the trees. Every tree is loaded with birds, screaching and chirping away. The swing is idely blowing in the slight breeze. Nothing else is moving,This is creepy. The sun is startng to go down, and there is a chill in the air. They must be gathering to fly south. If I didn't know better I would say this town is about to become the latest victems of Alfred Hitchcocks imagination and we will all soon be pecked to death by hundreds of birds. Stay in and cover the windows. Oh and if I remember right they are smart enough to come down the chimeny. My dog comes around the garage with a big stick in her mouth. Well they didn't get her. I guess I'm safe. I carry a few frogs and a statue to the shed. I need to get out here and finish clearing the chairs and small tables away and cover the bench and wagon and stash the garden swing. It's going to get cold soon and I don't do cold. Then It hits me, No wonder the birds are gathering so fast. Oh No, It's worse than birds, It's horrible, I won't survive!!!!! OH NO IT"S WINTER.

the Birdlady

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Well it's raining in Indiana today. I can't do anything outside today. I have a cart sitting out in the yard with my statues and assorted decorations in it, getting rained on. I'll have to dry them out before I store them in the shed for the winter. It's my own fault, I've beeen awful lazy lately and have started a lot of things but not finished them.

I'm thinking about tying down the birdhouses, especially the ones on the arbor, It gets awful windy here and I don't want the birds homes to blow over if they nest in them over the winter. Last year, I moved them. But the birds like them there.

I hope we don't have a bad winter. I don't mind snow but I don't like it to snow so deep that you can't get where you need to go. I also hate it when the temperature gets real low, I feel so sorry for the animals who are left out in the cold. Have I mentioned that I hate winter? I like my picnic table covered with food not snow. I like my grandkids in my garden swing not a tarp covered snow mound. Most of all, I hate to see a bare yard with no flowers. YUK!

Oh well I guess I have no choice, Winter will come any way it wishes.

birdlady

New Stuff!@ All Gone to the Birds

New Stuff at All Gone to the Birds!



I love it when we get new stuff in. Because I probabbly see it in a different light than most people do .I know it means there's a lot of work to do,Well thats o.k. with me, I don't mind the work. I like to see all the new things because It helps me plan and decide what I'm going to do in my garden next year. Some people plant and figure whew, I'm glad that's done. Not me I think, well O.K. now what do I change or redecorate. That's what I do. I love to change things and make them stand out, or look better. Inside and out, I like an everchanging palette of color and design. Every room needs a theme. My husband doesn't understand that theory, He would put a painting of a victorian Garden with a beautiful fountain and birdhouse with white gingerbread trim, in the same area as a picture of Indians going downstream in a canoe. I'm serious. He would. But then he is a he.(need I say more?) There are a few men out there that have enough taste to decorate,and to the women who have one I say, count your blessings some of us have husbands that still can't pick out their own clothes, let alone decorate a house.



Anyway, We have some new birdhouses, birdfeeders, windchimes and other things you would expect and a few you wouldn't, One that I'm particularly pleased about is a toadhouse. I have been looking for them for a while so I can add them to my inventory, and this one is a start. I am also going to start on some hand painted items soon. It's been a while since I've painted statues but hopefully it's like one of those falling off a bicycle things, Ya think??? I hope. Don't expect much. I'm getting old and some things just don't work like they use to. Oh by the way, I've started a Squidoo and the birdlady was already taken. I'll let you all know later what my lens will be called.
the birdlady By the way the picture is the new toadhouse

Next Years Plan

I already have a general plan for some things to work on in my front flowerbed. I have an area that it very hard to keep the soil loosened up in and there are sprouts from an awful persistant bush that keeps popping up everywhere. Its in the same area as toadtown, where my frogs and toads live. I have alot of statues there, toad houses and a few plants that do o.k. there. Mainly my daylilies. I think I'll try to move all of the plants as they come up. the toads can use more rocks, maybe I'll buy some pea gravel or somthing to decorate that area in rocks and frogs, maybe a fountain, I sell one in my shop that has frogs on it,that would be perfect, but no flowers. unless I can find something that likes that hard, rocky soil. My toad town does need greenery. after all they'll need to be shaded from the hot sun, When they're not swimming in their pool.

I also have plans to take down the arbor and make the flower bed smaller,but I would like to add butterfly feeders and houses .I have plenty of birdfeeders. I do have a lot of flowers that attract the butterflies so maybe they would stay around if I add more things for them. I haven't had time to check into it much,I don't even know what you put in the feeders, but I have a butterfly house I put it out last year and it didn't have any tenants.

Oh well like I said, I haven't checked into the butterfly thing much,but I will. Don't you think this frog fountain would be perfect? I do it's so cute. I'm already looking forward to spring.

the birdlady

Growing Your Own Veggies

Growing your own veggies

I Love to grow things other than flowers. Every year I have had my own vegetable garden.

My family has always grown their own veggies, Even when I was little and we lived in the city My dad was always growing what he could in our yard. He would work on the veggies and my mom would work on the flower beds. I of course had to fill the bird feeders. and I loved to help any where I could in the garden or flowers. I learned a lot from my parents and grandparents about gardening and heirloom plants. There is one heirloom tomato that I love, It is the pineapple tomato, It is a a deep yellow with red running through it. They are a big variety growing to 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each, they have a great flavor and are low in acid so I can usually eat as many as I want without my heartburn flaring up. There is nothing like a Home Grown tomato and my family eat as many as we can while they are in season because you no longer want to eat those store bought tomatoes again. I always grow plenty of plants and have many tomatoes to go around. This year I had problems keeping the birds out of them, Usually I put garden stakes with pie pans tied to them, throughout the garden to keep the birds away, they don't like the reflections when the pans move or the noise they make hitting against each other. But this year, My son used all of the stakes to put a fence around it to keep out our new dog Nikki, She learned how to pull weeds and shake the dirt off the roots, She's real good at it ,But unfortunately she can't tell the weeds from Good plants. I had an owl statue I use to help keep the other birds out, but he needs repainted. Oh well next year I'll have to get out my pie pans.

The birdlady Increase Page Rank

Getting Ready For Winter

I'm Clearing away all the garden decorations and cutting down the plants. It's time to take in the hummingbird feeders, You can't leave them out in Indiana because it gets way too cold for the little hummingbirds and they will freeze, They don't have that built in notion to fly south like the other birdsthat can't handle the cold and if they have feeders they will stay. The sugar water would freeze anyway. So to nudge them along you have to take the feeders in. We almost always have snow before Halloween. Sometimes I wonder why I stay here, I hate the cold and I have a built in need to grow things, I'm sure there are better States to live in for gardeners. Why do I stay when the birds even know better. Hey,! There's an answer, I can go South for the winter. Yeah right! I can't even afford the house I live in now, all I need is another one. I would have another yard to plant in too! WOW more gardens to grow and decorate . more birdhouses, more statues and fountains. Wait that also means more grass to cut more weeds to pull. Well maybe I should just stay here and watch the birds through the window with my binoculars and stay in where it's warm. I do have new Christmas Decorationsthat I can put out, New stepping stones, new birdfeeders and birdhouses too. Some of the birds do stay here for the winter and have a hard time finding anything to eat and places to keep warm. Plus,I can start planning out how to redo my front flower bed. Anyone want some well established transplants?