Community Chat

[Bird mama]

Bird of the Day - White Throated Toucan

[Winifred]

It use to be soooooo easy to get GOOD bird seed on sale - best place I use to find wa KMart. You could get 3- 20 pound bags of great bird seed for $9 - that went out overnight and now you pay at a minimum $10 for a 20 pound bag of mostly junk seed - and that is when it is on sale. You use to be able to go in any small store and 10 pound bags of seed were a come on for I think 99 cents. Boy howdy times have changed. The feed store now charges $24 for a 50 pound bag but it is horrible - not really good but I get it. Two years ago it was such a deal at $16. But the real good seed is priced out of my pocketbook today. I think the feathered ones toss more of this seed out rather than eat it. What can I say.

Got really nice yesterday evening - great cool heavy breezes came up but no rain.

Well the neighboring city - Yucaipa - has instituted water controls. They are literally across the street from me. I am in one city and another county from across the street. They are another city and another county. Weird but that is the way the lines were drawn. Not as tough as I thought they would be but will still be difficult for some people except I did not see the mandatory nighttime watering they had back in the 70s. Actually it is not as tough as it was then but very similar. But based on their address they can only water either on odd or even days. That will be a nightmare to change - I got mine onto nighttime but it is not right. There is no way I could get the days changed. If I am going to be put into that regimen - not sure yet what our city is going to do - it will cost me a fortune to have someone change my watering system.

Hope all have a great day!!!

[mousiegirl]

Winifred and Bird mama - thank you for your kind words. DD phoned around 7:00 pm CO time, while she was at the picnic with her roommate whom she had just met, and it was raining, lol. It will be interesting, at times goes on, what she thinks of living in such erratic weather. She said she was cold, and wished she had her jacket, to which I replied that if she had put it on at the airport as I told her to, she wouldn't be cold now. Listen to Mom, or suffer the consequences.

My deck is being built this week, taking longer than stated, of course, and last week, I began bringing things to the kitchen and cooking. The contractor told me a few days ago that the kitchen can't look as if it is being used, never mentioned this before, so I can't have anything on the counters, which is okay, I will just clear those off for the inspection.

I spent an hour on the phone with Pottery Barn customer service last Friday night, trying to track down the kitchen chairs which two people had told me over the month were in, but when I called the store, no one knew anything. A few days after the phone call, the chairs arrived, so now, for the first time in twenty-seven years, I have a kitchen table with normal chairs, as opposed to the folding chairs and tiny table we had been using.

Off to run errands.

[possummink]

Oh, Mousie, I know that feeling you and DH are having about your 'little one' leaving the 'nest' and being out on her own and away from home. I had many emotions esp. when my son left as the Navy sent a van to our home, early in the morning, and took him away. Not much time for hugs or anything else. It was 'they pulled up', we walked outside with him, they opened the door for him to get in and left immediately. I stood in the driveway as they pulled out of it onto the street, wondering when I'd see him next, hoping he'd be ok, etc. I was worried a bit that he'd end up in the brig for talking back to a drill instructor or an officer. He did fine and we all adjusted to the changes.

It sounds like your DD will have lots of her things and probably lots to keep her busy. It sounds as if your home is finally coming to an end of the renovations. You must be so happy to have that finished and now you can enjoy all of the new things. Glad you got the chairs for the kitchen table.

I helped my oldest GS pack his things yesterday for him to move into the dorm at the university today. The university is only about a 30 - 40 min. drive from here, but he likes the on campus experience and it's good for him as he's used to having a lot of stuff done for him. He needs to learn to be independent. He'll be 21 in Nov. Time to do things for himself and to buy the things he wants with his own money. Priorities, I tell him.

Hope the pups adjust quickly to DD not being there for a bit.

[possummink]

~~~Albino Hummingbird~~

Hi Birding Friends, I checked the thermometer a bit ago and the temp. outside was 97. My GS was outside working on his truck and came in as it was just too hot to stay out there for long. He and a friend were working on the friend's truck about 3 hours ago and GS called me to come outside to see something. I went out and there was a baby squirrel walking down the street, and the cute little critter walked right up to me so I picked him up. He was so darn cute and not a bit afraid. He crawled up onto my shoulder and I took him over to a tree, hoping his mama was around. I went back in and then GS walked over to check on him and the little critter jumped onto GS's head. They took him over to a bigger tree a few yards over and said there was a big squirrel there, so I am hoping it was Mama.

~~~~ I think this is close to his size and age. He's only a few inches long not counting his tail. I sure hope he's safe with his mama now.

I have been buying birdseed from Publix the last few times i needed some. Their mix is pretty well balanced, but no corn. I do buy their mix of safflower and black oil sunflower to mix in with the mixed seed stuff. I add shelled peanuts and whole peanuts to the mix and it put into the feeder. I filled the feeder around noon and it's just about empty now.

Last night I was getting a new box of Kleenex out from under the sink in one of the bathrooms and noticed the box was damp, so I pulled out some TP which was soaked, and bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths etc. All were wet and the ones on the bottom were drenched with water. DDIL called a plumber today and they came and said the faucet was broken on the inside. Luckily no mildew had set in on the towels ect. so I spent part of the day washing them and folding all of it. Must have been about 12 bath towels and an equal amount of hand towels, washcloths etc. Took 2 complete loads to finish it all. Not sure whose going to put in the new faucet. DDIL or the plumber. She's very handy at fixing things around the house.

Need to help DS get supper going. It's raining a bit outside which will just up the humidity again, but then any rain is welcome for the lawns and plants

Waving to all Birding Friends!! Have a nice rest of your Friday and a great weekend.

[possummink]

~~Albino Hummingbird~~

Hi Birding Friends, I checked the thermometer a bit ago and the temp. outside was 97. My GS was outside working on his truck and came in as it was just too hot to stay out there for long. He and a friend were working on the friend's truck about 3 hours ago and GS called me to come outside to see something. I went out and there was a baby squirrel walking down the street, and the cute little critter walked right up to me so I picked him up. He was so darn cute and not a bit afraid. He crawled up onto my shoulder and I took him over to a tree, hoping his mama was around. I went back in and then GS walked over to check on him and the little critter jumped onto GS's head. They took him over to a bigger tree a few yards over and said there was a big squirrel there, so I am hoping it was Mama.

~~~~ I think this is close to his size and age. He's only a few inches long not counting his tail. I sure hope he's safe with his mama now.

I have been buying birdseed from Publix the last few times i needed some. Their mix is pretty well balanced, but no corn. I do buy their mix of safflower and black oil sunflower to mix in with the mixed seed stuff. I add shelled peanuts and whole peanuts to the mix and it put into the feeder. I filled the feeder around noon and it's just about empty now.

Last night I was getting a new box of Kleenex out from under the sink in one of the bathrooms and noticed the box was damp, so I pulled out some TP which was soaked, and bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths etc. All were wet and the ones on the bottom were drenched with water. DDIL called a plumber today and they came and said the faucet was broken on the inside. Luckily no mildew had set in on the towels ect. so I spent part of the day washing them and folding all of it. Must have been about 12 bath towels and an equal amount of hand towels, washcloths etc. Took 2 complete loads to finish it all. Not sure whose going to put in the new faucet. DDIL or the plumber. She's very handy at fixing things around the house.

Need to help DS get supper going. It's raining a bit outside which will just up the humidity again, but then any rain is welcome for the lawns and plants

Waving to all Birding Friends!! Have a nice rest of your Friday and a great weekend.

[possummink]

I am so glad I copied the above post because when I hit submit, Chrome crashed!!! I was holding my breath when I got back on Q and was hoping that the copy was retained. It was and so I hit submit again and got a ''run time error'' which closed the tab and so again, I got back to this tab and hit paste and the post was still there. I copied it again, just to be sure and it finally posted. Crazy computers, web sites, world.!!!!

[mousiegirl]

Possumm - He needs to learn to be independent. He'll be 21 in Nov. Time to do things for himself and to buy the things he wants with his own money. Priorities, I tell him.

I agree with this! This summer was the first time DD received her pay in check form, and boy, did she go shopping. I told her she had to buy all clothes and shoes she wanted with her money. For years, I would just put it into her savings account, as the barn did not like paying anyone, but rather put it on the books to deduct from her riding lessons, but since she was leaving, it was different this year. DD was very happy to have so much cash.

How scary to have a van pull up and snatch your DS away. It is a helpless feeling, just to name one emotion, sending them away, but is necessary. What was I thinking letting her apply to a college so far away, but I wanted her to choose, and so she did, and she definitely has to live on a campus to learn to function without me.

I just got back from running errands, and my usual helper was not here to help me take packages up the stairs. I think I will buy less from now on, lol, or make more frequent trips.

Love the baby squirrel! I know you will worry about it for a while, as I would. Sometimes I see very small squirrel darting across the road, and assume it is a baby, but never get a close look.

[Bird mama]

Possummink - what a wonderful encounter with the baby squirrel. I'm sorry to read about the plumbing problem at the house. Plumbers are a tricky class of professionals - there are so many crooks out there

Bird for the weekend - Black and White Warbler

Female

[possummink]

Hi Birding Friends, We got a nice heavy rain this evening and it was welcome. Lots of sound and light to go along with it though. Hope you are having a good weekend.

Birdmama, I am so hoping that baby squirrel is ok and with his mama. When we told DS about it last evening, he said he had seen a dead baby squirrel down the street when he was running in the morning. I am guessing that they left the nest too early or it fell out of the tree. So sad that one didn't make it so I am hoping the tiny one we had is ok. So many times at home, during thunderstorms, nests have been blown out of trees with the babies still inside. I can't remember the time's I've warmed them up in the oven, then driven to the Wildlife Rescue place and handed them over to experts who knew what to do and how to do it for them. I would usually gather up a huge bag of black walnuts in the late summer and early fall and drive it to the Rescue to help out with the squirrel population and give them a treat. We have a lot of them, especially with all the nut trees we have. Besides black walnuts, we have butternut, chestnuts, pecans, oaks, (pin, black, burr, and white), filberts(hazelnuts), can't think of any others. I wish we had a hickory tree, and am going to push that at my brother. Maybe we can get one this fall.

I forgot to ask my brother if the pawpaws were still on the trees and if any persimmons had set on this year. I hope so, as I love American persimmons. Possums and squirrels do too.

DDIL put the new faucet on the bathroom sink. Wasn't easy, and was quite messy, but she got it done in about 3-4 hours. The problem was one pipe didn't want to loosen, and she had to go get pieces to fit at Lowes. She took the old faucet with her and that helped.

Have a peaceful evening, and a lovely and relaxing Sunday, Birding Friends.