Yard, Gardens, Birds and Critters

At My Kitchen Sink By Mary J Williams © Standing at my kitchen sink Trying to fix supper I look out and see a squirrel And then I start to sputter I can’t believe it It can’t be true The squirrel eating My Christmas cactus I grew He is holding a piece I can see him eating I run to get my camera Proof is what I will be needing There I have a picture I just can’t believe it Eating Christmas Cactus I wish the heck he’d quit Now I’m watching Bluebirds In the birdbath, bathing It is a Juvenile It really is amazing Then the one starts to preen On his chest, tail feathers and wings All of that then flies down again Into the water he flings Wait, the squirrel is back Rose Moss flowers to eat No wonder I don’t have flowers The rose moss is his next treat I can’t believe all that is going on I see an orange bird across from me No picture, as he flew Just as soon as I could see Juvenile Bluebirds Three of them I see I am out on the deck now The neighbor’s feeder across from me One more bird to ad...

Heated Birdbath You Need By Mary J Williams © Writing a poem About the birdbath outside Don’t know If I can Messing it up, I can’t abide A heated birdbath You really need In the winter weather They don’t just eat seed Watching out the window Just the other day A sparrow flew in Drinking, plus stayed to play It’s 18 degrees In the water to bathe I have seen other birds In there that day It startled me plenty A few years ago When the Starlings bathed 18 degrees that day also I have to remember In this frigid weather Birdbath water is above freezing And they have to clean their feathers The squirrel even visited All other sources are frozen My water is not My water is well chosen I had to clean the birdbath It was not at all clean When the waters that way The birds barely preen I scrubbed it all out I brought it inside Standing out in the cold Couldn’t do it, I tried It’s all cleaned out Fresh water is in At least 6 birds already here  Which really made me grin Snow-cold and Starling...

 About ten days ago, I quit feeding the birds on the deck. Had to get the deck power washed, dried out and then a sealer applied.  It's been well over a year since the deck was built and I was tired of waiting on the guy who built it.  My son, Chris, took the task on with the help of his son. Every thing was removed from the deck. The railings, floor and the spindles have since been sprayed with the sealer. Dried for a couple of days and yesterday, grandson brought all the things back that were on the deck. Missed a couple of items, but I took care of them today, along with filling the feeders and the birdbath. Of course, I wrote a poem! Finally, the Birds are Back By Mary J Williams © This morning the seed is back Where is the Chickadee? The water is on the deck now But no birds do I see I did work on the seed Had to get rid of mixed nuts They were wet and moldy Aren’t fit for birds, no buts! I watched out the window At my kitchen sink Making soup for supper No birds, do...

 When I am standing, at the kitchen window, I look out and usually see a bird of some kind. Today was no exception. I was just going to finish up getting some supper for my husband, when I looked out and saw a Northern Mockingbird. This has been an experience this year. I usually don't see them on my deck. I hear them a lot, I see them in flight, when I am driving down the street, but to look out, and see them on my deck eating some seed and even dipping into the grape jelly, that is what I call a Blessing.  Not only that, there isn't just one, but two of them! It's a pair!  I am so thrilled! I have seen both of them twice on the deck now. I dropped what I was doing, dinner can wait. Raced to the back room and grabbed my camera. Nope, they weren't there when I got back. I have noticed something I hadn't noticed before. When one flew in, that tail of his was up in the air. Reminded me of the Carolina Wren. After a short time, the tail went down, but later I saw it up...

Birds and the Bees and Me By Mary J Williams (c) What do I love Looking outside Watching the birds Eat food I provide So many birds What do I see There is the Tufted Titmouse And the Black-capped Chickadee The Cardinal flew in To take a drink Many do the same Bluebirds too, I think Yes, there he is The Bluebird just flew in Not for the food, but water Busy they have been It’s nesting time now No insecticides for me The birds need the protein From the bugs you see The Robin digs down Eating caterpillars or slugs Please don’t kill them Don’t kill the bugs If you spray your flowers What will the bees do Visit the flowers for pollen And die because of the brew We have to protect As much as we can The birds eat lots of bugs Insecticides I ban Robin and Cardinal Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Bathing Bluebird waiting his turn for food The Bee

 This morning, December 22, 2022, a storm was to come in. We, here in Jefferson City, MO, are under a winter storm warning until Friday at 12 a.m. I have been watching closely and even checked the National Weather's radar.  The storm was West of us a little after 7:00 a.m.  Our temperature, at that time, was 26°F.  I was standing at the sink and looking out the kitchen window, when I noticed the water was very low in the heated birdbath.  I filled up my tea kettle and walked out on the deck. I noticed my feet were crunching on the deck floor.  I felt a mist in the air. The crunch was like a frozen mist. Not slick like ice! I was very careful though!  I went and finished my breakfast and was going to get a fresh cup of coffee and wash out the cereal bowl as soon as Lacy got all the lickings.  I saw the Starlings on the suet block and a lone Downy trying to "wait it out" to get her share of the suet.  I had to help! I opened the back door and t...

Wasps are Dumb By Mary J Williams © I think wasps are dumb At least around water they are They sit on the edge of the birdbath But that’s not only how far One little slip That’s all it takes And the family members Will be holding a wake There has been one And then there were two Now the counts way up Twenty or more will do They sip at the water The slide right in Drown themselves in water That drink was the end Not much I can do I have tried to save a few But I’m not outside 24-7 Maybe tiny feet, add glue? Ah, well, I guess it’s just nature The hardy will survive If it’s not their time They surely won’t die

How I Feel By Mary J Williams © I was at the store A donut did I see Went to the case Picked some out for me Thought of what’s for supper What do I need to buy Grabbed a bag of carrots Then gave a great big sigh There were some lovely green beans When can I eat those I will have to clean and snap So, they were what I chose Wanted something different To go with the roast beef Hope that’s okay with hubby And he doesn’t give me grief Home, I went with my groceries Planning ahead is hard Think I will take a walk And take pictures of my yard It’s pretty darn windy out Which makes it pretty cold I have my jacket on My camera I will hold Look at the survivors Flowers still in bloom Temps below freezing Dying was not their doom Inside and cooking Gardening feels like this Flowers and fresh air Snapping green beans is bliss Even watching Starlings And the sparrows too Bathing and splashing the water How can winter make me blue Snapdragons Vinca               ...

The Water Wiggler Disaster By Mary J Williams © I filled up the birdbath Six times so far today At 7 p.m. at the kitchen window No Water Wiggler, I say Walked out on the deck There is nothing there Looked over the edge It must of flew into the air One part was broken One battery was on the ground I don’t understand The twirler was still going round It must have been a critter That knocked it out A cat or a squirrel It got a clout, no doubt Must have hit it hard To knock it out of there Now a broken wiggler It’s getting way too much to bear! To Birds I View tomorrow Get another water wiggler there If a critter breaks another I’m gonna’ pull out all my hair    What the Water Wiggler is supposed to look like! Not like this       

I am back in the house! I was "just going to do" the watering. I don't know how to "just do" anything.  I ended up pulling out weeds and grass from around the pots along the sidewalk, then decided to move the pots, dug all the grass and weeds under and around them. Have a couple more to do but, that will be another day!  Plus, while watering, I see these things growing that aren't suppose to be there and I just have to stop and pull them out. Then you end up with a pile and I went down the drive and got the old container and lugged it up the hill and filled half of it with all that stuff. LOL!  I can't "just do", one thing.  Then, lol, I interrupted myself, while getting the shovel to dig out the grass and stuff, saw the bird seed cylinder on the workbench, so stopped and got the saw and cut it into 6 pieces. Brought the shovels and the seed up front. Took the seed in the house and to the deck and decided to get the meal worms and put them out...

I Forgot By Mary J Williams © Because the raccoon has been a roughneck I bring in the one feeder And hide the wiggler on the deck A busy day yesterday I worked and some play Forgot to do the feeder No hiding the wiggler today This morning let the dog out I opened up the door There lay the wiggler In pieces, on the deck floor Dropped from the birdbath Little more the three feet It was in five pieces That was quite a feat The lid was away from the rest The four together they lay I only saw one battery Did he eat the other? I say I looked all around Even went down below Never found the other battery Where is it? I will never know Grabbed a new battery Up the stairs I went Turned over the top Battery two was present I really did feel silly Not turning it over to see If the other battery was there Bet you all agree The battery is in The top is screwed on The leg is replaced The wiggler goes around Now if this critter Would leave it alone Or me not forget To hide it, I say with a moan! total...

Critter Strikes Again By Mary J Williams © I got up this morning Headed for the door Opened it up And said “Forever more” There laid the wiggler Over on its side Wiggle part missing I heaved a big sigh Walked to the bird bath The twirler part there Little rubber discs gone Thank goodness I have a spare I looked for the rest of the pieces They were nowhere to be found They might have fallen off the deck And are laying on the ground Nope, not going to look I’ll just get my spare in the house I am so aggravated That critter is a louse! I think it’s a raccoon I need to make him scram Gotta make sure Need to set up the trail cam Not only about the wiggler But birdfeeder too Moved the whole thing What to do, what to do? the bar that usually has the rubber discs  on a little plastic piece that holds them The big feeder with sunflower seeds lots of the seed gone and feeder way over the deck banister Where the feeders are supposed to be  

 I have a morning routine!  I get up and turn on the warmer burner on the stove and pour water in my Bunn Coffee Maker for Hubby's coffee. Then it's out on the deck to check the bird feeders and the water. This morning I looked out and noticed the grape jelly was gone, so I grabbed it from the refrigerator and a spoon, then out on the deck.  I filled the little dishes with some jelly. I noticed the sunflower seed level was pretty low and thought I had better bring some up to the feeder.  I don't fill it to the top anymore as it's the heaviest bird feeder ever. It is cool looking but the weight, with it completely full, bends the hook it's on and the squirrel already has added extra weight to it!  The Water Wiggler has been on the deck in my heated birdbath for many years.  The raccoon, evidently, doesn't like it at all. Not only has the wiggler been pushed out of the birdbath and broken, but this morning, I found the wiggler pushed to the side of the birdba...

 I looked out the kitchen window as I was doing up a couple of dishes. The squirrel was back but in a totally different position. I am thinking he sucked everything that was close from the side hole and now is attempting to get seed out of the bottom drainage holes.  This squirrel is quite the acrobat. I don't think there are many positions that he can't get into.  I watched and took a few pictures. I watched the male House Finch fly in and realized the squirrel was there and took off again!  Later on, I was at the kitchen window again. There was that squirrel and I swear my first impression was he was laying down sleeping on the top of the bird feeder!  I then realized he was likely hanging over the edge like he has done on the side facing me and attempting to get the seed out of the side hole. I think he saw me, or sensed that I was there, taking pictures, again!  He sat up and started whipping that tail around! I don't think he was happy with me at all! ...