I Swear I Shot These After I Mowed the Lawn, Josh

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May 1st, 2008 Permalink

Where are the migrants? I must sleep too late for the warblers, because surely they’re out there, but I’m just not seeing them. And I’ve had the hummingbird feeder up for a few weeks now, ever since people started reported them on the Carolinas Birding List, but no luck. David at Leave Me Alone, I’m [...]

Northern Cardinal male

Where are the migrants? I must sleep too late for the warblers, because surely they’re out there, but I’m just not seeing them. And I’ve had the hummingbird feeder up for a few weeks now, ever since people started reported them on the Carolinas Birding List, but no luck. David at Leave Me Alone, I’m Digging, however, has already wooed them to his garden. Lucky! Whatevs, I have loads of cardinals. And gray catbirds. David, did I mention the swarms of catbirds over here? (Heh, heh, heh.)

Let’s see what else is rambling around the homestead…

Carolina wren eating mealworms

Carolina wrens in bowls. Just heat ‘n serve! (I kid. It’s eating mealworms.)

House wren in nestbox

House wrens stuffing twigs in the nestbox. Don’t blame me, people, the bluebirds around here seem to prefer natural nesting sites. Who am I to force them into unnatural housing? I read once that house wrens will use up to 400 twigs in one nest. I believe it—it took this guy about a day to completely fill the box, but he keeps jamming more in there. The bluebirds, on the other hand, installed a grand total of two twigs in the couple of months they’d been dawdling over this box before the house wrens arrived. Clearly not interested.

And about the mowing… I asked Josh to teach me how to use the lawnmower. The one that uses gas and everything, not my old-fashioned reel mower. We have a push mower, not a riding mower, despite our fairly sizable yard. When we moved in, I put my foot down: We could have either a riding mower or a big LCD television. Watching the race on Sunday on a big TV was the clincher. (Bristol on the big screen!) Ladies, I’m dispelling the myth of how the man of the house absolutely must have an expensive riding mower because mowing is so exhausting. Nonsense! With a $300 John Deere self-propelled mower, this 5’2″ woman easily mowed the yard in about an hour, and we have a big hill, not some putting-green-flat lawn. Mowing is easy. It’s easier than a sweaty step class at the gym. Easier than the old reel mower. And kind of fun. Sure, sure, this means that I’ll be doing the mowing while Josh eats bons bons and drinks gin and tonics, and the neighbors will watch me like a curious circus act, but whatever. Mowing is a pleasant way to pass the time. Now I just need to MacGyver a cupholder on the thing and I’ll be set for the summer.

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