When I was a little girl I collected birds' nests. I was a shy, solitary, book-nerd child and presumably to get me out for some exercise and fresh air, my mother invented nature walks. Looking back it seems odd of her---my mom was not yet thirty, an urban young woman who had met and married her husband in NYC, a former stewardess, a woman who cared about clothes and hairdos and who ''did her nails". But walk we did, after school on the long afternoons when my dad was away travelling for work.
We lived in a suburb that was urban encroachment on what was once farmland, so behind our house was a tiny old apple orchard, cornfields, a new peach orchard, then a wide creek with tadpoles and leopard frogs and box turtles---and acres of woodland. If you walked far enough, the woods met a highway with a roadside bar that my parents went to on Saturday nights. My memory is they left us home alone but perhaps a babysitter was there, I don't recall.
My mother taught me how to find birds' nests by watching in the spring to see where the birds would go into the leafy trees, bugs and worms in their beaks. We only collected nests that had fallen, of course, but I amassed a small gathering, displayed in the basement on the old pine topped farm table where my mom folded laundry. (Oh I wish I had that table now! The chunky turned green chippy legs, the lovely oiled pine top. Sigh.) I had a few treasures, a mud cup of a robin's nest, a lichen encrusted hummingbird nest.
Here at the beach, songbirds are few, but my eye is still trained to see the evidence of summer bird activity. When Mo and I walk in the winter, I am thrilled to finally find Mr Mockingbird's nest in a now-bare shrub, like this one, near where the mockingbird chatters frantically on the grey fence in the early summer.
We also look for signs of spring. Most of the Big Snow has melted and underneath a few green tips of daffodils are peeking out.
Sharp eyes and patience required.
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In the stores Valentines Day has passed ages ago, the theme is spring!
And again birds' nests.
Now that we know birds return and reuse their nests each year it's especially important not to ever touch a still-viable structure.
Faux is clean and pretty and ecologically better.
Cute bunnies too! Though my kids are too old for Easter decor or baskets/ treats, too bad.
And I really want this pitcher, 25% off. Isn't it wonderful. Calls out for pink hyacinths or white tulips on my table.
Pier One also had wonderful furniture. How I wish my budget [still saving for a new dishwasher and dryer vent cleaning], could run to new sofas like this one.
So white, so soft! Zippered slipcovers!
Quite modern [or Chippendale field desk?] but such a good idea for a sofa table. It even has a drawer for sewing things, or TV remote? Nice design, not yucky plastic and tin.
This would be a great coffee table with a Nantucket basket or driftwood-ish tray on top.
Neat cabinet too, with good storage.
Lovely chair, same one I've been wanting in the blue floral or ecru stripe. (Kel, I was chicken to sit in it! All set up for display. LOL. I'll go back with a friend to investigate further.]
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In other news, how would you like to wake up to this on your phone!? Eeeeek!
And--last night I couldn't find Mo. Where's Mo? Where's Mo!? Not underfoot, not in his bed where he watches me during the day, not outside or downstairs...where is Mo.
(His new food regimen leaves him very hungry, poor little man. But unfortunately is adding weight. Must reassess!)
Any signs of spring at your house?
Have a great weekend! I'm off to buy a Lotto ticket, because ''ya never know''.
love
lizzy
gone to the beach........
Just for Fun, a Nature Walk with Doug the Pug!
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