This story starts from back when Frog and I went over to the 1 acre homestead to get strawberry plants, which Chris was trying to thin out from his overgrown bed. Frog was strolling around and found a plastic owl. The kind of which people put out to scare off other birds. She carried it around and was "in love". Chris told her she could have it and when we asked if it had a name...well it started out as "salad". Then she said it was "bouncy ball". Now it is called "salad bouncy ball". What can I say? She's 3.
Well this particular owl was rather old. It had one eye missing and Chris said an eye patch would be good on him.
The owl came home with us and he was promptly made an eye patch in raging pirate fashion.
His new home is on the fence post next to the pole bean patch. Guarding our bean seeds.
Or so I thought...
It has been 2 1/2 weeks since I planted 5 rows of beans. Only 3 seedlings emerged. That is when I became rather puzzled. So yesterday I decided to rake up a portion of one row to see if my seeds may have rotted. And I raked. And I dug...No seeds to be found. In all (5!) rows..Not a single morsel was in sight and I even sifted just to make sure.
I looked up at "Salad Bouncy Ball" and sternly said "What have you been doing up there? Where are my beans? Your good eye is pointed at this patch so you must have seen something!"
So I walked back to the house and brought the last of all my bean seeds to replant. I grabbed some aluminum pie plates and tied them up around the patch in hopes he would keep his eye better trained with the flashy new decor.
As I watered all the freshly planted bean rows, I caught movement by the pond. As I turned there was a crow hopping onto a rock, undeterred by my presence 10 feet away. To add insult to injury of losing my bean seeds to this feathered thief, he swiftly nabbed one of the goldfish swimming around! He flew just outside the garden and mocked me by looking my direction and began to eat that goldfish! I threw my hose down and shook my finger at that owl and said "Now I know why Chris was so at ease to re home you! Your a terrible bird predator!"
The garden is looking rather shabby with my pie plate "mobiles" and the plastic drop cloth covering a portion of my bean row. But I refuse to lose another bean seed or plant to those pests.
In all my years of gardening I have never lost seeds to the birds. I guess it is a good thing I started so many in flats to put in the new garden portion.
Mark my word. I will never trust another one eyed owl again.
I have compost tea to make and Jars of lemon balm and spearmint sun tea to stir before I tend to the Comfrey infusing in Olive oil.
Need to get the summer first aid salve supplies stocked up.
Not to mention till a spot for the tobacco seedlings...I forgot all about them until I put my flats of beans under the lights..
As the Captain likes to say"Less grass to mow" , while he chuckles watching me play Farmer.
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie
The owl came home with us and he was promptly made an eye patch in raging pirate fashion.
His new home is on the fence post next to the pole bean patch. Guarding our bean seeds.
Or so I thought...
It has been 2 1/2 weeks since I planted 5 rows of beans. Only 3 seedlings emerged. That is when I became rather puzzled. So yesterday I decided to rake up a portion of one row to see if my seeds may have rotted. And I raked. And I dug...No seeds to be found. In all (5!) rows..Not a single morsel was in sight and I even sifted just to make sure.
I looked up at "Salad Bouncy Ball" and sternly said "What have you been doing up there? Where are my beans? Your good eye is pointed at this patch so you must have seen something!"
So I walked back to the house and brought the last of all my bean seeds to replant. I grabbed some aluminum pie plates and tied them up around the patch in hopes he would keep his eye better trained with the flashy new decor.
As I watered all the freshly planted bean rows, I caught movement by the pond. As I turned there was a crow hopping onto a rock, undeterred by my presence 10 feet away. To add insult to injury of losing my bean seeds to this feathered thief, he swiftly nabbed one of the goldfish swimming around! He flew just outside the garden and mocked me by looking my direction and began to eat that goldfish! I threw my hose down and shook my finger at that owl and said "Now I know why Chris was so at ease to re home you! Your a terrible bird predator!"
The garden is looking rather shabby with my pie plate "mobiles" and the plastic drop cloth covering a portion of my bean row. But I refuse to lose another bean seed or plant to those pests.
In all my years of gardening I have never lost seeds to the birds. I guess it is a good thing I started so many in flats to put in the new garden portion.
Mark my word. I will never trust another one eyed owl again.
I have compost tea to make and Jars of lemon balm and spearmint sun tea to stir before I tend to the Comfrey infusing in Olive oil.
Need to get the summer first aid salve supplies stocked up.
Not to mention till a spot for the tobacco seedlings...I forgot all about them until I put my flats of beans under the lights..
As the Captain likes to say"Less grass to mow" , while he chuckles watching me play Farmer.
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie
0 comments:
Post a Comment