July 7th, 2007
Yesterday was Friday and not so terribly busy, so I took the afternoon off from work to take my son, Ben, out to lunch and then dragged him down to Annmarie Garden. We have lived here in Calvert County for about 10 years and in all that time I have never made it down to see the garden.
Annmarie Garden is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and has a number of artworks on loan from the Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, D.C. There is a quarter-mile walking path through the woods that is dotted with these works of art. Naturally, because they are outdoors and subjected to the elements, many are bronze, other metal or stone. Most are abstract.
I have to admit that I was disappointed that there wasn’t more “garden.” It was really more of a park. The setting was quite lovely and I wholeheartedly approve of the concept of outdoor art. But everything did seem a bit brown and green. I could have used some swaths of color to add some drama.
Fortunately, there were some bits here and there that were a welcome surprise. Small parts of trees had been painted in clever tiny scenes.
More tree art surprises
I also enjoyed what looked like a children’s art project of plastic bottles that had been painted and speared onto rebar to make colorful totem poles.
Plastic bottle totem poles
The bottles were painted with little sayings. Most were inspirational, such as “Reach for the stars!” Maybe it was my mood, but my favorite was “Don’t Squat with Your Spurs On!” Good advice!
Don’t Squat With Your Spurs On!
Because Calvert County is still quite rural, there aren’t many things to do or places to take out-of-town guests. Although it’s still quite young (founded in 1999) and establishing its “collections,” I think that Annmarie Garden will be a nice addition to my touring spots for friends and family.
One more funny thing…
It was quite a hot day–over 90 degrees. I made the mistake of taking my handbag rather than leaving it in the car. It was getting quite heavy, so I enlisted my big, strong, 16-year-old son to carry it for a while. See his comment below. I laughed and laughed…
Ben: “Here I am in an art park. Carrying a purse.”
Finally, Ruthie over at Nature Knitter, tagged me for her Eight Random Facts meme. Seems as if I just did Seven Random Things. Aren’t y’all sick of me yet?
According to Ruthie, here’s how the meme works:
–Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. –People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. –At the end of the blog, you need to choose eight people to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they’re tagged and to read your blog. (Participation is optional and it’s OK if you defer.)
Here goes. I will try to not be too long-winded.
1) I walk for exercise since, as I explained in Robin’s Immutable Laws of Gardening, it is physically impossible to stay in shape or lose weight by gardening. I generally aim for an hour, which is not quite four miles for me. In the winter, I actually go outside sometimes, but usually I go to the gym.
2) My favorite comfort food (which I define as easy to make, not designed for nutrition and extremely satisfying if you’re feeling like crap) is brown rice topped with steamed broccoli and smothered in hollandaise sauce. (Try it! You’ll like it!)
3) My first pet of my very own was a cat named Teddy. He was an awesome fellow I adopted from the SPCA in California. He had been hit by a car and was in bad shape. Fortunately, because I was very poor at the time, I was dating a veterinarian who patched him up.
After some coast-to-coast moves, Teddy started to have male-cat-acting-out-issues, if you know what I mean. We tried valium. We tried hormones. We tried everything. Mostly, he seemed to want out of the house. So finally, I relented.
He was run over by my mother-in-law about a month later. After I finished the first round of crying, I declared, “I need a DRINK!” At which my mother-in-law told me, sheepishly, that she drank the last of the wine.
Yes, I still speak to my mother-in-law. But NOT about Teddy. (She caught a RAFT of grief from everyone. No need for me to add to it. I really LIKE my mother-in-law!)
4) My first real job, at age 17, was at Roy Rogers, where I had to say “Howdy Partner” and “Happy Trails!” Thankfully, I have come a long way since then.
5) In my second job after college, I sometimes had to dress in a dog suit and dance around…Long story about that one. Thankfully, I have come a long way since then too.
6) I am allergic to dogs, pollen, dust and mold. That’s God’s little joke on Robin, the dog and nature lover. I have to get allergy shots, which have improved my quality of life tremendously.
7) I wear a size 9.5 shoe. I used to wear an 8.5 but then I had a baby about 16 years ago and nothing was the same after that.
8) I get mail every single day from Las Vegas casinos offering free rooms and play. I’m not really a big gambler, but there was that one memorable weekend in Vegas where I won $2,000. I figure they’re just trying to get it back.
Tha..tha…that’s all folks!
Who wants to volunteer to be tagged? Anyone?
I KNOW!!!! Instead of me tagging people, why don’t YOU post random facts about yourself–along with your website–here!!! So tell me a random fact (or eight) about you!
Posted In: Gardening, Lifestyle
July 6th, 2007
The four young are now eleven days old. After examining the box, under the nest and looking at the small birds and under their wings, they appear to be pest-free. I’ll be checking them for another couple of days, after which I will keep my distance so that I don’t frighten the young into fledging before they’re ready.
Many people ask me why I need to take such an active role in managing the bluebirds. I believe that Julie’s post graphically illustrates the importance of taking a role in ensuring that the birds are healthy. Blowfly larvae, mites and other pests can kill a small bird in a matter of days–even hours. Although many people think that handling a bird will mean that the parents will reject it, the fact is that birds have a poor sense of smell and will resume feeding and caring for their young as soon as the coast is clear. As in the case with Julie’s bluebirds, you can even replace an infested nest with one of your own making, if necessary, and the bluebirds will accept it.
We only have four nestlings in this family, but I’m hoping and praying that all four make it and return in future years to start their own families.
In other bird news, the house finch love triangle that I have previously reported is still in progress. The rejected female finch is a real fighter. I do worry that she is losing strength. I never see her eat. Just SQUAK SQUAK SQUAK.
I have been intrigued by this unusual behavior at our bird feeding station and did some research.
House finches are monogamous and breed between March and August. They can have as many as six clutches in a single breeding season. The odds are against them, as with the bluebirds. The experts say that no more than three of the six clutches are likely to result in fledglings.
The female builds the nests from grass, hair and other foraged fibers and usually locate them in brush or cavities in trees or buildings. After the females lay the eggs–usually three to six–she does all the incubation. The male helps feed the nestlings and keep the nest clean by eating the fecal sacs. The nestlings fledge between 12 and 19 days after hatching. After that, the male continues to help feed the young birds, at least until the female starts a new family.
After they become independent, young house finches flocks that congregate at food sources. They don’t breed until the next spring.
It’s a wonder to watch the travails of the wildlife here. I can tell you from observing the bluebirds, that being a bird is awfully difficult work. The male and female bluebirds are tireless in their hunt for bugs and worms to feed their young. They shuttle back and forth all day long from the field to the nesting box with their treats. They have become a familiar sight around the house and will be sorely missed once they pack their bags and head south for the winter.
Posted In: Nature and Wildlife
Hi! I'm Robin Ripley author of Wisdom for Home Preservers, published by Taunton Press. I am also co-author of Grocery Gardening. Bumblebee is about my life in rural Maryland, my garden and my love of food, my little dogs and pet chickens. You can follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. Thank you for visiting!
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