Monday, January 9, 2023

Wild And Domestic


This morning the same little bird was back at it, trying to come into my bathroom. Either that, or trying to smash the bird in the reflection of the window. I'm not sure that's it, though. I've now seen the bird do the same thing on cloudy days when the sun wasn't shining enough for the bird to see its reflection. Whatever the impetus, it is a determined thing. It always perches on that same slender bamboo stalk. It gets itself settled and then makes a few tiny ruffling movements and then POW! Up to the window it flies, bouncing its tiny little head off the glass. And then it flies straight back to that same stem and settles itself and begins the whole process again. This goes on for hours. 

Curious, indeed. As Hank pointed out when I sent everyone a picture this morning, "Well, it is a very nice bathroom."
Perhaps it only wants a shower. 

It was another beautiful day and so I took a little walk. It would appear to me that No Man Lord may be building something. He moved the RV that he lives in and where it had been sitting, began to dig what looks like a foundation. There are lines going from corner-to-corner. I never do know what he is doing. I did not see him out today. He has a group of guys who come and hang out with him regularly and I suppose they are helping him with this project. I could see him building something very, very slowly, like they do in the poorest sections of Mexico where they earn enough money to buy a few cement blocks and begin there, adding to walls and roofs as they can afford. 
I can also easily see him beginning something and then walking away from it. His projects come and they go. I remember talking to that woman I met in front of his yard one day that I liked so much. I asked her what Harvey was doing. Harvey is his real name. "Oh you know," she said. "Same thing Harvey always does." 

It hasn't been much of a busy day. After my walks, I always feel as if I have accomplished enough which of course is silly, but that's the way it is. I took Moana some treats from the kitchen and then I turned the compost out by the garden and planted some onions that had sprouted. I have no idea why it's so fun for me to grow plants that arise from my kitchen but it is. My greens are still hanging in but barely. Almost all of the lettuces were shocked to mush. The collards and mustards and turnips are coming back, and so is the kale, I think. But slowly. The arugula just looks like hell and I should replant it. I think there's enough time to get enough of that for more salads before it gets too warm, especially the way it springs forth from the ground so quickly.

And then I decided to trim the rest of the segos in front of the porch. This time I took before and after photos.



I cut them back hard. But all of those fronds that had yellow in them needed to go. I've seen them trimmed of all fronds in winter and they seem to survive just fine. I just asked google if sago palms were around with the dinosaurs, and yes. Yes they were. The dinosaurs did not survive the comet hitting the earth but the sago palms did and I am not in the least surprised. I bet the dinosaurs hated them too. Mr. Moon was going to use the last ones I cut to camouflage a duck blind but before he got to it, he discovered that dogs are allergic to them and they do use dogs in duck hunting to retrieve the birds and so that would not be a good idea. I am pretty sure that people are allergic to them as well, as I have so often said. One of the least pleasant things in the world is getting stuck with one of the needles through gloves. It's just a horrible feeling. 
I do believe I got my wish about the Canary Island date palms. They are both dying, I am pretty sure. Good riddance, I say! I was cutting fronds off of them today when I found a little wasp nest from last year on the underside of one. 


Although I do so much admire their architectural abilities and the fact that some varieties are pollinators, I just hate the little bastards. It's bad enough when I get stung but I hate the idea of the children getting stung which they sometimes do. A few years ago, some wasps had obviously built a nest on the underside of a frond of cabbage palm to the right of my porch steps and I brushed it on my way up to water the plants. I got stung and whenever I think about it, I get an electric shiver all over my body. It's just so RUDE! 

My sea grape seeds continue to break through the soil. At the moment I think I have five showing. They look like little mushrooms with a dirt cap until you see the green undersides. 


If I can get one sea grape plant to plant in a pot, I will be so happy. But just seeing them sprout has been a happiness on its own. 
As Kurt Vonnegut once said, "Life. There is just no stopping it." 
Or something like that. 

The sun is setting. I wonder if the sight of that will always remind me of Ross now. I have been remembering to look up every day, quite consciously, to regard and appreciate what I see. It is a very small moment of mindfulness meditation, I guess. 

I need to go close the sliding door to ensure Moana's safety for the night. I have to admit that it is rather depressing to keep her cooped up all day. Perhaps I should ask my friend Kelly if she has a spare hen who is perhaps old or a bit infirm to come and keep Moana company. 
I don't know. 

Meanwhile, I shall do what I can to make her as safe and happy as I can.

Love...Ms. Moon






25 comments:

  1. The bird at the window is indeed a creature to make you think. A few years ago we used to have a long tailed tit who came to sit on the handle of the door in our French windows. With him/her I am pretty sure he/she just saw another long tailed tit. Your bird sounds different.

    Please keep us posted about what No Man Lord is building. Perhaps it's a new Walmart.

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    1. I am not sure what that bird is trying to do. Poor little thing. At least he's not killing himself. Yet.
      You know I will definitely do updates on whatever it is going up in Harvey's yard. Always fascinating. He is industrious in his way.

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  2. I will send your bird to David at Travels with Birds for his opinion.
    https://travelswithbirds.blogspot.com/2023/01/black-capped-chickadee-mesange-tete.html. He surely can identify it if you have not, and tell us more about its behavior.

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    1. Oh! Thank you! I would love to know what an expert's opinion is!

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  3. Well whatever that little bird is up to, he's determined. I look forward to seeing/hearing what Joanne finds out. I think that Moana needs a friend.

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    1. Determined and persistent.
      And yes, Moana needs a friend.

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  4. And the chicken flock begins:)

    I didn't know that sago palm starch is used to make sizing for material. The things you learn. I went for a walk today as well, it was warm, hovering around 0C and melting in places, but now my feet hurt. Shit.

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    1. I just googled uses for sego palm and I see that in some countries all parts of it are used for different things from adding carbohydrates to the diet to treating cancer. Huh!
      I am so sorry your feet hurt. That just sucks so much.

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  5. You have a lot of lovely leaf litter there, after the winter it will be composted into mulch, free of charge. I gathered bucket loads last autumn and threw them all over my small patch. Much cheaper than buying mulch and I believe the worms appreciated it too. I like the sago palms and didn't know they were prickly. I'm glad you have Moana.

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    1. I was thinking the same thing about the leaf litter. Beautiful isn't it!

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    2. We definitely bag leaves for mulch and I leave plenty on the ground too. With all of the oak trees in our yard, we get so many. I'm not overly worried about their presence since I don't have any grass in the front yard anyway.
      The sego palms are horribly prickly. Needle-like fronds. You have to be careful when working with or around them.
      I like having Moana.

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  6. I get wasps nesting in the roof just next to my bedroom. I dash out onto my balcony, spray like hell and then run! I've also had hornets nesting there previously but I set those buggers on fire (and ran like hell too)! I don't need either of those things coming into my bedroom, although they still do, of course!

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    1. I guess wasps live everywhere. People like to think that they freeze in winter but at least the larva must live because they always come back. Like mosquitoes. I surely would not like having them on the balcony outside my bedroom.

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    2. Have you tired the paper bag deterrent methos? Crumple up some paper bags and put them in a brown paper bag, puff it up a bit, then tie it off so it resembles a wasp nest and hang it from the porch. Wasps will think another wasp has already made a nest there and will stay away.

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  7. We get hornets and other irritable stinging fellers and my neighbor fears them because of allergies. I just don't like being stung, especially when I didn't mean to disturb them.

    I'd like to know what's up with that bird. Territorial pecking at a perceived rival? Can you cover the window to eliminate the reflection?

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    1. That's what I meant by "so rude!" We are not intending to disturb or harm them. And if they didn't come out and sting us, we'd never bother them at all.
      I don't want to cover that window because I already have to cover the bottom 2/3's of it for privacy and I need some light in there. I am not quite sure what to do.

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    2. Just cover it on the outside until the bird gives up and goes away. A sheet of newspaper and masking tape to hold it so he can't see his reflection. Maybe just the middle of the window will be enough.

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  8. I think you need to put something on the window so the bird doesn't feel threatened by what it can see in the glass. A plant on the window sill or a sticker on the window... something to stop any reflection.
    You often say that you didn't do much work but then when you describe all you have accomplished - it sounds like a lot to me! :)

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    1. Where the bird is attacking is way up on the window. There's already a curtain below that. (See my answer to Boud above.)
      Some days I just don't feel like I did diddly squat.

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  9. There were two trees on my properties I didn't want and would never cut them down. One was a hackberry butt up against the cedar by the gate to the shop yard. I told it one day I didn't like it, wished it would die but I would never cut it down. I swear, weeks later it keeled over and died and it was a pretty big tree. The other was a rain tree in the back yard that I hated because it was a prolific seed maker and every single one sprouted. I was forever pulling up rain tree sprouts. Again I told it I wished it would die and two years ago after that first arctic blast, it froze to the ground. It was a big tree and while they are pretty when they bloom and make their pink seed pods I snapped of every sprout that came up from the still living roots. Two years later it is truly dead. We haven't cut it down as it's at the back of the property and no danger to anyone but provides habitat for other things.

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    1. Ellen! We have magical death powers for trees! Oh my goodness. I hope not. But it is strange.

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  10. It would be great if you could get Moana some company! But risky too, I suppose. Weird that the Canary Island palms are dying of their own accord! You must be sending them poisonous mental messages. :)

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  11. Either that, Steve, or else they have parasites or a disease. This could definitely be the problem. I just googled that situation and the pictures of palms that are infested with different things look like mine.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.