Christmas is for the Birds

My family drove down from Colorado, battling snowstorms and having the better half of New Mexico roads closed, to spend Christmas with us this year.  My family, as always, did a great job selecting gifts for me, and this year my sister and mother in law picked up on the fact that I had gone a bit bird brained this past summer.

 

My sister managed to find some amazing deals at a Wild Birds Unlimited that was going out of business in Colorado, while my mother in law got me one of those up-cycled ceramic bird feeders.  The ziplock bag of food pictured above is a gallon sized bag of the CostCo bird food (which, while it has millet, it isn't as prevalent as it is in most mixes) that my MIL gave to me.  You may be wondering what the yellow, hummingbird feeder looking thing is - that's a butterfly feeder.  My sister has stated that she is never coming down here again (she doesn't like butterflies).

As today was a gorgeous day with 70 degree weather (that and it was the first day since Christmas that I've been home during daylight hours), I decided to hang the bird feeders.  I opted to take down the finch feeder I was using because the birds never liked it much, and I have replaced it with the ceramic feeder.  I put the suet feeder close to the platform feeder and am keeping my fingers crossed that the squirrels won't bother it much (I put the hot pepper suet at the top of the stick).  I haven't put out the butterfly feeder, though I did see a butterfly today, so I should have, but I didn't know where to put it permanently (probably by the garden so I can attract the pollinators).  I also have to figure out where to put the bird house.  It's a bluebird house, and it says to put it 5-6' off the ground on a tree trunk, but I think I may go a bit higher than that...

So far, the thing I think is going to end up being the biggest problem is the feral cats - and not just because they hang out by the feeders, hoping for a bird.  I get the feeling that they can tell that the suet cakes are made out of beef fat and I can see the little wheels in their heads turning trying to figure out how to get to the feeder.

Garlic Planted

I finally planted the garlic last night. And by "night" I really do mean night.

For my birthday, my friend Andrea got me some reusable plant stakes which I opted to use. But I also fear that like the last reusable plant stakes the name may fade out by the end of the growing season. But these stakes have little plant pictures on them so I can tell which one is which just by the little painted on picture. Thus, pictures for the blog so I have a record of which is which.

[edited 01/06/12:  I planted a crapload of yellow onions on the first or so.  So now my garden plots (and the potato box) are full of onions and garlic.  And one fennel plant and 2 lemon balms and 1 garlic chives plant.  Point is, I've guaranteed myself that I won't have a spring garden - which is probably for the best since we're still in a pretty bad drought.]

Project: Plant Removal

I'm working on a project (and have been since Veteran's Day) that involves removing approximately 50 feet of dead Asiatic Jasmine. I'm still working on it, but at least I only have about 10 feet to go. Pictures to come when I'm done with the project...which probably won't be for a while.

And I still need to get garlic in the ground.

I love that it's finally raining, but I'd rather it not be so I can do the garlic and more of the plant removal.

But I guess as long as it's more misty than actually raining, it will all work out.

I haven't checked the total for today, but I'm guessing it's somewhere in the 1" range. which brings our total November 1 to present total around 3".