Birds of a Different Feather

All winter we had a couple of bird feeders at the end of the patio near the house.  We enjoyed watching the different birds that visited, but oh they made a heck of a mess.  Bird seed all over that part of the patio and sidewalk.  When Spring arrived and we started to clean things up, we moved the bird feeders out into one of the chicken fields.  We could still see it from the house, but the bird seed that hit the ground was quickly gobbled up by the chickens.  The first thing those chickens would do when we let them out in the morning, was to dash to the bird feeder to clean up the spillage that had already happened.  They were so thrilled by it that some of the hens seemed so spend most of the day hanging around underneath the feeder instead of wandering around eating greens and chasing down bugs.  So when the last of the bag went into the bird feeder last week, I said that was it.  There's still a bit of seed left in the bottom of one feeder, although I don't think the birds can reach much of it, but they still give it a try once in a while.  

I was pleasantly surprised to look out this afternoon and see these three doves.  I just assumed they were Mourning Doves, but with the help of Google, realized they were not.  Mourning Doves make me think of the Okanagan and Oliver, we hear them a lot there.  I didn't realize that we also have them in this area too, and I swear that I had never heard them here before until last Spring, when we heard one or more of them quite a lot.  Haven't heard much of them this Spring though.  

Anyway, back to these doves.  So they are either Ringed Turtle Doves or Eurasian Collared Doves.   I've looked at lots of pictures, read about the differences on various sites, swung one way, then the other, and then back again, depending on which pictures I was looking at at the time.  Right now I'm leaning towards Eurasian Collared Doves. 

They are a Eurasian bird, introduced to the Bahamas, then spread to Florida, and are now working at colonizing the rest of the continent

 

We have just got back from a trip to Oliver and Alberta.  Much more to come on that:)

The Bench Project

Since you saw a bit of this bench in the video of Smudge, it seemed like a good time to do this post.

I'm not great with the interior decorating.  I used to like our living room, but just lately...not so much.  Wasn't quite sure what I didn't like, although the furniture seemed a bit dark,  and there were a couple of things I didn't like anymore.

This cheap bench/coffee table had seen better days.  Luna (I think I can blame her) had put a couple of small rips in the vinyl.  It looked well used, it was dark and I was wanting to lighten things up a bit.  It was something bought in a box from grocery/superstore. Made in China. 

 I'd already started to take it apart at this point.

Separated the top from the bottom

The top was pretty saggy, we discussed putting a piece of plywood on the frame instead of the webbing.  Instead we undid the webbing strips at one end and pulled them tight again.  The foam top was still in good shape.

I had some upholstery fabric left over from making a slip cover for the chair that Jake was sleeping in, in the video.  There was a blanket over the slip cover in that video.  I want to change that too, I still have enough fabric bits to make a partial slipcover for the slipcover.  I want to be able to see the slip cover, not have it covered up all the time.  So if someone wants to sit in the chair, they can whip Jake's cover off, but when it's on, you can still see the fabric of the chair because it is made out of the same fabric.  Does that sort of make sense?  This bench and Jake's chair on the other side of the room are now covered in the same fabric.

Because we have our feet on the bench all the time, and Luna will sometimes jump on it (where's a good trainer when you need one?), I needed it to be washable if it wasn't wipeable like the vinyl.  I put velcro on the underside of the frame top, and velcro on the edge of the fabric.  The fabric isn't stapled on, it's held in place with velcro.  That way I can take it off and wash it if I need to.  Or replace it without having to pull out 1001 staples.

The cream coloured tray was a dark coloured one that I painted.  Then I did a wax paper transfer.  You print a picture on some wax paper or freezer paper or something similar.  I used the backing from a sheet of labels.  Because the paper has a coating on it, the ink doesn't sink in, but just sits on top.  You very carefully turn the paper and ink face down onto your surface, and then rub the edge of a credit card or something similar all over the back of your printed picture.  Since the ink couldn't soak into the paper, it transferred to the tray.  Now it didn't work perfectly.  In the large dark areas the ink tended to form big balls and I ended up with a black blob.  I did fiddle around afterwards with some paint and a black ink pen to fix things up a bit, but I still like how it came out.

Still working on ideas for cushions (not using this one).  I have since got a couple of light coloured throws to drape over the back of the couch and loveseat.  It took a bit of getting used to, the bench in it's new look, and I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but I do now.

Wordless Wednesday

Slobbery

While Calli was obviously feeling better, back to normal I'd say, I wasn't sure about her eyes.  Some days they looked good, sometimes not so good.  Was she producing tears again?   I thought so, but I wasn't sure.  I decided to make another vet appointment.  Our vet is open on a Saturday.  Usually when I drive past Saturday morning, there seems to be all sorts of vehicles in the tiny parking area.  This past Saturday seemed to be slightly less busy, but it was a total shock when we were taken straight into the examining room.  I can't remember that ever happening before.  We were only in there a couple of minutes before Dr. B came in.  He looked at her eyes, did the Schirmer Tear Test, and hooray, her tear production was back to normal.  He remarked how she is doing amazingly well considering what life has dealt her.  

I took her back to the car and came back in to pay the bill, and was told that there was no charge.  Wow, I was thrilled.  I yelled thanks to Dr. B who had disappeared into the back.  There was a big jar on the counter which was half full of little fabric squares containing catnip.  They were $1 each, and were a fund raiser for a cat shelter I think.  I was feeling a bit generous after getting the free vet visit, so I put a $5 in the jar and brought Smudge home a present.  I was back home only 20 minutes after I had left.  Larry thought I must have forgot something when I arrived back so fast. I should of asked him what he thought I might have forgotten.  All I had needed to take was the dog.

 Then we gave the catnip toy to Smudge.   Many years ago we had a catnip plant, but whatever cats were around at that time killed it with love.  Then I had some catmint.  It wasn't quite as attractive to the cats, but even that seems to have died off.   We are easily amused, but it was quite entertaining watching Smudge and then Nelson with that little square of stuffed cotton:)   

The toy was just gross by the time I took it away from them.  So wet with cat slobber that I could have wrung it out.  I pinned it on the clothesline, and it got rained on overnight, and then we gave it back to them to get slobbered on again.

The Potting Bench

Early in the year, LAST year, this came up on Craigslist in the free section.  There were two potting benches, the smaller one farther back......

....and this monster.  It was made of 4x4's and decking boards, and it's about 7' long and 2.5' wide.  It had a porcelain cast iron sink, which weighed close to 80 lbs.  I can't lift the sink by myself.                                                                                 

Of course I thought me, me, me, when I saw the ad.  Then had second thoughts when I saw that it was about 40 minutes away, and we'd have to take the canopy off the truck to be able to fit it in.  And then I realized that David and his girlfriend were mere minutes away, they had access to a full size pickup, and really didn't have anything better to do than go pick this up for me:)  So I gave David a call, and he wasn't answering his phone.  Finally nearly an hour later he called me back, sure, he could go pick it up, but the truck was being used right then so he'd have to wait until it was free.  The ad was first come, first serve.  Eventually it all came together and they drove over there.  The smaller bench was gone, but the big one wasn't.  Those interesting metal grates were gone too, but the three tea-light lamp, the rusty folding metal screen and bag of potting soil came home with the bench.  It was all delivered here while I was out.

And then it all sat here.  I had an idea as to where I wanted to put it, but that spot required a fair bit of preparation, and we needed some paving stones or something to put it on, and to stand on in front of it.  A couple of months later, I saw an ad for some concrete blocks and assorted bricks, also free and about 10 minutes away.  We went and got those, and got a bonus large bunch of rhubarb stalks from her monstrous plant.

  And it was all still sat here this year, still not set up.  But then when we were trimming the cedar hedging along the driveway earlier this year, it all fell into place.  The last tree was a mess, didn't need to be there, and the spot it was in was the perfect place to put the potting bench. The tree was cut down, the potting bench set on it's concrete blocks, and the rest arranged in front to stand on.  I was able to hook into the water line at the greenhouse, and we had a set of taps that a relative had given us, and other than buying the drain assembly and a few connectors and hose clamps, it all came together without much money spent.
(That's the greenhouse roof behind.  I pressure washed it yesterday, and now it's all covered in Maple blossoms, as was the potting bench, until I swept most of them off.)

I probably won't be doing much potting on it, but it is the perfect place to wash the beets, carrots, potatoes etc for the farmers markets, with a bench below to store them overnight.  Sure beats bending over with the hose, turning the ground into a quagmire, as I try to get the vegetables clean, while they are laid on the ground.  

I had to figure out what to do with the drain water.  One option was to dig a big hole underneath, fill it with rocks, and let the water drain into there.  Seemed like a lot of work, and would mean having to move the bench out of the way.  I never do things in the order they should be done.  So I wandered out behind the barn where all the junk useful stuff is stored that we are sure to need one day.  I found a barrel to run the water into with a plug thing in it that had a hole in it that just happened to be of the right size and threads to screw a tap in I found in our plumbing drawer.  Phew, did you follow that?

 

And then I found a piece of old vacuum cleaner hose to use as a flexible drain to run into the barrel.  A hose on the tap will allow me to water plants that are below the level of the barrel. 

 There are a few minor leaks in the drainage system, but not really a problem when it is just dripping onto the ground.  The barrel can be moved easily and emptied of the dirt that is sure to accumulate in it.  I'm pretty proud of it:)

The hot water supply is unconnected, but I am thinking of putting a T in the cold line, connecting a coil of the black pipe that will be hung in the sun, and then connecting it to the hot water side.  I'd have  a limited amount of hot water on a sunny day.  Not sure that I need it, but it seems like a fun thing to do.

We do have some lumber and some corrugated fiberglass to make a roof over it, so even on a rainy day I can be comfortable.  It is under a maple tree that drops a lot of stuff, so the roof will help keep the bench clean.

 As of right now, there aren't even any beets or carrots planted, and the first potato shoot (and accompanying weeds) has just poked through.

Here's the peas relatively safe behind their gauzy veils, although it looks like the weevils have been nibbling on them. They will probably outgrow the weevils.

The arugula and salad greens are cosy in their tunnel.

Beets, carrots, more potatoes, and other veggies will hopefully get planted tomorrow, weather permitting.

Can't wait to have something to clean in that sink! 

Belated Happy Easter!

Hope you had a Happy Easter!  As usual I am a day late. (okay, now I'm two days late, it's been a hectic few days)

Some random stuff.....

I want to thank my wonderful supportive egg customers.  Another egg run to White Rock on Sunday.  44 dozen sold, three large jars of jam, and 20 bags of collard and kale Spring leaves and sprouts.  It's like having a mini market in the space of 25 minutes.

No chocolate eggs here, but  I was in the dollar store with my mother on Sunday as well,  and actually did buy a chocolate bar and some choclatey chewy candies.  As we were driving away I felt the candy suck the temporary crown right off the top of my tooth.  So then I am trying to fish the chewy chocolatey mess out of my mouth so I can save the crown, all while driving.  The temporary crown was saved, it's still 10 days until I get the real crown on, so I'll probably want to get the temp glued back on, as the tooth is quite sensitive without it.  (as of Tuesday, the tooth has settled down a bit, but I'll give the dentists office a call and see if the temporary crown needs to be glued back on)

Sunday I washed some dirty farm jeans, some dog towels and a stuffed rabbit dog toy.  As I was hanging the rabbit out, it suddenly seemed very funny, as I was thinking of the Easter bunny and how he was.......all washed....hung out to dry....just hanging out after a long day and a shower (Larry's contribution).

The last time I visited my mother, she handed me a white top. Could I just sew round the sleeves.  What impressed me was that despite being frail and 84, and only being able to use one hand, she had cut the sleeves off evenly and pinned them up.  I decided to sew them with a twin needle, which works nicely on stretchy fabric.  Imagine my surprise after I had finished, that the hem I had done matched perfectly with the one already on the bottom (which I hadn't looked at before I started)

While out with the dogs Sunday morning, I spotted this conjoined triplet dandelion.

Calli finally seems better.  She seemed worse on Saturday than she was on Friday, and not so great Sunday morning either, but I took her out for a little walk and she seemed interested and then when a tossed the ball gently for her she had fun with that.  Larry said she seemed more alert and interested in what was going on in the afternoon, when I was out.  Yesterday she seemed pretty good, and we did take her out for an abbreviated bush walk.  Her eyes seem somewhat better, I think.  I'm still putting the drops in them.

And the big exciting news is that the 'subjects' have been removed on Meredith's purchase offer, and as of the end of May she will have her own condo.  On Saturday she went through all the stuff she had stored in the attic from a time that she was renting a place with a friend.  That created an excuse to make a run to the thrift store, as she had some furniture and some small stuff to get rid of.  We wandered around the furniture thrift store, and had a good laugh over some of the furniture.  One weird two toned green and brown  three piece set had cushions so hard that you hit them with a thud and didn't sink in at all.  No worries about guests overstaying their visit with that set.  The most amazing/weirdest set was this one.  It was huge. Even the pillows were over sized.

I felt like I had climbed up the bean stalk and was in the giant's castle.  The seat was so wide, either you had to perch on the edge to get your feet on the floor, or if you sat right back your legs were stuck out straight. I was sort of half way in between in this picture.  I'm 5'6". Five of me could have fit on this couch, four on the loveseat, and at least two on the chair.  I can't imagine this in anyone's home, and would love to know where it came from.  It's certainly not going to be gracing Meredith's living room.

Seniors Grazing Club

Calli has been under the weather for a few days.  It started out with what I call goopy eyes.  Lots of goop hanging in the lower lids.  Then on Wednesday she seemed like she wasn't feeling well.  She ate okay, but she just wasn't right.  I took her to the vet yesterday and it turns out that her symptoms were the same as some of the possible side effects of an antibiotic she was on for a UTI.   Nausea and dry eye.  I had Googled the side effects, as I thought she might be feeling nauseous, but it never occurred to me that her goopy eye was actually Dry Eye.  Her eyes were producing no tears at all.  She is off the antibiotic, the urine sample showed as being fine.  I have some gel stuff to put in her eyes, which will hopefully recover okay, although they looked pretty goopy this morning.  She had showed no interest in going outside the previous two days, so it was nice to see her show a little more enthusiasm this morning.  She ate her breakfast and then wandered across the lawn and found some of that nice wide bladed grass that all the dogs like, and proceded to eat it.  

She has always been one to love eating grass, right from a little pup.

And then I noticed Smudge down below her eating her own grass.  By the time I got back with the camera, Smudge had disappeared, but then she wandered back and joined Calli and had another chew or two.

Smudge is 18 now.  She still goes outside, but stays near the house and is usually asking to come back in in a few minutes, unless she finds a warm sunny spot on the deck or the roof.  She's doing pretty well for an old cat, although doesn't groom herself as much any more.  She hates to be brushed now unless you are using the lightest of strokes, so sometimes I just hold her by the scruff and ignore the yowls and work at getting some of the clumps out.  I  keep meaning to get some catnip and see if I can send her into a more relaxed state with that:)