Friday 1 May 2015

Progress is being made... duck box baffle, flowers, goldfish pond

garter snake
It was early to bed last night.
I've been barely able to focus on the computer, feeling bone weary. I keep the requests for free advertising (on my blog) in a file. Yesterday, the total files have now reached 1000. There are quite a few people who think I would want to place free ads for them. Sigh. It is time consuming to weed through it all.

Things are coming along outside. The wood will get stacked. I don't want it to sit on the ground and rot. My priority, yesterday, was the goldfish pond. I was about to give up, then I made progress.

With any luck, the nearest side is done!
Hubby raked some more branches, then he began to paint the veggie garden fence. I can see the rhubarb beginning to sprout. I didn't do veggies last year. The critters get into it too much.

 Everything is waking up, including the bugs these garter snakes eat for us. It's a wonderful time of year. Few bugs, and the warmth of the sun. It's cool in the morning, and hauling wood is good at this time of year.

My first job, yesterday, was putting up a baffle around Wood duck box #3. I went into town and
Wood duck box #2
with baffle
bought the baffle, and ordered prescription sun glasses. My new glasses are great, but it's been quite sunny!
There are signs of a duck being in the box, but no feathers for a nest. I'd hate to lose it to critters if she does lay.

Daisy was a bit nervous. Too much noise all around.
She hid on the piled wood

I took a break to 'smell the roses', although they aren't anywhere NEAR time to bloom! This periwinkle, a groundcover flower, poisonous if ingested. And my feeble forsythia (year two). Bambi likes it, apparently...

Daisy and I went down to the frog pond to put a baffle on the new Wood duck house. She isn't happy with me using the noisy tractor. The OPP are recertifying and the gunfire is awful. In the meantime, I spotted a Hermit Thrush, the Mourning Dove nest, and a woodpecker. Ms. duck turned up, but flew off when she saw me.

Frog pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I'm thinking about the next project... the well cover had to be removed in the winter, when our pump failed and was replaced. I'm trying to figure out a snappy new cover. The wood around it is beginning to rot, and I cannot even lift the roof all alone. It sits, sawed off and tipped over. Any clever ideas, peeps?

Well cover tips


8 comments:

eileeninmd said...

The garter snake is a neat find. Ms Wood duck is happy her new nest is done now.. Love the pretty flowers. Happy Friday!

Christine said...

Happy spring Jenn, including the chores! Best wishes in regard to your hubby and his health checkups. A cousin of mine, not even 50 yet discovered he has colon cancer. He has 3 near adult kids and a wonderful wife. They have now spotted some potential spread just as he was about to have surgery to remove his colon. Life is...

William Kendall said...

Daisy looks comfortable on the woodpile. Hearing those shots would be a bother.

carol l mckenna said...

Lovely photo log of your Spring work with nature ~ wonderful what you surround yourself with in nature!

Happy Weekend,
artmusedog and carol

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
....'fraid my brain's a bit jelly this week too (still having to do heaps of set up on the 'shop'...far too many hours by this screen!)... I am confident you will resolve it though.

...and we just had another forecast of snow for the weekend!!! YAM xx

Red said...

Spring is a busy time but when you take on a couple of extra projects it's crazy busy.

Unknown said...

The snake is a beauty and I love the flowers.

EG CameraGirl said...

Super shot of the garter snake! Yes, spring is such a busy time of year. How will we fit everything in? Good luck with the well cover!