I can't think of anything very meaningful to say today, so I'll probably waffle even more than I usually do. How about letting this chap show me the way? Or could he possibly be a beggar?
Can you see him?
Air Accidents
At this time of year there are always baby birds, which fell out of the nest a few hours or days too soon, hopping about the garden, chirping and calling pitifully for Mum and Dad to bring a juicy worm, and 'please show me again, how I can make these soft, useless, fluffy feathers lift me up into the air, out of harm's and the cats' way'. For me that means a few days of vigilance, setting the dog on any cat which examines the garden too curiously and periodically checking progress, always ready to pick the bird up and set in the branch of a tree. At the moment it's a baby blackbird.
Click on the photo
and you can see how immature the
feathers still are.
I took this photo yesterday morning and everything is still fine this evening. The parents are feeding regularly and young Pecksniff with his wobbly wing is safely hidden under a dense shrub for most of the time.
Urgent Shopping
I've been to the nursery to look what's on offer.
Plant nurseries are like books stores; I can never pass one without buying something. This plant nursery was totally on my way, just an hour's detour; unfortunately I couldn't continue with the errand I was doing because I couldn't very well leave the dog there, and once he was back in the car there was only room for the plants and not other shopping.
Apart from the dog, this is what I came away with.
Not more Bloody Poetry !
Fear not, not here for the moment, but I have started a wholly self-indulgent poetry blog, Friko's Poetry and Pictures, where I shall publish all my favourite poems without let or hindrance, thus saving poetry haters from accidentally stumbling over poetry bores. I would be happy to publish other poetry bores' favourite poems, we could have a positive poetry orgy!
Perish the thought !
I can see him - he has a large pan or basket in his arms - is he scattering seed? Is he wearing a tri-corn hat?
ReplyDeleteYour round of hi-jacked errands sounds like my sort of excursion. You and your gardener will have lots to do on his next visit - or will you plant all of this yourself?
Sometimes blogs about nothing at all are the most interesting.
Hello Friko. Found that picture intriguing. We had a damp patch on our kitchen wall at one time and it clearly showed the shadow of a man's face - Cured the problem and now he's gone! Ilove your picture of that little bird. Have also had a look in your poetry site. I'm a great poetry fan too.
ReplyDeleteWill now have to keep both blogs in mind. A good idea to have a separate site where you post some favourite poems.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you're ready for some serious, fun gardening this weekend.
That path patch is cool. I can clearly see him. He might even be wrestling with a large fish. We have a baby grackle doing the same thing hidden in the back of my yard. Hopefully both of our near-fledglings will survive. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteI think your man is stood at the edge of a stretch of water that separates him from the small island beyond.
ReplyDeleteHello, fellow city lover! Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI, too, cannot pass a garden centre without buying some plants . . . at least in May, that is. (My interest wanes in the autumn.) I'm trying to make out the plants in your trolley, but can only guess at most of them. I bought some new lilies and acanthus yesterday. Do I spy either of those two?
Been over to 'Poems for Bores' and signed up. I will miss the way you used to put little poems linked with pictures of your garden/that kind of stuff. It worked well.
ReplyDeletePondside - And sometimes there's nothing worth saying.
ReplyDeleteI will plant the smaler plants but gardener will dig the holes for the shrubs. He will also back-fill the holes with manure.
mollygolver - little Pecksniff is still safe, perhaps he'll be flying tomorrow or the day after. glad to have another poetry fan.
Paul C - it looks like I'm going to be busy both ways, but as both are among my favourite occupations, that's going to be easy.
Hilary - a baby grackle? what is a grackle? will have to ask Mr. Google.
Martin H - I missed the small island.
Bee - thanks for returning my call. No, neither lillies nor acanthus, although both grow in my garden. I bought a large ozothamnus, an itea, five ferns, some herbs, some golden saxifrage, a new heuchera and a miniature false cupressus, the golden, obtusa variety.
At least the countryside is good for gardens and gardening.
Fran - Oh my dear Fran, no more poetry in my proper blog? Far from it. I'll keep the mythical, obscure and serious stuff for the poetry blog; bawdy stuff, funnies and little snippets will appear here, just as before. And in Fridge Soup. Can't stay away from the stuff, it's like an obsession with me.
friko - "come on over this way and have a look . . . it won't take a moment." the baby birds caught me - there've been two baby bird deaths on our property that we know of. it breaks my kid's hearts. what do i do - i tell them the truth. it's supposed to be that way. good miscellany. rich. rewarding!!! steven
ReplyDeleteHello Friko, on an early evening in May when NYC has been very cold and rainy. Sometimes it seems that such weather clears up just as the sun goes down. Surely there is a scientific reason involving heat and chemistry. I will prefer a poetic version.
ReplyDeleteWhich takes me to thank you for having a poetry site. Growing up, I felt shut out from understanding poetry, and had no guide either in school or in the family.
Funny that years later I might humbly state that I knew several poets very well and one of them thought me to be his muse.
Who could not see the figure on that road? You have encouraged me to see more accidental images that nature might provide.
Bravo to you for the rescue of the tiny blackbird.
Your previous post about May ... well I just loved it.
Friko, your musings are treasures. xo
How lovely and rich a post!
ReplyDeleteLike a buffet of appetizers.
The damp man looks like a pensive fireman to me...although no moreso than the other images that others have seen. Love things like that!
Your nursery shopping is so exciting! I can't wait until it's warm enough here to do the same thing. I go to get one or two specific things and come home absolutely loaded with all kinds of things. I'm just dying to stick something in the ground!
The baby bird! What a good person you are. I'm impressed with bird mamas and dads that they continue to keep an eye on the fallen baby. S/He'll be ready to fly in an amazingly short time! Poor little thing.
How appropriate that you should use the word 'orgy' in your reference to poetry. I have taken a plunge off a very steep precipice and posted a poem on Fridge Soup that I stumbled across today. You won't mind it, I'm sure, but the reaction from others might be...absent.
ReplyDeleteNow, to your post, dear woman of the most interesting miscellany. The shadow looks like the ghost of a WWI soldier with his tin hat slightly askew. The baby blackbird is brown, to my surprise, and very sweet. Tonight while walking the dog I though I had come across an injured robin in the park, but it seems she was just enjoying being in the grass, and eventually flew off when we drew too near.
As for your idea of a shopping trip, this says much about your character. I think I wouldn't have a lot to say to you if you had made an hour's detour to pick up anti-wrinkle cream.
Petunias and Sweet Basil (the purple and the green) made their way into my shopping cart today...
ReplyDeletesteven - I think it is good that you tell the kids the truth, They'll realise that nothing is permanent and death is part of life.
ReplyDeleteFrances - I am so glad you like my musings and perhaps you will have a look occasionally at the poetry too? Putting on poems gives me so much pleasure that that is almost reason enough for doing it, but if somebody were to appreciate one or two of my (very personal) choices, that is good too.
June - thank you, June, for your appreciation. I am glad that there is still a place where the flowers are not all out and in full bloom, like I see on so many blogs. My garden's foray into the big blowsy world of bloom is still very tentative and there may yet be frosts.
Deborah - Yes, I saw, and I applaud your courage. I can't see the fridge soup crowd remaining silent . . . .
Anti-wrinkle cream I get from the chemists, only it never works anyway.
Did you know that birds sometimes pretend to have a hurt wing, in order to draw you away from their nests? Robins are tough little blighters, very belligerent and territorial; he was probably just telling you to skedaddle.
Vicki Lane - I won't bother with petunias yet, but the sweet basil will go out soon. For the moment, i still have a pot on the window -sill.
"Ein Engel erwacht und lädt Dich ein, seinem Wege zu folgen..!"
ReplyDeleteAber, was ich auch sehe, und was mir Freude macht, ist nämlich Benno, dem es wohl wunderbar geht in dieser schönen Landschaft!
Und die Rettung des kleinen Vogels verrät hier einen wahren Tierfreund!
... Ich habe mich auf Deine Mail gefreut, Friko!
Meine Antwort wirst Du am Wochenende in Deinem Briefkasten finden :-)!
und: Heimweh nicht, doch manchmal grosse Sehnsucht..!
Ich grüsse Dich recht herzlich!
Renée
How funny: I thought that Benno up in the left corner was the beggar, and wished that there was less road taking up the photo! Now, going back (after reading comments) I see of whom you speak ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think that the first time that I found your blog you had made a fabulous trip to the nursery. Nice way to celebrate spring, annually!
Great collection of plants you found! Don't know why my last comment did not appear - again.
ReplyDeleteDo all the new plants have already a place or do you decide only at home? I have two preferencies: one is "impulsive buy" (must-have-it-and-space-will-be-found-later) or "well thought" (this-will-be-going-there).
Your garden is going to be so lovely again this year. I do not go to nurseries anymore because we have used up the little bit of sunny spots we have in the backyard, the rest is ¾ acre of tall pine trees, bushes and weeds. We miss the flowers but we do not see any neighbors, we are as in an island of green. My rose bushes are growing though. How many rose bushes do you have?
ReplyDeleteRenee - einen Engel hat bisher noch keiner in diesem feuchtenKlecks gefunden. Ich freue mich auf deine mail.
ReplyDeleteswallowtail - trips to the nursery happen several times a year, they are always a great pleasure and always turn out to be very expensive.
bayou - beides, aus einem 'was ich brauche' trip wird dann immer ein impulse buy. Na ja, wenn man sonst keine Laster hat . . . .
Vagabonde - rose bushes? the last time I counted there were 50+ and there is not reason why there should be fewer now. Ah well, such is life and gardening . . . .