Wren nest inside screened porch

Some weeks back we saw a pair of Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) flitting about inside our screened porch. We thought they had wandered in and were trying to get out. But soon it became obvious they knew not one but two ways in and out.

Then we noticed they had built a nest in the pot of a hanging plant. That seemed silly, and they seemed to have abandoned that quest.

But today I saw the mama wren going in that nest. And here’s what’s inside the nest:

Nest in hanging plant pot, Wren

Continue reading

Francine the softshell turtle laid some eggs 2018-05-30

Gretchen was working at the potting table under the end shelter when she noticed something odd right by the table. It was Francine, our friend the softshell tortoise, in from the woods, laying eggs in the same under the shelter.

Francine, Tortoise eggs

So we fenced the dogs out until she politely asked to be let out. Then I put Continue reading

Telephone conduit ditch 2018-05-24

Note to self: when using dirt bucket to remove fire ants, remember where telephone cable is buried, or….

Ditch dug, Cable
Ditch dug, Cable

Conduit in ditch, Cable
Conduit in ditch, Cable

Dirt over top, Cable
Dirt over top, Cable

Fortunately, Gretchen had cable-repair tools.

The dogs did not approve of these shenanigans.

The fire ants are not gone.

-jsq

Icy Pond 2018-01-03

Snowmaggeddon was a good day to stay off the roads, so I took a kayak on our pond. Saw buzzards, heard some ducks and probably a beaver. Lots of plants looking very strange.

Icy boats, Put-in

Icy boats, Put-in

Ice on pond, Put-in
Ice on pond, Put-in

Clear spot under log, Put-in
Clear spot under log, Put-in

Frozen, Put-in
Frozen, Put-in

Movie: Ice breaker (18M), Starting out

Movie: Ice breaker (18M), Starting out
video

Movie: Ice floe (21M), Starting out
Movie: Ice floe (21M), Starting out
video

Gretchen on shore, Starting out
Gretchen on shore, Starting out

Ice leaf, Starting out
Ice leaf, Starting out

Ice, clear, snow, The pond

Ice, clear, snow, The pond

Snow behind, The pond
Snow behind, The pond

Ice floe, The pond
Ice floe, The pond

Two ice, The pond
Two ice, The pond

More ice ahead, The pond
More ice ahead, The pond

Ice on top, Floating bottom

Ice on top, Floating bottom

Various plants, Floating bottom
Various plants, Floating bottom

Tree limbs, Floating bottom
Tree limbs, Floating bottom

Snow drift, Floating bottom
Snow drift, Floating bottom

Frozen, Floating bottom
Frozen, Floating bottom

Siberia, Floating bottom
Siberia, Floating bottom

Detail, Floating bottom
Detail, Floating bottom

Grass, Floating bottom
Grass, Floating bottom

Heron tree, Floating bottom
Heron tree, Floating bottom

Lily pads, Floating bottom

Lily pads, Floating bottom

Slant tree, East Shore

Slant tree, East Shore

Mistletoe, East Shore
Mistletoe, East Shore

Ice mistletoe, East Shore
Ice mistletoe, East Shore

Slant to mistletoe, East Shore
Slant to mistletoe, East Shore

Spanish moss, Center

Spanish moss, Center

Water colors, Center
Water colors, Center

Ice and fluff, Center
Ice and fluff, Center

Ice tuft water, Center
Ice tuft water, Center

Floating bottom edge, Center
Floating bottom edge, Center

Lily and bladderwort, Center
Lily and bladderwort, Center

Lily pads, Center

Lily pads, Center

Near and far, Center
Near and far, Center

Old dam, Beaver houses

Old dam, Beaver houses

Movie: Wind and ice (16M), Beaver houses
Movie: Wind and ice (16M), Beaver houses
Video

Beaver mansions, Beaver houses
Beaver mansions, Beaver houses

Closer, Beaver houses
Closer, Beaver houses

Closeup, Beaver houses
Closeup, Beaver houses

Lily with ice, Between dams

Lily with ice, Between dams

Movie: Icy beaver dam (20M), Between dams
Movie: Icy beaver dam (20M), Between dams
Video

More ice below, Between dams
More ice below, Between dams

Along the beaver dam, Between dams
Along the beaver dam, Between dams

Sky, Between dams
Sky, Between dams

Shiny ice, Between dams
Shiny ice, Between dams

Shiny shore, Between dams
Shiny shore, Between dams

Ripples, Catface

Ripples, Catface

Paddle and shore, Catface
Paddle and shore, Catface

Shore, Catface
Shore, Catface

Way out, Turn back

Way out, Turn back

Lily ice, Turn back
Lily ice, Turn back

Lily, Turn back
Lily, Turn back

Ice, Turn back
Ice, Turn back

Reflecting, Big beaver house

Reflecting, Big beaver house

With banana boat for scale, Big beaver house
With banana boat for scale, Big beaver house

East slope, Big beaver house
East slope, Big beaver house

Top, Big beaver house
Top, Big beaver house

Point with paddle, Yellow jessamine

Point with paddle, Yellow jessamine

Two flowers, Yellow jessamine
Two flowers, Yellow jessamine

Beaver house, jessamine, Yellow jessamine
Beaver house, jessamine, Yellow jessamine

Lily pads, East shore

Lily pads, East shore

Ice, East shore
Ice, East shore

Ice encroaching on lily pads, East shore
Ice encroaching on lily pads, East shore

Ice pad closeup, East shore
Ice pad closeup, East shore

Across the ice, West shore

Across the ice, West shore

Cypress, Northwards

Cypress, Northwards

Cypress portrait, Northwards
Cypress portrait, Northwards

Far shore, Northwards
Far shore, Northwards

Video playlist.

-jsq

Focus on Food, Conference in Waycross, GA 2018-03-17

Our friends in Waycross will be having a conference in March. Nothing this year in Lowndes.

Focus On Food (2nd Annual Homestead Guild Conference), hosted by Way Green Grassroots Homestead Guild.

Focus on Food Conference

When: Saturday, March 17 at 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Where: “More info coming soon!”

What: “Growing, raising, cooking, preserving and using food! Workshops will be announced soon. Vendor space will also be available. Mark your calendars!”

For more information, contact our friends at WayGreen in Waycross

Gretchen