I typed this post once, but then I hit Select All > Paste instead of Select All > copy, and wiped out the whole damned thing, so here I am at my computer where I can type a whole lot faster.

Only two more roost hoces left to put up; one of mine, and P’s woodpecker hoce. I stalled and cleaned the pond, and picked leaves out of the Babbling Brook, but eventually had to wrangle that ladder and get up in the trees. I tried to tighten the screws on the one I’d put up when I first got the ladder, but they wouldn’t budge, so I gave up. I moved the one that had been too low, and put up three more. That ladder is a lot for me to handle on my own, and I’ll be surprised if I don’t have some kind of sore muscles tomorrow, but they needed to go up this weekend because it’s supposed to rain next week, and November rain isn’t a warm, summer shower. I don’t know whether the birds will use them or not, but I’d much rather have them sit unused than think that there are birds out there, looking for shelter from the cold, wind and rain, but finding none. We have lots of cavity nesting birds that will use roost houses, and now I know that if they want shelter, they’ll find it. Some have insulation and burlap on the floors, a couple have crabapple shavings, and the last one I put up has pine shavings that P generously donated. One has no perches, and the rest have somewhere between two and five perches. They’re all weatherproofed and sealed, but have drainage and allow sufficient ventilation to maintain air quality, and they’re all facing perpendicular to the direction the wind usually blows. They’re all in locations where the sun will be on them during the day, assuming there is sun. Once the other two are up, that’ll be one wren hoce on the gradge, six roost hoces in the trees, and one woodpecker hoce, also in a tree.

Three here.

Two more here, and no, the one on the right isn’t crooked; that’s just where I had to stand to get both in the shot.

Long way up. Also a long way down!

I actually got these last night, but it was dark and the picture sucked, so I took another today. I was outside, blowing leaves off the patio when D came over and asked whether I still wanted the osage-orange because he’d called one last time to ask whether the people that had spoken for them still wanted them, but he didn’t get a response, and he was sick of having them in his yard. He said that the kid who lives with him would be happy to bring them over for me. Obviously, I paid him; I rolled a few over, but the kid carried the ones that were shaped wrong to roll, and those are big chunks of wood! I now have two by the pond so I can sit there, two more making steps to the tray bird feeder, and a pile that will be…something. I’m not sure what, yet, but they’re big chunks of solid wood that will probably decompose long after I have, and they’re going to be something cool!

I rolled one over and left it on the patio just…because. Onje found it…I hope it’s not going to end up like my decorative patio straw!

The mums I moved out of the patio flowerbed when I reclaimed my 32 square feet of patio space did not fare well over the dry summer, but one little stem survived, and made a single, perfect flower. Cute!

I believe I mentioned that I’d skimmed/scooped leaves out of the pond, and picked leaves out of the Bird Pool and the Babbling Brook. I did that because I was stalling; I didn’t want to wrangle the ladder and climb up those trees. I also did it because I wanted the pool clear for the Goldisox. Oh my GAWD, those little birds love that pool. I read that goldfinches drink a lot of water, and given how many I see out there in the pool, I have no trouble believing that. I watch the water sometimes, and I see the attraction. They don’t see the ugly, unfinished places where the liner is exposed and the waterfall hose is visible; all they see is sparkling water that’s unchlorinated, but clean enough for frogs to live in it, and so close to their feeders that they have only to fly a few feet, and raised enough that they could see predators coming and fly away. I don’t know how long the moving water will keep the pool from freezing, but even after it does, I’ll put a heater in to keep a spot clear so the birds will always have water to drink and bathe, even when it’s freezing cold. Building the pond damned near killed me, and that leak drove me crazy (and will again, I’m sure), and it cost a lot more than I really had to spend, but seeing the Goldisox and other little birds drinking there makes me very glad P suggested it and I stuck the shovel into the rock hard, dry ground.

EDIT: I had got some silicone tubing with (I think) 38mm ID, which should fit my feeders, so I cut it up (not easy) and stuffed it with suet mix. Also made two more blocks.