Spring has Sprung
I was planning on doing a brilliant Holy Spirit 101 for my post, but gosh darn it, the weather was so outstanding today that I decided to just talk about spring.
One of my favorite things about this little part of North Idaho is how early spring comes. I’ll be out pruning trees over the next week and working in the garden by the first of April. The lilacs buds are swollen and some of my early tulips are already coming up.
This year we have had an unusual number of Cedar Waxwings flocking in our yard. By unusual number I mean over a thousand at a time and by yard I mean about 3 acres of gardens and 2 acres of fields. They love the tiny crabapples, but most of all they love the juniper berries. While watching them this morning, I discovered the reason they loved juniper berries so much was because they were inebriated. My drink of choice when I was still an active alcoholic was a martini, so I can sure understand why they would be going nuts over the junipers.
The robins have also arrived and are busy looking for places to build nests. Which brings up the subject of cats. Our Erica is quite the little bird hunter. She’s a tiny little cat but I’ve seen her snag birds that are bigger than she is. When we bought this property it didn’t have one single tree and we have planted over 200 trees in order to enjoy the birds. In trying to find a solution for this problem I stumbled onto the “CatBib”. This thing really works. Erica is happy doing her stalking thingy but she can’t catch them. The bib throws her timing off just enough so that when she actually tries to pounce, she misses.
One of my favorite things about this little part of North Idaho is how early spring comes. I’ll be out pruning trees over the next week and working in the garden by the first of April. The lilacs buds are swollen and some of my early tulips are already coming up.
This year we have had an unusual number of Cedar Waxwings flocking in our yard. By unusual number I mean over a thousand at a time and by yard I mean about 3 acres of gardens and 2 acres of fields. They love the tiny crabapples, but most of all they love the juniper berries. While watching them this morning, I discovered the reason they loved juniper berries so much was because they were inebriated. My drink of choice when I was still an active alcoholic was a martini, so I can sure understand why they would be going nuts over the junipers.
The robins have also arrived and are busy looking for places to build nests. Which brings up the subject of cats. Our Erica is quite the little bird hunter. She’s a tiny little cat but I’ve seen her snag birds that are bigger than she is. When we bought this property it didn’t have one single tree and we have planted over 200 trees in order to enjoy the birds. In trying to find a solution for this problem I stumbled onto the “CatBib”. This thing really works. Erica is happy doing her stalking thingy but she can’t catch them. The bib throws her timing off just enough so that when she actually tries to pounce, she misses.
I’ll be rushing my order off in the next few days for several more CatBibs, because sometimes her safety collar comes off and she loses her bib. Hopefully, we may be able to find last year’s bib after the snow completely melts and before the plants are completely leafed out, but if we don’t, we’ll be prepared. If you have a kitty who can’t resist going after birds, check into the CatBib. This is the Catholic cat version of social justice as seen through the eyes of the birds.
3 comments:
Here in Las Vegas the temps are in the seventies! Purrrrrrfect! But I think of this beautiful weather as a warning for things to come. You see, here in this desert, where casinos and unnatural man-made oases have sprung up, the temperatures reach 112 to 116 in the scorching summers.
Cute little kitty, and I’m so glad you thought about the poor birds! With your sense of social justice, you’re on your way to becoming the Dorothy Day of kingdom Animalia! LOL!
I love Cedar Waxwings. We rarely see them as we don't have any bushes that berry on my property. I planted some, but they haven't fruited yet.
This is the first time ever to have seen this skittish creatures. I actually had no idea of what they were. I searched my bird book to no avail.
We had a HUGE flock come in a few days before this post. I decided to call the extension office that afternoon. I headed off to Costco and while perusing the bird and flower magazine, lo and behold, there was this picture of the cedar waxwing. Holy Spirit at work again.
It was in my book at home but it sure didn't look like the one I have posted so I just flew right by it (not to make a pun).
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