Fire Fly Light Show

       Motion activated lights are a curse during firefly light show season.  But once the lights time out then one can see the show 3' above the turf.  It is a sea of twinkling flashes, big singles bar with everyone displaying the maximum flash.

       You just have to suck in a big breath at the sight of this show in the darkness.  In the 50s I could run around my small yard in a Cleveland suburb and catch "lightning bugs" easily.  The air was loaded with them.  But no more.  Is it Chem Lawn or just the general nuking of living things in cities and suburbs now. All bark mulch and pavers.

       So glad to be 62.  So sorry for those who haven't (or won't) get to experience these wonders.

The Wren

Recently we went to get the Gator out of its shed and discovered that a wren had built a nest in the glove box.  My wife did not move the Gator she just shut the door and left.  But it is the season when we need the Gator for farm work.  So I found a cardboard box about the same size as the Gator glove box.  I went to the Gator shed and the wren hopped out and took off.  She started scolding me as loudly as she could.  I carefully scooped up the soft nest in my hands and transferred it into the cardboard box directly above the glove box.  I weighted it down with the same clippers that were in the glove box and closed up the garage.

Today I checked and Ms. Wren was in the relocated nest.

We have phoebes nesting out by our hot tub on the back porch.  When we were soaking this am they were reluctant, at first, to come in to feed there babies.  But they overcame their fears and continued their work.

We love our birds and the privilege it is to live with them so close.