An Empty Birdhouse

Here's the clematis vine that grows on my homemade trellis. I made this trellis out of two tomato cages last year. It sits in my garden next to the driveway. I bought two clematis...Princess Dianna and Pagoda. Both have smaller bell shaped flowers. One in pink and one in lavender. They have grown just as I wanted them to...trailing on the porch railing just a bit. The birdhouse hangs in front and has been there for years. It has a fake chickadee sitting in the entryway. I wonder if the bird wasn't there....would a live bird live there being so close to the well used front porch? 

 There is a well used bird house around the corner that wasn't used this year. It used to hang in the River Birch tree that was removed earlier this year. I would sit near it and watch the little wrens decide who was going to move in. I watched as they tore out all the nesting twigs from the previous year....throwing them on the ground, only to pick up the same twigs and put them in the house. The wrens have moved to the backyard. I watched the confused birds fly around where the tree used to be....sitting on the ground searching, it seemed. I moved the house just around the corner. They checked it out and obviously didn't like the location....so they moved to the woods. I've seen chickadees checking it out too, but not moving in. I wonder why...it's in a very quiet location, in partial shade, as  high up as it was in the tree, an undisturbed location. The only difference is that there are no branches around for them to hop on...no limbs to shelter it. Next year I will find a new place for it. It's my favorite birdhouse and I want to share it with my wrens.Speaking of birds...our orioles have gone and I haven't heard a wren this week...I wonder if they've flown the coop with the weather being so hot? I don't blame them.

Today is going to be another scorcher. When will this weather end? The weekend is upon us and it will be busy as usual. We just seem to get used to coping with the hot weather as best we can. 

I'm fixing fish today and really want to fix the turkey that's in my freezer, but that will have to wait till a cool day. I cleaned both freezers this week. I take everything out and put it on the basement floor. Cover everything with blankets and even winter coats...to keep things frozen. It doesn't take me long as they are both frost free. The chest freezer does get some frost on the sides. I like to wash the insides and make note of what is in there. I make a list  all the contents...then we know what to buy. As soon as the job was done...Joe left for the big stores in Rockford to buy meat. (he needs no motivation to do this) We are concerned about the farmer's situation with the drought this summer and have heard that prices will go up considerably this next year.....so we have meat for him to cut and package waiting downstairs. 

Well, that's about it for now. I have a hair appt. in about an hour. So, have a nice day and keep cool.

Balisha