Strung out in the Garden

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

This story reminds me of, " Are You My Mother"  I just don't know where to put this little bit of nothing story but it brought a smile to my face.  Too bad I was not home to get video of an unfolding saga in my garden.

Around 6:45 A.M., I stumbled out onto the patio to have a cup of coffee before I left for work.  Way out in the garden I see string moving. Tugging, Pulling. Stretching.  There was no wind but the string marking off the green beans was violently being pulled.  My husband strings everything.  Everything.  Drapery cording really is good stuff ( don't tell him I told you that because I complain everything is strung out around here). 

I could go on and on about all the things of string but... back to garden.  A robin insists on getting this one particular piece of string but it is attached to the fencing. He is pulling and tugging relentlessly and at the time it was cute. Such an energetic and insistent little guy so early in the morning. Not me.

At 10:30 DH sent me a text that says the robin is still in the garden and exhausted but has not given up. Yanking and tugging and pulling 4 hours later.

Worried about the little bird he goes to the garden and cuts the eight foot long string into 12 inch strips.  Before he finished the bird swoops down and grabs a huge piece and off it went.  He came back for another and another.  I think he is finished for the day because he did leave some behind.

I did not work that hard today. 

You might have had to have been there today to get this very simple story but it did make me smile. It really was nice of DH to go out and save the little guy. 

I know our dogs are ball obsessed but this is ..... well a stupid garden story.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It made me smile, too.

This past spring, I had a robin's nest in the bush next to my front proch, and got to watch the whole saga unfold, from nest building all the way through to the babies leaving the nest. It gave me a deep respect for robins. They really are very hard workers and very conscientious parents.

I wish I could say the same for the stupid rabbits who make their nests (and I use the term very loosely) in my yard.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I liked this story. Birds are very industrious. As I've said before, one of my favorite stories is The Little Red Hen. Roger was kind, the bird worked hard and got lucky, and thank you for telling us about it : )

[Carol and Banjo]

Smiling here....I love the book  Are You My Mother......well worn from many readings to my kids.   I purposely leave twine, thread, whatever around my back deck....the robins and others make good use of it.    Yaaaa to FJ!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The birds also appreciate the hair you take out of your dog's brush. Excellent nest building material!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Seriously?  Hmm, I think I have PLENTY. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

My back yard would become like a scene from the birds if I used it all.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

HA!  Some people never got over that movie.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

We brush Daisy out back and once Mike tried to clean up afterward and I said no no no let the hair tumble and sure enough the nest under our deck has Daisy hair in it.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

CUTE   :)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Something else happened this morning that was really... well creepy.  I was given a really NICE leather fanny pack. Yes, I still wear them, even though they are out of style,  to work.  I love them and it comes in very handy.  This one was perfect.  But, it had that stored musty smell so I washed it and hung it outside with a piece of fabric softener to bake in the sun all weekend.

This morning, while watching the robin, I put it on and out hops a very BROWN toad.  What I thought was a toad.  A brown toad with strange markings on its back.  I hated that fanny pack all day and took it off before noon.  Creepy. 

So, this evening, Roger tries to light the grill and tries to wipe off what looks like ashes. 

IT IS IN THERE--JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE.

Somewhere between this morning and this evening, it turned grey.  And it can climb.  It walked up the wall of the grill.

I've never seen one of these in Ohio.   It is a Grey Tree Frog.  No word yet on if it is poisonous to dogs. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think he's kind of cute. :) Although I wouldn't want him in my fanny pack. :0)

From what I could find on-line, the young ones (still green) are more poisonous to dogs and other animals who ingest them than the mature ones. But everything i found was anecdotal.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Do you remember that picture of me from the " guess who picture post"?  I was holding a cat.  That cat, was poisoned by a toad and stroked out.  Two weeks later, the vet sent it home to die.  For the next ten years it lived with its head facing sideways.  It was renamed Stretch Neck The Puss.It was my sisters cat and she loved that mean little thing.  It was never right again.  

The dogs across the street foam at the mouth after playing with all the toads we have around here.

Creepy. 

Thanks for looking that up.  I did, but I did not find that info.  Good to know.  We actually search and rid the yard of toads all time.  We send them next door   :)   I just don't want to live with this very aggressive little strange frog too. 

I like living in Ohio.  Mostly harmless wildlife.  But you never know these days what people release into the wild.

A few  years ago, I had a 6 foot snake, out back and no one believed me! I really do think someone let that one go.