The Coolest Place in Town

I must tell you about the most popular meeting place in town. It's for the birds of course - you should know by now that I have little, make that no interest in bars. This most hip place to be is in my garden, under the Mayday tree by a tiny pool of water. Who could have guessed that a $7.00 roasting pan could bring so much pleasure to so many birds, and to us who spent the day laughing at their antics. (If they saw me at my bath they'd surely laugh too, so I don't feel bad laughing at them.)

While everyone has been here to have a drink, the opportunity to bathe in a spot so well protected from hawks and owls seems to be just as big a draw. There have been as many as three white-crowned sparrows bathing at once today, with the whirring wings and flying water it looked like birds in a blender!

The occasional Brewer's blackbird went for a wade and many had a long drink. The robins' wild splashing made it unnecessary to water that end of the garden at all. They throw more water around than a bucket brigade at a barn fire.

There's one robin male who vigorously defends his territory against an interloper who is just too darn dumb to give up and admit he is the lesser robin. Of course what Cock Robin doesn't quite understand is that he is attacking his own reflection in the window of the neighbour's kitchen window. He attacks again and again, all day, wearing himself out in the process. Here our neighbour is up on his roof, getting ready to put up netting to keep the robin away from the window. This lovely gentleman is a real inspiration to me. He's got to be at least 10 years older than I am, and he is active and a hard worker.

Quail don't drink, except in brutally hot weather, and they prefer a dirt bath, but the quail pair apparently found the entire scene enchantingly romantic, as they were out there making whoopee poolside. Shameless, utterly shameless.

Did I transplant anything today? No, don't think so. I spent the day digging the house out. I didn't get it finished but I made progress. I see that we do actually have a floor, and there was a stove under the grunge, but I haven't found the bathroom sink yet.

Okay, I admit that while I didn't transplant I did spend a good deal of the day outside. I went out and admired the bok choi and told it again how nice it looks in its big container. And when I watered the Brussels sprouts earlier I noted that the tomato plant I put into that bed had been (once more) totally denuded of leaves. I think it's the quail, and while I was thinking of leaving my tomato plants out overnight sitting in the compost pile, maybe I should go take them in, or at least cover them so the quail don't eat them.

That's an excuse to go back outside isn't it? Bye!