Nesting Instinct

Everybody keeps saying, "Summer is almost over," and, "Summer is just flying by!" What do they mean?! Isn't it just the beginning of summer still? And very, very hot?! Like summer?

I think they mean they can see the school year coming. The word "August" means school. It's true. Ack! My second bird will leave the nest on August 15. Double ack!

This junco nest painting is by Maryjo Koch, the new artist up today at Escape Into Life. Check her out! She's a painter, mother, gardener, teacher, naturalist, and cook!

And here's a red-winged blackbird's nest.

Around here, the house wren has hatched two sets of six eggs. That's a lot of adorable hatchlings! And generations of cardinals nest here, too. Lots of whistling, singing, hopping, feeding, and flying in the back yard these days.

I had the nesting instinct yesterday and cleaned the house. That, or the book-group-is-coming-over cleaning instinct. (Today I hope to muster up the office cleaning instinct, since that can happen in air conditioning. This morning I had the watering instinct, which will keep the plants alive, and the hose-rolling instinct, a sweaty business.)

And here are some cattails supporting a blackbird's nest. Cattails? That means end of summer, start of school, fall...!

Re: Book group.
We drank wine and spoke of many things,* such as The Silver Linings Playbook, by Matthew Quick. Book and movie are quite different, but each is fun! And works!

*But not cabbages or kings.