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Thursday, July 18, 2013

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.
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6 comments:

  1. seana grahamJuly 18, 2013 at 5:30 PM

    Mary Jo Koch is from the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is my neck of the woods. Her illustrated books always sold quite well at the bookstore.

    As far as school starting, whatever happened to that great old tradition of after Labor Day?r

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  2. KathleenJuly 18, 2013 at 5:33 PM

    Yep, and she's Jonathan Koch's mom! And she has a new book out, with recipes, art, and gardening tips! Do you carry that one?

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  3. seana grahamJuly 18, 2013 at 5:44 PM

    Although I left the store in May, I see that they do indeed carry The Artist, the Cook and the Gardener, and now that I see the cover illustration, which isn't much like her own art, I remember it.

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  4. seana grahamJuly 18, 2013 at 5:46 PM

    Oh, and I had never made the connection to those beautiful paintings of Jonathan Koch that you feature here from time to time. Thanks!

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  5. Nimrod WeinerJuly 18, 2013 at 6:01 PM

    I wonder if you have seen bald cardinals (you can google photos - bald cardinal bird photo). I had one at the feeder today. Just his head was bald, black, and leathery, but he still had his comb. He looked like a punk with a Mohawk; one bad ass bird. I like him.

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  6. CollagemamaJuly 18, 2013 at 11:04 PM

    Enjoyed the nest artwork on Ms. Koch's site. Finding a nest is always a lucky moment for me.

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Go ahead and comment, and I will publish it after I get an email notification! Thanks!