This project actually starts with the workbench Astrid made last year for our wee 6' x 6' balcony here where we live in our senior complex. Everything she used was salvaged from the junk room in our complex where people can leave stuff they no longer want (i.e, someone's trash is another person's treasure)!
At 46 sq. meters (495 sq. ft.), our apartment is small.
But we both love the challenge of making every sq. inch count, including the balcony.
The workbench Astrid made, outside our kitchen window and backdoor,
encloses and protects her Workmate and then opens up to become her workbench/table
for whatever she wants to do. Don't you love it?!
encloses and protects her Workmate and then opens up to become her workbench/table
for whatever she wants to do. Don't you love it?!
Now segue to the beginning of April this year when Astrid found a tiny bird feeder (in the junk room)
in which she put a suet ball and seeds for the Great Tits around here. Problem was,
it was way too small and not a good design for keeping the suet/seeds inside.
It was a mess on the balcony.
So, out comes the Workmate and pieces of wood she has collected over the years.
Who knew her salvaged bamboo would be used for the roof of a bird feeder!
She even waterproofed the roof so that rain couldn't leak through.
Voila!
What precious little birds, flying from the tree across the street to the feeder!
It was heavenly to watch them.
But suddenly, the Magpies, 10-20 times bigger than the tits, found the feeder.
They'd carry off a ball of suet in one blow. UGH.
So, it was back to the drawing board, moving the feeder from the railing to inside the balcony,
sitting on top of that magnificent cupboard that Astrid's mom painted eons ago.
For some reason, the Magpies will NOT come inside but the Great Tits will.
A win-win for us all!
Did I mention that we live on the second floor?
So, yes, we get to watch them as they come and go from the nearby tree, even if very briefly.
By now they're feeling safer than when I took this video a couple weeks ago.
We are, until the end of May right now, with only a few restrictions lifted.
God have mercy on us all.
Wat een mooie ode aan Astrid's handigheid.
ReplyDeleteDe vogel voederplek is echt mooi geworden.
Leuke foto's allemaal.
Thank you, Marjolein. We're so glad we finally figured out how to keep the big birds away. So far it's only the Great Tits that stop by and we LOVE them!
DeleteAstrid is a great carpenter. Great job.
ReplyDeleteRestrictions are eased slightly on PEI beginning tomorrow. No changes for us except we will be able to go for a drive, hike and picnic. These will keep us sane.
Good for you, Marie, to have some restrictions eased. You will be in heaven once again!
DeleteThis was quite the unexpected project and to think that I had all material "all over the place" and even could use some of the bamboo my mom had. I just cannot throw things away if I think that I might use it in the year 2030 HA HA HA....
ReplyDeleteThank you for these wonderful pictures showing the bird-feeder which gives us both a lot of joy!! IHVJ.
Oh, WOW, Astrid. I didn't remember that the bamboo was from your mom. I LOVE that you used it for the roof. And yes, indeed, we are having so much fun seeing these tiny birds frequent our balcony, thanks to you!
DeleteLovely! Our birds feed outside the bedroom window every day. We get goldfinches, titmice, chickadees, an occasional woodpecker who struggles to get food and down on the ground mourning doves, squirrels and chipmunks, but when I walk is it the sound of the blackbirds that I like most.
ReplyDeletet
Man alive, Ted. That's quite the conglomeration of birds, right outside your bedroom window! I wonder if you ever photograph them...because I don't remember any bird photos from you??
DeleteI got the same error message again?!
ReplyDeleteHere's the full script.
Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.
Additionally, a 503 Service Unavailable error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/2.4.29 (Unix) mod_hive/6.27 OpenSSL/1.0.1e-fips mod_fastcgi/2.4.6 Server at ginniehart.shutterchance.com Port 443
Oh are you growing a horse chestnut sapling on your balcony?
I like the cabinet beneath the bird feeder.
It's got this Gypsy/ cananal boat art element. :)
Believe it or not, LC, that horse chestnut is from conkers that Astrid brought back from England a few years ago. Each year it grows like this on our balcony. By keeping it in a small pot, it never grows too big. HA! Don't you love it! And yes, that cabinet is the handiwork of her mom who did that kind of "Pennsylvania Dutch" painting on many pieces in our house. That should help you understand where Astrid got some of her talent!
DeleteI have sent your error message to John, our administrator. Thank you for it. We get it too from time to time and have to make several attempts before it works again. (sigh) Hopefully everything will work out soon.
I love this project Astrid created. So cool that the bamboo is from her mom! It's beautiful. It's just so satisfying. And how beautiful to see your little friends visit.
ReplyDeleteOur governor extended the stay-at-home order until the end of May, but is allowing a few business to open. She has staged a reopening at the start of summer. Lots of complaints in Maine that visitors have to 14-day quarantine. Imagine if you're a motel owner, and now weekend visits can't happen. It's really tough. But most Mainers agree that we need to be strict.
I often wish I had met Astrid's mom in real life, Ruth. I can tell where Astrid got much of her talent!
DeleteAs regards what's happening with stay-at-home orders among the states, it's clear that patience is wearing thin for many, as is happening in Michigan. It's really hard to know what the solutions need to be, one way or the other, but I tend to err on the side of caution. We really know so little about this particular virus. Who knows what it's yet capable of doing! (sigh)
Oh no, I can't visit your SC site again.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is what I got this time:
Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead
Firefox detected a potential security threat and did not continue to www.ginniehart.shutterchance.com. If you visit this site, attackers could try to steal information like your passwords, emails, or credit card details.
What can you do about it?
The issue is most likely with the web site, and there is nothing you can do to resolve it. You can notify the web site’s administrator about the problem.