Besides the graceful swan, I'm not sure I've heard any complimentary remarks derived from being compared with a bird. Of course, I can instantly think of quite a few names given to individuals that highlight the less than flattering attributes of our feathered friends. Dodo. Silly goose. Lame duck. Wet hen. Chicken legs. Bird brain. In fact, they get quite a bad rap, no?
While birds may not be the smartest creatures on the planet, they do some things extremely well. I'm not just talking about their dead aim when it comes to pooping all over the car either. They are excellent home builders. Have you ever just examined a bird's nest close up?
I recently found this nest in fern on my porch. The (now, as of fall, former) occupant had accumulated a plethora of differing building materials: hair, twigs, dryer lint, mud, and leaves. Compared to my hand, the nest was tiny, but perfectly shaped. The inside was meticulously smooth, while on the outside she had intricately woven all the materials together. It amazes me. I'm not sure if I could do that, especially if I had to do it without arms!
I recently found this nest in fern on my porch. The (now, as of fall, former) occupant had accumulated a plethora of differing building materials: hair, twigs, dryer lint, mud, and leaves. Compared to my hand, the nest was tiny, but perfectly shaped. The inside was meticulously smooth, while on the outside she had intricately woven all the materials together. It amazes me. I'm not sure if I could do that, especially if I had to do it without arms!
I wonder about the bird that made it sometimes. Where is she living now? Did she raise a family here? Maybe she flew south to spend the winter in her 2nd nest in Florida. Did she abandon the nest to downsize to a high rise in the city once her kids left the nest?
I told you all that, not just to share my love of all things bird, but as a preface to all that I'll chronicle in this blog. I'm not known for my great design intellect or having the best resources to do as I please. But I'm very anxious to share how I've been building my nest, and trying to do it on a budget.
Hidden behind all that over mature landscaping (more on this later!), here is what it was when we moved in 3 years ago. (Photo was taken September 2009).
I can't take all the credit. If I was a bird (a giant one), it would be like moving into a nest I found. Someone had already built it, put their (1990-era) creative touches on it, and moved on to bigger and better.
Thanks to our wonderful realtor Kim, who spent several months showing us place after place (after place), we decided to call this place home. And I love it. Just about everyday I find something else to add to it - be it intentional or not (even including the same materials as the bird - hair, dryer lint, and mud!)
When we first moved in, there were definitely things that we didn't like - tiny bathrooms, tiled flooring in the living area, and the outdated decor. But the house, both inside and out, had good bones. We have a to-do-list that is longer than I'd like to admit. As a matter of fact, my husband constantly reminds me that we shouldn't add anymore projects until we complete one. So, before I show any improvements like the ones we are working on now, I need to catch you up. I can't wait to show what we've done so far. I like to think of it as meticulously smoothing and intricately weaving special touches to our nest.
