Billie's Folly

As spring comes into its own, the birds are in abundance.  As I walk by, the beds begin to flutter.  I imagine they're beginning to think about mating.  I put out a cage of nesting material.  I use raffia, excelsior, dryer lint and even a little yarn for color.  They say you can use pet hair, but I haven't tried that.  I'm thrilled that the bluebirds have moved into my stone birdhouses.  My gardener is good at spotting active nests and careful not to disturb them.  

With the Daylight Savings switch-over, I'm seizing on every degree over 45 as an indicator of spring's arrival.  A bit optimistic and definitely eager, I admit. As my Oregon winters go, this one has seemed colder than the others.  We've had a few snow flurries that were pretty and brief, and a bit of freezing that didn't do too much damage.  But we've had lots of damp cold.  And mostly, we've had bone-chilling wind.  Living on top of a hill--which I cleared of much of the shielding close-in forest--has left me with no wind break.  I've been pelted with relentless gusts much of the winter.   But enough weather whining!