I Really Didn't Like The Bird Nest Block

The more I looked at that new piece of stainless steel over the thermometer, the less I liked it. I didn't even like it when I visualized it painted the same color as the wall. So to get a better idea I decided I'd sleep on it ... like a mid-afternoon siesta. (Can I say the word siesta and still be politically correct or is that offensive?) j/k?

The siesta didn't last longer than a hour or so because I was restless ... a sure sign that something was going to happen and it was going to happen today ... whatever it was.

I had my answer!!!  Turning my email on I see a reader named Cat M has made a comment ".... just probably taken the thermometer down ...".

Why didn't I think of that? I guess that is one disadvantage in being single, you never get the 2nd opinion that might be a good idea. The hounds try but they are really only interested in food, sleep and walks. I looked at the official temps online ... 57°. That is warm enough to paint. The breeze will dry the paint even faster ... but I got to move.

The cost of that sheet metal was a little more than the large Dairy Queen Blizzard I would have bought today, plus you never know when you might need it again to ... block a bird nest project.

Taking out the two screws on the bottom brackets that were hidden under 30 years of different paint jobs, were actually easy and the thermometer lifted up and over the screw at the top.

I plugged the screw holes with some exterior caulk, took a putty knife to take off the rough edges of worn paint. I found some sand paper in my drawer of paint supplies and sanded the surface down to a fine smooth painting surface. It was time for the primer.

I needed to let this dry so by the time I cleaned the paint brush, put my tools away along with the brand new bent sheet metal ... Stella decided she would help me with the drying process. You may be wondering how would she do that???

Well let's sneak off out of sight and refuse to come when I am called ... for starters. Sadie and I looked everywhere. I walked out into the field next to me and down to the drainage ditch she visited months ago ... it had overgrown and she wasn't there.

I picked up a tree limb and was walking to the burn pile while calling her name. I don't see her next door, nor in the field anywhere. Sadie and I will follow the dog walk path hoping to find her on the way. But ......

Just as I turned from the burn pile I see Stella standing at the kitchen door looking inside. I have no idea where she was. She wasn't out front when I checked but it was nice to see her at the door instead of out in the woods.

To celebrate .. the hounds and I took off for a walk.

Even with cool temps and a steady breeze, it was still a beautiful day. I liked how blue the sky was. I didn't edit the photo of the sky. I also liked the clouds today.

Sadie spends most of her time near me when walking lately. There are still scents in the air that interest her.

Stella decided she had better run since she was being left behind. Since she knew she was already on "double secret probation" from her disappearance, she ran a little faster today.

With all the green I thought the Voodoo Blue really stood out in this photo.

By the time we hunted for Stella, did a hound walk and put up the tools, the primer had dried for me to put a coat of house paint on the missing thermometer.

It's still drying when these were taken but I like the look of not having it on the wall. Thanks to Cat M for the suggestion.

Still drying and the camera needed part of the FJ to have something to focus on. With the weird reflections from the setting sun, it looks almost like I need to paint the whole wall again.

Quite a bit accomplished in 24 hours -- such is life in the world of retirement.

No snow but cold tonight in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

I Win The Bird Nest War

After I posted yesterday afternoon about the birds in their first phase of nest building, I decided I would keep the hounds from protesting and nip the project in the bud right from the start. I remember how much bird crap I was seeing on the carport floor and on my cars a few years ago ... I wasn't going to go through that again.

A little after 6pm I climbed up to the level of the thermometer to clean out all the wet leaves, mud etc and washed the the front with some window cleaner.  It wasn't even 2 hours later they were back to start over on their project.

7:53pm

I was going to end it by this morning and without even asking, last night my brain went into analysis mode to find a way to keep them away and prevent future nest building. I had my answer this morning and my thoughts were confirmed around 10:32am when Greg commented about his experience using sheet metal in his barn to prevent the same problem.

By this morning at 9:10am they had made this much progress after starting over. Busy little creatures.

9:10am

I was thinking along the same lines of thought as Greg ... something over the top angled enough to keep the nest from sticking. Now some people here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana have a different way of thinking when it comes to home renovations, repairs etc. I'll not discuss what those might be but if you ever travel through the country in rural areas, you know what I am talking about.

So I had ruled out using duct tape and cardboard, plywood, particle board, metal screens, and even a roof shingle from my spare supply. I was thinking last night of a thin piece of sheet metal. It was something I didn't have laying around but I knew the hounds would like to take a trip to the local hardware store in the morning. It's family owned, not a big name store but is clean, well organized and has everything.

Before loading the hounds I did some rough estimate and decided I needed something the size of 3"x10". That would give me an inch to bend to get the angle and a place to screw into the wall. It would be long enough over the width of the thermometer.

Unlike Greg I don't have a great workshop, or even a good work bench. For the 19 years I have lived here, the work bench has been either my step outside or the island in the kitchen. Since I have no machinery to work with metal, a pair of pliers would have to suffice in bending the metal.

After seeing Greg's comment at 10:32am, I made a reply soon after, then Sadie, Stella and even Heidi were loaded in the FJ and on our way to the hardware store not even a mile away.  As you see they had exactly what I needed, although a little bigger size than estimated. It was 6"x18".

Believe me when I say that anything mechanical is not one of my strong points. Interior or exterior painting I can do and like to do but when it comes to tools, electric saws or even a metal saw ... it's best to leave things the way they are ... the 6"x18" would be fine. I dug out the nest material from the back of the thermometer, cleaned the front of the thermometer with some window cleaner and proceeded to hang the piece of sheet metal.

11:51am

 Like I said, when it comes to anything mechanical "Murphy" is always looking over my shoulder. I can do math, any kind of Excel spreadsheets, fix computer problems and even software problems ... but not mechanical stuff. As you can see I was "close but no cigar" ... 1/4" off between the left and right screw. The top of the sheet metal wasn't straight.

Usually I am a perfectionist and that 1/4" off would drive me insane. I have only two choices but time to see if it bothers me that much. I can leave it as it is and don't spend a lot of time glancing at it to where the 1/4" difference will bother me ... Or I can bring my step ladder and tools back out and move the metal up a 1/2" and redo the mount so it's the same distance from the top and will look straight.

With "global warming" kicking our asses this spring in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana .. it's 47° in the month of May right now at 12:37pm ... I'll wait until next week when it gets warmer, apply some primer and then paint the sheet metal the same color as the wall.

Looking at that photo it might be a good idea to move it up a 1/2" or so to expose the numbers 40&50 instead of blocking them .... yet that would give those relentless birds room underneath to slide inside and attempt to build something.

11:57am

Sitting here at my desk I can look out the window and see the new modification. Yes, the birds (up to 3 at one time) have come back on numerous occasions as I write this post and they are a little confused. So they have lined up on my FJ roof rack looking towards me as if to ask "what's up with that?"

Just as I post this, I am not sure this will be a permanent fixture. I don't like change that much in house design and it's one reason I still have 41 year old wrought iron trim that needs replaced, still standing on the edge of the carport or other stuff throughout the house.

In the meantime, the war against nest building has been won here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Ben&Jerry's Brownie Batter Core Ice Cream

One of the advantages of being single, even at an older age, is you can eat anything you want anytime you want ... that is also a disadvantage ... today I paid for it.

It was not a surprise, since the consequences had been lived through before. But when it tastes so good you forget about the consequences ... until you live through them again.

I have no clue how it happened, but last night I ran out to get some coffee, salmon and sugar for the coffee. I came back with a lot more and some way THREE containers of Ben&Jerry's ice cream snuck into my cart.

One of those containers was something I had never tried nor saw before, it was one of their new "core" flavors. I knew from personal experience that their chocolate brownie mixture always put me into a coma after eating it. Maybe in this case that split with vanilla ice cream plus a liquid core of something would make a difference.

It did not make a difference ... same result ... same consequence.

I can't remember the time but somewhere around 3pm when the hounds came back inside and I had finished the whole container of the Brownie Batter Core I felt myself slowly slipping into a state of unconsciousness.

It was so sunny and nice outside but the ice cream had taken over.

The hounds and I slept through a beautiful day until around 5pm. Only pains of indigestion woke me up off and on during the unconscious state. I didn't like the indigestion but liked waking up  because I was having some of the strangest dreams I could ever imagine. Some people say your soul travels during dreaming ... if that is the case, holy shit!

Yet, I feel better now, with some Tums and an afternoon dog walk ... things feel kinda like normal again.

Earlier in the morning while writing the previous post I glanced out my window and saw a bird checking out my old thermometer in the carport. I know that has been mounted there for at least 30 years, maybe longer.

I recognized the bird from a couple of years ago and knew exactly what she was doing. She was checking to see if she could rebuild her nest on top of that thermometer. So she started around 10:47am. I took photos of her progress around my sleeping ... she is a hard one to catch because she would always fly away once she heard the camera focus.

The Builder

10:47am

2:12pm

4:55pm

This is the reason I don't like bird nests built in the carport. Besides the mess it makes on the wall and the floor on the carport, bird crap shows up on my steps, and/or on my cars. The nest building may come to a halt or the building site will be protested with sign carrying hounds.

With the hounds well rested and I knowing what it feels like living the life of a hound ... I was rested too and wanted to go on a walk as bad as they did. Is their lifestyle taking over mine?

With a lot of rain and sun ... the field is not only growing but coming into bloom.

Today proved that the bloodhounds may have great noses but they may not be great trackers ... when this photo was taken of Stella, NOT TEN FEET AWAY ... the dark gray cat I saw months ago around 1am one night, scurried through the field into the wooded area.

The hounds were close to her but didn't see her ... neither one.

By this time Stella is hopping and running around all over the place and highly excited ... but she is late ... and my camera isn't working as fast as she is moving.

She figures maybe the cat ran over where the deer are and took off in that direction. I can tell it's going to be one of those days she will ignore everyone and everything until she can find that cat or what's at the end of that scent.

Sadie's help didn't come up with any different result.

With Stella unconscious I continue to walk and let her do whatever she wants. When I finally glance back I can't see her and guess she has ran into the gully or the wooded area. Both areas are outside of her boundaries.

As I take this next photo trying to fit a panoramic shot of an empty field ... there is Stella with her head down and her tail up. I thought she was running back to me and Sadie but midstream she takes off in another direction .. her nose is driving her crazy today and it all started with cat she didn't see.

Most of the walk Sadie stayed right next to me but would occasionally help Stella in her hunt ... they still came up with nothing.

On the way back Stella takes off again in a direction different than the normal path and sprints back to the "scene of the crime" ... that cat has to be there somewhere. She is determined to find it.

Finally Sadie convinces her to stop the search and head back to the house. It's hot, the gnats are bad and Sadie would rather drink some fresh filtered water she knows is back at the house.

Once we were back inside, as usual, Sadie chugged the water and both of them have been sound to sleep while I put this post together. The life of a bloodhound ...

Now, what are we going to do about that nest??

Weather is great here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Hounds Ready For The Weekend

It might be Friday the 13th but we are off to a good start for the weekend. As you see to the left, the sunshine is back and that is always a good thing here in 'the tropics'.

The grass is still really wet with heavy dew and even with Sadie giving me the stare wanting to go for the 1st walk of the day, she is going to have to wait a few hours. It's their morning nap time anyway so a few hours will not hurt.


It could be close but it looks like the yard could be mowed again this afternoon, after just mowing it three days ago. With all the rain, that is how fast it is growing. Besides the normal hound morning routine, all of us have already made a drive to the post office and a swing by the Dairy Queen drive thru.

While I ate my bacon, egg and cheese biscuit at home, Sadie, Stella and Heidi had bully sticks. They were more than happy with that.

The hay was too wet for Stella but not Sadie. As you can see it's getting over 30" tall and in some places where they have dumped their tanks all winter, the hay is as tall as my chest. Out in some parts of the field it doesn't reach my knees.

Stella found something that she was trying to dig out of the ground with her nose ... not sure what that was but there was nothing hanging from her mouth as she raised her head. So whatever it was she did not eat it.

As you can tell she is pretty motivated to get her day started.

After the Dairy Queen breakfast, their bully sticks and a fresh application of water/vinegar sprayed on Heidi ... all of them decided it was time to go outside. I mentioned the other day that when we came back from our walk that Heidi was walking up the driveway almost past her boundary. I did not know how close to the road she had gone while we were gone. She has never gone down by the highway.

Today I found out where she had been. I moved out of sight just to see where she was going. She normally poops up by the top of the yard but today and in a couple of times prior, by the evidence, she has decided she likes the middle of the yard right now. She had just walked straight out from the yard to the driveway when I took this photo.

Of course Sadie was concerned and watched her all the way. She knows that is too far than the allowed boundary. She touched noses with Heidi at the corner of the carport just to remind her of the rules.

I am going to resist posting any photos of Heidi's skin until next week. I will say after just a few days of the water, vinegar mixture I am seeing improvement. The amount of vinegar amounts to 40% of the water weight. So in the batch I made, 48oz of water equaled 3.2oz of vinegar.

The spray bottle works much better and faster than applying it with cotton balls. After spraying an area I dab it with a dry cloth to keep it from dripping ... but the skin is still saturated with the mixture.

How can I tell it's improving? Her skin color is staying normal color up to nighttime instead of turning red by noon. She is itching a lot less. The yeast infected skin is falling off in large portions. She is more active and her tail is wagging more than it has. This morning when I asked if she wanted to go for a ride in the car, she jumped off the bed and headed to the FJ.

For the time being I want to keep her from doing the daily walk, just in case the tall grass, hay or wild plants activates her allergies. I want to give this water/vinegar mix a chance to work.

I've never had problems with Fridays that have dates of the 13th ... most of my self inflicted injuries over the years have occurred on or around cinco de mayo weekends.

It's a beautiful morning here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.