Life Happens

We have cold weather.  Really cold.  The trees from the Arbor Day
Foundation arrived but it is still too cold to plant them outside.  So
they are inside in temporary pots. Tomorrow is Easter and the last
day of March. Hopefully,  it will start warming up then.

Today we,  my partner, and my daughter and myself, rode down to
Chimney Rock.  It was gloriously beautiful.  Again we stopped at
the little antique/gift shop and I found an old butter dish in ruby red
glass. It did come home with me.

Then we headed to Asheville for the first annual festival at the South
Broad Co-op of Asheville.  This was very cool.  All ages and types
of people were there.  Halfway thorugh, this man dressed as a  "nun"
 (A man in a nun costume)  and this bicycle--whose seat was taller than
 I am--came through the crowd.  The bike was covered with all types
 and styles of glittering beads and sequins.  People knew him--but other
 than the costume, he was totally unrecognizable.  A very trippy fun-filled
 and fabulous musical day.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Birdstuff:  We have so many finches and warblers, chickadees, tanagers
and redbirds, robins, doves, nuthatches, and orioles--it is amazing!  I love
watching them.  My daughter found me a humming bird birdbath--it is
beautiful.  I have another one in bright red clear plastic to hang from
the plum tree--so the birds in general will have plenty of places to bathe.
All I am waiting for is the spring warmth.

Due to my many falls of late, my partner will not let me go outside alone.
So I am stuck waiting until I get better kneewise  to be able to prune the
few bushes I planned to do before blooming.  If the cold keeps up, then it will
go from cold to hot--neither temperature is good for me.  I may not get to
do it myself.

My partner is going to raise chickens and quail.  If not this year then the next.
And exotic mushrooms.  He is exited about it!

All for tonight.

Kate Thorn  

Been a While

First, possum news--Frankie, Lulu, and Oscar no longer come around.
Two new possums showed up--really skittish ones--never stayed long
enough to finish the food--eat for about 10 minutes and then left.  I
woke up at 0200 one night and looked and saw a "possum" standing
on his hind legs.  My first racoon.  And the Possum Trot Cafe is
officially closed.  Possums are one thing--racoons do carry rabies; they
will bite.  Not the kind of animal you want hanging around your house.

At least the weather is warmer, so I did manage to feed the possums
through the winter.

The blue birds--I haven't seen in a while, so I guess they left before we
got their houses placed.   I haven't seen the barn swallows in a while either.

It will soon be time for the hummers.  I have feeders ready and waiting
for them.

The plum tree is blooming out; daffodils are in bloom.  The Forsythia bushes
are blooming.  I love Spring!

Kate Thorn

What Women Want

I have learned so much regarding what women want through
bird and animal watching.

Some birds have male birds around only to mate--the female--
or the male--takes cares of eggs and hatchlings and seem to
be content with doing so.

Some ladies with an eye or houses should remember the
pileated woodpecker.  He builds a house to attract a mate.
The house must be large, roomy (2 19 inch birds take up
some space) and have multiple exits.  If you are the "Nesting"
sort of female, look for a male who wants to supply you
with a place to "nest",

Moving to the possums, the males are docile and submissive
to the females.  They will never hit, bite the feminine sex.
Not their nature at all.


Some birds mate for life--mourning doves, cardinals, and others--
while others, like hummers, mate and leave.

Interesting to think about.

kate thorn

Possum Trot Cafe--fight!

Tonight, as usual, Frankie was the first to show up for dinner.
However, she had not been there long when Oscar arrived.
She was not pleased.  He tried to eat from her plate and she
promptly nipped him--no blood drawn, but the message
was clear.  He is twice the size of Frankie, but he backed
away.  She tried to run him off the porch--he'd back up
until she started eating--then he would start eating from
another plate.  Frankie left and only Oscar was there.
But not for long.  Lulu joined him--she was fiendlier --
but would not share her plate--they did touch noses, but only
once.  Then Lulu  left followed by Oscar.  Lulu came back
with jet black cat with her--the pic is terrible--the two
glowing eyes are from the cat who was watching
me--very non-trusting.  You can see Lulu's shape and
eyes.  In non-picture terms, Lulu is dark grey with a very
white face--slender built and fine boned.  The cat (feral
and un-named) is completely jet black.  I thought business
was over or the night, but the still another possum came
to visit after Lulu and cat exited.  This one was the color
and size of Frankie, but Frankie is a bit scruffy in appearance,
this was sleek.  My partner named her Beatrice. She ate 1/2
of an apple and then left.  Quite a night  for our humble cafe!