Saturday morning is here and life is good. Hey! Waking up is good…and I did that and now I have cup of coffee in front of me. It’s early, as usual, but the sun will make its presence known in about an hour and by that time the coffee will have done its job and I will be ready for it.
Today will be another warm one, but it is cooling off slightly over the next few days and it may be a few weeks before we see any more of the 95+ weather. That will be a good thing for the young garden I’m tending.
Yesterday was not a good garden day. It started normally enough as I looked out the study window about 6 AM to see how the new drip system was working. There was no sign of trouble so I continued to type. When I looked up again…I saw a lake forming where I was preparing to plant my strawberries. With garden clogs on my feet, but still in my pajamas, I gathered the evidence, a broken irrigation head, one that I had paid a little over $3 for the day before. Besides the small pond of wasted water, I also had a 3’ long trench in the strawberry patch, where the escaping water had scoured away the carefully prepared soil.
Then, after repairing the damage and making certain that everything else was working properly, I decided to pick cherries from the larger of the two cherry trees, the Bing cherry. I had been watching them grow and had even tried a couple a few days earlier. A little tart, but with a few more days of sun I knew that they would be perfect! I stared up into the tree and then stepped back to make certain I was looking at the right tree…there wasn’t a cherry to be seen. None! I had been robbed. They hadn't even left the pits. Despite the flashing reflective tape hanging all over the tree, the birds had been watching and waiting for that day of perfect ripeness as well.
OK, it’s war and I lost the first battle, but next year I will have a net to cover the tree. It is a chore to put it on, but I really don’t believe anything else will work.
Evil Birds....I had the same experience again this year...yet my neighbors down the way have cherries galore....I guess mine just must be sweeter and word got out. I asked the cherry sellers at the market their secret...they have to change tactics they said...playing a radio in the tree seems to be one method....put public radio on...they will stay away I'm sure...or perhaps some lovely hawaiian ballads?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm afraid that won't work. These birds are SMART, so NPR would only attract them. Ya know what's really irritating? I have been feeding finches all spring and then, last week, I noted that they were only showing up early in the morning or late at night. Sure! They spent their days in my cherry tree!
ReplyDeleteHey, if you plant it they will come!!
ReplyDeleteK