Moss on the north side, and other nesting ideas

Some simple knitting here, afghan squares knitted diagonally in garter stitch, here arranged in rough draft for deciding how to assemble them. The complete thing will be 16 squares in all, very symmetrical arrangement, all made in lambswool and angora, harvested from three thrift store sweaters, and destined for Handsome Partner's use when the weather is a little bit less bitterly cold. This picture was taken despite Marigold's best efforts to rearrange the pieces into a nice kitty bed for her. She will no doubt show up on future efforts, having already settled down for a nap on a square I was still knitting.

I'll single crochet the sections together, then do a nice edging around the whole shebang to give it some unity and shape. This is the kind of easy stuff you can do while you watch the news and argue bitterly with your partner about it.

And since it's the time of year when Spring ought to be getting here a lot faster than it is, I made a little moss terrarium (put onto this idea by Eepy and MaryAnn, blame them) today.



Just picked up some moss in the woods, around the beech trees, mostly predug by squirrels frantically looking for their nut deposits, I had it here before, I know I did, maybe it was that other beech tree, though, no, wait, Walt said absolutely the best return on investment was the black walnut area...and I set it up as is under a glass loaf pan, which was the nearest thing the house yielded, on short notice, to a Wardian case, set it on the shelf in the kitchen near the window, and am awaiting further developments.



Also on the woods walk, under a pile of leaves I found a personmade nesting house thing, made of cornstraw and other stuff, with a pointed roof. Anyway, it's now hanging from the wild cherry out back, and maybe we'll get a pair of Carolina wrens nesting in there this year. It occurs to me that I could just post a picture rather than blather on about what it looks like. This belated realization is the fruit of many years of writing for print publications during my misspent youth, all words, no pix. I keep having to remember I can do pix now.



I love Carolina wrens, because for a tiny bird they have the most amazing set of pipes, what a racket! and they repeat themselves endlessly, which I tend to, so I feel for them....they nest around here a lot, good school system and all that, usually in the most awkward place, like on the hinge of an open garage door so you have to decide whether or not to use that door for months on end. Or in the clothespin bag.

I've had them take a shot at nesting in hanging plants, then changing their minds, probably because the mourning doves whose specialty this is, had a quiet word with them..and mourning doves are model neighbors, quiet, nice kids, very tidy tenants.