Thursday, October 2, 2008

It's So Kind

of the birds to leave me a lovely present in the garden as a token of their appreciation. While I was busy with my many garden projects, in between the many showers, the birds carefully placed a seed in the ground and one day
hey presto, instant sunflower.
It's growing right where I can see it from the living room window and as you doubtlessly have noticed, it's in the right colour too. I hadn't realised that birds were into colour coordination. So thoughtful of them, wouldn't you say? They really have gone the extra mile for me this time and it makes such a lovely change from what they usually leave me.
It's good to be appreciated for all the food I provide for my little feathered friends.
And their kindness knows no bounds this year because when the grapes were ready they actually left some for me to pick.
Such a pleasant change from last year when they had gobbled everything up.
See? A whole basket full of my own grapes! If that wasn't generous of them, I don't know what is. Of course, they did nibble a few bunches too, but what's a nibble here and there between friends?
And this week I discovered another gift left to me by a party or parties unknown. If you are of a sensitive nature, please hide behind the sofa and look away now.

Steal yourself!

You have been warned!

Ready?

You're sure?

A massacre in my garden, 6 dead mice, count them, six!!! I've no idea who the culprit is but I do know it wasn't any one member of the Bliss team. Frankly, this is the kind of gift I could gladly do without. I almost stepped on one, ewwwwww!

Fortunately the Bliss garden usually showers only gifts of the heartwarming kind and even though it's October there is still plenty in flower, enough to fill a vase or two with flowery happiness.
copyright 2008 Y.E.W. Heuzen

Gardening is any way that humans and nature come together with the intent of creating beauty.
Tina James, American Garden Writer, 1999

39 comments:

Gail said...

YE,

Someone loves you to leave such treasured presents! Our cat used to bring us lizards...a love offering! Now I really prefer the flower and grape gifts! The Sunflower is lovely, a nice shade to go with your yellow house!

Gail

Cheryl said...

What a beautiful girt from the birds Yolanda....with all those lovely feeders I am not surprised that they showed their gratitude....

eeeekkkk lots of mice.......we have a something or other roaming our loft at the moment.....hhhmmm we keep hoping it will go away, I don't think it is going to!!!!

Beautiful vase of autumnal blooms......

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a lot of mice in one whack! Remember, it's the thought that counts...
We grow sunflowers in several different varieties for the birds and love to sit in the fall and watch them snarf down the seeds!
I LOVE that bouquet too!

Katarina said...

It must be lovely to be able to pick your own grapes! I really envy you there. but not when it comes to the mice...even though you did warn me, the photo gave me a fright. I don't know why I find mice horrible, but I do...
All the best
Katarina

Anonymous said...

That is such a beautiful fall arrangement! No, the flowers, not the mice! Hee! Your sunflower is so cheery.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Now that is a cat that knows how to be a cat! It's funny that they were all placed together.

Your grapes look delicious!

Lis vom Lindenhof said...

Die Trauben sehen ja wirklich lecker aus, auf die Mäuse im Garten kann ich aber gerne verzichten! :-)

Schönes Wochenede, bei uns in D ist morgen ein Feiertag

LG Lis

Piondröm said...

Hi Yolanda!
Your grapes looks very tasty...yammy!
Sorry I cant say the same of your heary little things ;7
We have a lot of them here to in the Swedish contry, and we also have our friends the cats who take care of it for us.
Ken

Anonymous said...

That's a fine haul of furry rodents. I rarely see any bodies as my cats usually eat them. It certainly looks like a team effort.

Anonymous said...

I've grown a few sunflowers on the plot which it seems the insects then the birds have appreciated. I shall grow lots more next year!
I have a grape vine but alas no grapes as yet! xx

Anonymous said...

Hi YE, I was afraid when you warned to hide behind the sofa, but laughed when I saw the gift, also laughed at the other gifts the birds leave on your decking. I would be more afraid of those mice out there alive, but there are probably many more where those came from. I saw the cutest kittens at the neighbors today, oh it was hard to resist, but I did and thought of you and your team of helpers.
Frances
new url
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Your birdies are as gracious as you are. AS to your dead mice. Who knows what would do such a thing and not eat them. Hmmmmmm

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

I'm a big fan of my garden birds but... I do want to pick my own few grapes. Your looks delicious Yolanda! There is something very pleasant about autumn bouquets.

cathleen said...

Love those sunflowers but eewwwwwwwww those mice! I love all your kitties on your sidebar. I have a Russian Blue too...come see him hiding in my linen cupboard today.

Jessica said...

happiness!!! I had a few lone sunflowers growing from pots on my patio this year, thanks to the birds:) It looks pretty awkward, but I can't bring myself to pull them! So happy and cheerful!

You've got quite a hunter on your hands! Did you find them all lying together like that? If so, it's quite an offering!

joey said...

Gifts are in the eyes of the beholder! (Be they mice or otherwise). Cute post ...

Hannele på Hisingen said...

Birds can make garden too :)

Rusty in Miami said...

Did you question all the feline members of the team? Wow that is definite not a pleasant garden surprise, on the other hand the sunflower is my kind of a gift, smart birds!!

Garden Cats + Crafts said...

Wow! 6 tote Mäuse! Ja, wer war es denn wohl?

Leider habe ich keine Sonnenblumen im Garten. Keinen Platz mehr dafür. Aber ich liebe diese Blumen. Hole mir immer welche vom Blumenfeld. Die Köpfe lasse ich dann für die Vögel liegen. Du fütterst schon?

LG Birgit

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

Wow! That's one generous mystery mouser you've got there. Such "splendid" gifts. And the sunflower is pretty nice too. ;)

Cindy

marga said...

Nou zeg........dat zaadje hebben ze dan wel op een mooi plekje geplant voor je en ze hebben zelfs nog wat druiven voor jullie laten hangen....lief hé!!!!
Fijne zondag

Libbys Blog said...

They are your presents Yolanda, they do like to bring in presents don't they!!!
Be garteful they aren't running round your house!! ;o;!!

Karin said...

Ohh, I really don't like mice! It must have been horrible to find them out there in the garden.

I've also been lucky one year with birds giving me some sunflower-joy. And now you reminded me that I have to start feeding the birds. :)

Lovely bouquet and nice with grapes! Hope you're having a nice weekend.
Kram Karin

Arabella Sock said...

I once found a little display of six fish fingers that my cats had made for me in the garden. Somebody somewhere went without their tea that day!

em said...

somebody really likes you to bring so many mice! just think of the effort involved! what a lovely and interesting post!

Angela @ Cottage Magpie said...

Your birds must have been to my house too. :-) I've got sunflowers everywhere! And I'm jealous of your grapes. That was one of the projects that didn't get done this year, the grape arbor. Your bouquet is lovely, and the mice are not. Love to see what you're up to!
~Angela :-)

Naturegirl said...

EEEK!!! Yolanda so many MEECES!! somebody certainly had a field day for sure!! I do hope it was a cat and NOT something those mice ate!!
I love your sunflower gifted by the birdies..always a wonderful surprise when that happens!Great harvest of grapes..I ate many off the vine when I recently toured the vineyards in Germany's Rhine regioin!!So delightful!

healingmagichands said...

I have found those sorts of gifts from my feline companions. I have also received baby snakes, tail-less lizards, and headless frogs.

I love the surprise sunflowers that the blue jays plant for me all over the place.

Poppins said...

It was really kind of your bird friends to plant at sun flower for you.
It must be fun to harvest your own grapes. Will it be wine now? :)
love Poppins

Viooltje said...

The little feline friends do have an odd taste when presents and surprises are concerned, don't they ;-)
Someone's been very appreciative if I may notice. And when it comes to grapes, I always get scolded by other for leaving a grape her and there for the little feathery pals to nibble at. How could anyone not want to save a little treat for those gracious things, if not just for the wonderful presents like the ones they left in your garden, then for the beautiful aria they enrich our gardens with.

P.S. Kristy the Cat wishes to thank your for all the kind and gentle thoughts, from her near-death experience until now, she has been recovering remarkably, and she's ready to rock'n'roll again, while her owners live in constants fear of certain people using rat poison for such barbaric deeds.

Anonymous said...

Great sunflower, but the mice would have given me a heart attack. I have never seen that many at one time. Luckily there are more pleasant gifts in the garden which you enjoy much more. Andrea

Glo said...

Your postings are always so interesting and entertaining, even with a few mice scattered hither and yon! Your hard work is paying off by the look of your lovely conservatory and garden :) I love your autumn bouquets and I will go and see what I can find ...once the rain stops :) I hope you don't mind me adding you to my bloglist :)

Anonymous said...

Oooo, I love those little fury dead gifts. Do you ever get dead moles or gophers? Those would be my dream gifts.

gintoino said...

Beautiful gifts Yolanda! I'm talking about the flower and grapes offcourse. I wouldn't be very happy with the furry gift, specially since they are not mice but shrews. Shrews are insectivores and a great help around the garden. But what is one to do..cats will be cats ;-)

Green thumb said...

Congratulations dear Y.E! You seem to have been showered with some very lovely gifts by your feathered friends. The mice massacre would have been very welcome had it happened in my place, as these rodents have wreaked havoc on my winter clothings and certain other things; maybe i can hire some of your winged visitors.

Liz said...

Hey, I just came across your blog today!

The mice actually look more like shrews - check the snout it looks too pointed for a mouse.
Now I realise they're both small and furry and to most they're horrible.
But shrews are not common, and it's worrying that so many would have all been killed in your garden and not even eaten.

Massive shame.

KC MO Garden Guy said...

What good birds you have!! Mine just eat and eat, but that is ok. I love to watch them. Your grapes look yummy. Did you have enough to make jelly or just enough to eat?

KC MO Garden Guy said...

What good birds you have!! Mine just eat and eat, but that is ok. I love to watch them. Your grapes look yummy. Did you have enough to make jelly or just enough to eat?

Anonymous said...

really nice blog.