Skip to main content

Unexpected Neighbors - Chapter 1


We got some new neighbors this year.
 
 "This isn't really their hood" I thought as he shooed them away.  The first time was out in the east grove, right when you come around the corner.  They were tucked in toward the house, so passersby on the road may not have noticed, but we did.

A few days later they were back, it is Springtime after all.  Not in the exact location, but a few trees over.  Those darn magpies!  The next morning they returned to find chaos instead of their finely woven structure, but they were determined that this was the place - only to be foiled once again.

We didn't see them for a few days, but then one morning there they were, out there talking.  How could all of their hard work keep tumbling down?  They hadn't noticed it to be too windy when they'd left the night before?  They hadn't seen any creatures lurking about that would create such havoc!

A few mornings later they arrived for yet another visit.   Being very persistent creatures, it was time to talk strategy.   Maybe it had to do with the longitude and latitude?  They flew over the driveway to the check out the other side of the yard and their newly revised action plan began!

     "Which tree would do?" they may have possibly asked one another.  Pecking and picking up odds and ends along the way, they decided they were going to give it one more try.

So, Marvin and Mavis Magpie have set up their new abode right in front of mine!  Luckily they're not obstructing my mountain view but, as in typical suburbia, their nest can be seen from many different angles and they can observe the goings on from their own front window. 

I'll be watching them this spring and summer -  I'm certain it will be a fun adventure!


 



 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Copper Colorado

My mixed media piece, Copper Colorado, was completed in two separate phases.   My canvas was Phase One.  He came home with this plank that had been considered construction rubbish. When he told me it was a tread from someone's porch steps, I was intrigued. I began to scrutinize it and noticed a smudge of antique copper paint that had been stomped into the grain, but no one had managed to stomp it off over its many years.  I noticed its receded soft grains which moved like canyon rivers and its hard grains became imposing Colorado Mesas above. I was motivated to uncover its textural treasures, and I cleaned it up as if I were an archeologist, so as not to disturb any of its landscape, but rather amplify it as is.  The paint smudge remained and became integral. Phase Two was my realization of the purpose of the plank, which happened three or four years later. I stumbled upon some old battery cables that had big, gnarly terminals, and, more importantly, the copper wires were still sle

In Loving Memory...

I have an "inspiration" binder that I keep on a shelf in my office at home where I’ve collected pictures of things I've found in magazines.  There's a few priceless treasures of artwork that my kids made me tucked in there too.  I only add super special stuff - things that I know I'll love for the long term.   Anyway, we were talking about a project at the house when I suddenly thought of a photo I wanted to share with Russ and brought the binder out.  As I was flipping through these pages of images that I'd saved over a good decade of time,  I found this little quote Mom had sent to me.  I don't know when she sent it, but I had liked it so much.  There it was, this two sentence quote that SHE must have cut out of a magazine.  The words were highlighted in what was now a faded yellow marker and she’d written four little words above it on a hot pink sticky note in her beautiful cursive writing.  A note just for me. Reminding me to believe in myself.  
Welcome!!  My name is Shelley.  I live in a log house here in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains..  I've been doing some remodeling to my home.  It's been a lot of fun, and I'm photo journaling my adventure!  Thanks for joining me!!