Category Archives: birds

Two Years After: An Oil Spill Reflection

Posted on by authorcarriecox

Today is the second anniversary of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Here are links to two blog posts I did about the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

http://authorcarriecox.com/2010/06/24/on-a-serious-note/

http://authorcarriecox.com/category/deep-water-horizon/

Just last month I finally ate at a local seafood restaurant. I’m still not 100% certain of the safety of the gulf, but next month I’ll take my family to the beach–and let them play below the water line in the sand–for the first time in two years.

Live and Learn

Posted on by authorcarriecox

My blog this week is short—a carry over from my “Never List” last week. One of my readers (hello, cousin!) wanted to hear about number six: NEVER leave a bag of bird seed outside over-night. This is something I’ve learned within the last few years, yet still temp fate with when I’m forgetful (see number four on the previous post.)
I’ve been living in the deep south for thirteen years but I’m still learning the local culture and rules. One big thing to remember, yes do write this down if you are older than twenty-five, is that night life in the south is active. I live within in the city limits—suburban, residential with surrounding businesses, but there are a few pockets of wooded areas and a creek nearby. Opossums and raccoons are frequent nocturnal visitors. Both make short work of a plastic bag of bird seed. They especially like the premium seed, with the nuts and berries. I don’t like paying good money to feed over-sized, rat-like critters.
Don’t even get me started on the daytime issues with squirrels… they can chew through the lids of five gallon plastic paint cans!
There is still time to comment on the list from last week and sound off on your own experiences.

Ice

Posted on by authorcarriecox

This morning frost covered the grass and the bird baths were iced over- up to 1/8 of an inch around the rim. All the other cold nights this month only produced some frost on the rooftops. There was even a glittering layer of ice crystals on the canvas of the folding chair on the front porch. I enjoy the winter while I can… it goes so quickly here, if it decides to visit.

"Wouldn’t it Be Nice"

Posted on by authorcarriecox
I put the title in quotes because I’m mentally signing that song. Mentally, so as not to create noise pollution.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get a whole new wardrobe every month? To pass on the discarded clothes to others and refill the drawers and hanging spaces in your room with a complete new assortment of adorable, and sometimes even trendy, outfits.
Such is the life of Princess S. She turns four months this week and each month I have to bump her wardrobe up to the next size. At birth she wore (filled out in most cases) 0-3 and 3 month clothing. At one month she was wearing 3-6 months. At two months it was 6 months. At three months she wore 6-9 months. Now, she’s on to 9 and even some 12 months (depending on the cut- she has a long torso).
Both new and used clothes keep coming our way; thanks to generous family members and friends and even my son’s bus driver (not to mention my impulse buying of things so sweet and cheap I couldn’t pass up over the years) we more or less have her first year of clothes taken care of. I always thought I’d use gender neutral clothes with a girl, like I did with my boys, but it’s just too much fun playing dress-up. I’m loving purple tones more than ever. So whenever I do need to buy something to fill-in the gaps I gravitate toward purple and lavender and wisteria…
…..
On a side note, the goldfinches are arriving! My favorite time of the year to bird watch in the yard. The goldfinches usually stop here mid-late January through March. Long enough for them to start looking gorgeous in their summer plumage before they head back north. But it’s a good thing they don’t stay around all year- I couldn’t afford to feed them. Thistle seed is pricey. “Gold” seed for the goldfinches. And when you get 60-100 goldies eating from your feeders for a month (it takes a few weeks for the numbers to max out and some start leave earlier) the seed bill adds up quickly! But it’s worth the (short term) expense to watch them change and have them here for the Great Backyard Bird Count. I can always count on them for some impressive numbers (to my standards) on my daily counts. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/