It's that time of the year....

It's that time of the year....

Monday, May 21, 2012

I did it!

I purchased that sewing machine that I have been talking about ever since I moved here.  I haven’t sewn anything for years.  When the kids were young I made a lot of their  clothes.  I am tired of mending by hand.  When I moved here I hemmed curtains by hand and that is no fun.  This morning I went to Walmart and bought a Singer, nothing fancy as I don’t intend to make anything fancy.  Just need it to do some hemming and I think I will make some new curtains for the kitchen.

The barn swallows have built a birds nest on top of the light fixture going into the laundry room.  I love bird watching but I don’t like tip toeing through the bird poopiedoop to get in the laundry room.  Barn swallows are a pretty bird but they fly really fast and swoop at you.  This is the same exact spot they built their nest last year.  Should I grin and bear it or report it to maintenance?  I forgot to mention that the birds have made a direct hit on my front screen/window that I just took apart and cleaned last week.

001  Barn_Swallow-01

The nest..                                          The bird

I was back getting my glasses readjusted again.  I hope this does it.  Now what is for lunch?  Maybe leftover potato salad and some BBQ on a bun.

I hope this is a peaceful week for us all. Stay safe  and be happy!!

Beth

26 comments:

  1. Barn Swallow is a rather pretty bird. I've never seen one before. I know we have them around here, but I've never seen one. I'd call Maintenance. Then tell Maintenance to pick up some of those pastic Easter eggs that kids sometimes get in their Easter baskets - the kind that come apart and you can fill with candy. Tell him to put two or three of those in the nest or make it look full. Guaranteed, they will not nest there because they think it belongs to another bird. I have birds that want to build a next in my hanging flower baskets even when they are blooming. I put in about 3 plastic eggs and it solves the problem.

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  2. Oh - congratulations on your sewing machine. I think you'll have fun playing around with it and who knows where it might lead you,

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  3. Mmmm...shall I come up for lunch?? lol

    WTG on the Singer--you can start making old hippie dresses..that's what I want to do. But I don't sew. YET.

    I love the barn swallows...in the farmyard. lol Don't think I'd be too crazy about them in an apartment setting...

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  4. Barn Swallows can be fairly aggressive to say the least. We had some attempt to take over our garage and they about won but finally we drove them out and closed the garage door. They may be just fine to look at outside but having them in there dive bombing us wasn't an option...not to mention the mess. I'm glad to hear you got your sewing machine. I still remember you mentioning it and am glad to see that happened. I hope it is a real blessing to you!

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  5. It's nice to see the swallows but they can make a terrible mess if they build their nest in the wrong place. My mum used to sew and knit us lots of things when we were growing up.

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  6. I wouldn't think the nest would hold the babies once they hatched and started growing, so they might come to the same sad demise that our mockingbird babies did....and that is upsetting. I think the plastic eggs in the nest is a great idea! Then maybe they will nest elsewhere. There is a trade-off for letting birds nest...they eat bugs! Same with toads! We have both and love them coming into our yard....plus we enjoy watching the little critters!

    I always wanted to sew. My mom sewed all my clothes when I was in jr. high and high school. I wish she still did. My daughter has been thinking about buying a machine and taking lessons! Have a wonderful Monday!

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  7. Good Morning Beth, it is still morning here. :) It is nice to have birds close but I think I would get tired of the mess. So nice you bought yourself a sewing machine. I have a old singer feather weight that I do all of my sewing on. I used to make all of my kids clothes too and then I didn't sew for about 15 years and I have started again. I sure do enjoy it, I bet it will be nice to have a machine you can whip things up fast instead of hand sewing, though I do admit to really liking to sew by hand.
    Have a great week.

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  8. My mom gave me her old singer a couple of years ago. I've been meaning to teach myself how to work the thing. I'd like to make curtains too and maybe a table runner or two. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.

    I've seen some swallows over by the lake. They fly so fast they remind me of bats. I didn't know what they were and asked another walker. I've only seen them flying around so it was nice to see your photo of it just sitting still. : )

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  9. Have fun with your new sewing machine. I haven't even had mine out in years, but every once in a while I think I might take it out and sew again.

    The swallows are protected in some areas and removal of the nests is illegal on public property. I think they become a nuisance when they come build on private property. I'm not sure how it is where you live as far as the laws go.

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  10. Blessings.....
    congrats on the sewing machine. I too hope this is the last adjustment for your glasses. They don't seem very efficient, perhaps its time to seek another company for your next?

    Have a blessed day/
    rhapsody

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  11. Congratulations on your new sewing machine! I like to get mine out every so often and create something. :) I don't think I'd like having to deal with the birds, even though they are pretty. It seems like they always try to build their nests in the places that are such a nuisance to us!

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  12. We have swallows nesting all over the building here. That's actually why I asked the office if I could put up a mesh screen. They do dive bomb you, but they don't usually actually touch you (unlike blue jays who will peck your head). Lots of mess under the nest, that's for sure. I only had to deal with them the first summer I was here, but we left them alone and watched the babies hatch and grow. I've never heard of the plastic eggs idea! That sounds like a winner!

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  13. Had I known you wanted to sew so badly, I would have shared my 42-year old machine with you. It would have loved being used again. We could have met somewhere halfway for a "sewing fest."

    The swallows have returned here, but they nest in some gourds my husband has hung for them. Actually, he was hoping Purple Martins would come through to nest, but that has never happened. The swallows swoop down, we assume to eat insects, as he is mowing, as well as in the garden in the evening.

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  14. I stopped trying to sew when the kids were young. And I'm sorry in a way that I did. BUT I would not make a good sewer..wasn't then, won't be now.

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  15. I am happy to hear you bought a sewing machine. I am sure you will have fun with it.
    I love the swallows song and antics catching bugs. They like to follow my tractor catching bugs when I'm mowing like my body guards lol. I hope your glasses fit now. Nothing worse when they don't. I have had an enjoyable day so far and expect a nice evening too. Hugs Beth.

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  16. Hi Beth

    The bird looks pretty, but I am with you on the mess.

    Happy sewing.

    Hugs Nita.

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  17. Woohoo! Good for you on getting yourself that sewing machine! :)

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  18. Have fun with your sewing machine, they do come in handy. That is a pretty bird but I would be screaming and running if it swooped near me. I have an irrational fear of birds.

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  19. This is such a good looking bird!

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  20. Nice post. Life can give us interesting quandries. Enjoy your week too, Beth. What kind of sewing machine did you get?
    BGB

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  21. Your sewing machine was a good idea to having with you.
    you are not with nuisance hemming with new birds.
    stay safe and be happy...

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  22. That's wonderful that you purchased a sewing machine! I got one just a few years ago and love it. I had never used one beside Home-Ec class in middle school, but taught myself pretty quickly to make some cool things. As for birds they certainly are pretty and fun to watch, but the poop is no fun lol.

    Paula
    lifeasweknowitbypaula.blogspot.com

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  23. Swallows can be deadly with all their swooping! Even if maintenance takes down the nest, they'll probably build it back up. Hard to get them to change their ways. We have small chickadees building nests under the eaves on our front porch---and then they chatter and complain when the cats sit out there! But they're so cute. Enjoy your sewing machine---I've never had one---I usually just mend by hand when necessary. Never got into actual sewing but did embroidery when I was younger. Now computers can make more intricate designs in minutes! Doesn't seem fair...

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  24. I'm so glad you got a machine I'm sure it will make life easier :)

    I'm sorry to hear about the birdies in there.

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  25. A sewing machine is a handy thing to have, even if just for the basics. Darn birds always seem to come back no matter how often you clean out their nests.

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  26. Hi Beth must have missed this one , so glad you bought yourself a new Singer. Hemming can be a bit of a pain and time consuming .I think you mentioned these Swallows last year they do tend to go back and nest at the same place each year. The barn here in the garden isn't used , and every year they come back and nest in there. So I just leave them to it.
    Hope you have a good weekend and enjoy your new machine.
    Hugs Sheila and wILE-E XX

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