Building my own shelter on the banks of the Kennebec River.
Step One: Building the JayBee.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Explain This to Me
I was reading in bed early this morning when I realized I was hearing a weird sound. It was a dull thumping sound that came in groups of two or three at a time--with about 30-60 seconds between sets. I put the book down and focused on the sound. It was drizzling outside at the time, but this odd sound didn't seem related to that. Was it some kind of critter in the wall or ceiling? No, that didn't seem to explain it.
Then, it occurred to me. I knew what was making this sound! I bolted out of bed, slid my feet into boots, and went outside (still in my jammies) in the heavy drizzle. Sure enough--a male cardinal was repeatedly hurling himself against one of the windows of my storage room. I had caught this behavior in photos ten days earlier.
Here is the cardinal sitting in the bamboo...
Here he is fluttering his wings up and down against the shop window.
And again.
When I googled this behavior, I learned that, if a male cardinal sees his reflection in a window, he might think he sees a rival and feel compelled to drive him away. Supposedly this behavior occurs during mating season in the spring. So why is this cardinal relentlessly pursuing this "rival" for weeks at this time of year?
Then, it occurred to me. I knew what was making this sound! I bolted out of bed, slid my feet into boots, and went outside (still in my jammies) in the heavy drizzle. Sure enough--a male cardinal was repeatedly hurling himself against one of the windows of my storage room. I had caught this behavior in photos ten days earlier.
Here is the cardinal sitting in the bamboo...
Here he is fluttering his wings up and down against the shop window.
And again.
When I googled this behavior, I learned that, if a male cardinal sees his reflection in a window, he might think he sees a rival and feel compelled to drive him away. Supposedly this behavior occurs during mating season in the spring. So why is this cardinal relentlessly pursuing this "rival" for weeks at this time of year?
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Hard Realities
Sorry, folks, for my lack of posts these last several weeks. Sadly, there is little to report.
Tomorrow morning, I should wake up to snow on the ground, and snow falling most of the day. <sigh> Seems a bit early in the season for such shenanigans.
By late summer, I had to face the fact that I was not going to finish building the interior of the JayBee nor have time before the advent of winter to tear down the old house and move the JayBee to its new location. This has meant that time I would have spent working on the JayBee had to be used on various winterizing tasks to ensure the old house survives another winter.
Before I shifted gears, I worked on the boards for the ceiling of the bumpout in the bathroom. After layers of stain and finish...
...the boards were ready for installation.
Installed!
As the fall weather quickly turned from pleasantly cool to crazy cold, I was reminded why it becomes daunting to work on the JayBee during the winter. The painting/staining/finishing stations that worked so well for me all summer long inside the JayBee don't function well in the bitter cold. I've had a few layers bubble up and peel because I didn't wait long enough for the electric heater to warm up the wood and the space before applying them. I've had to move all of the paints and finishes into the main house to keep them at the right temperature, which keeps me running back and forth trying to lay my hands on everything I need to do a project. The extension cords are no longer running across the driveway between houses; they are stored away (so the plow guy doesn't get tangled up in them) and have to be re-run any time I want to work out in the JayBee. Tomorrow, I will have to move the stairs away from the front of the JayBee--so the plow guy can maneuver in the small drive space in front of the JayBee. Everything just becomes more laborious and complicated the colder the weather gets.
Weeks ago, a racket down on the road lured me down my driveway to inspect what was going on. Railroad hobbyists were launching one of their rail cabs down the tracks. Stinky! Definitely no emissions-treatment devices on those things.
Tomorrow morning, I should wake up to snow on the ground, and snow falling most of the day. <sigh> Seems a bit early in the season for such shenanigans.
By late summer, I had to face the fact that I was not going to finish building the interior of the JayBee nor have time before the advent of winter to tear down the old house and move the JayBee to its new location. This has meant that time I would have spent working on the JayBee had to be used on various winterizing tasks to ensure the old house survives another winter.
Before I shifted gears, I worked on the boards for the ceiling of the bumpout in the bathroom. After layers of stain and finish...
...the boards were ready for installation.
Installed!
As the fall weather quickly turned from pleasantly cool to crazy cold, I was reminded why it becomes daunting to work on the JayBee during the winter. The painting/staining/finishing stations that worked so well for me all summer long inside the JayBee don't function well in the bitter cold. I've had a few layers bubble up and peel because I didn't wait long enough for the electric heater to warm up the wood and the space before applying them. I've had to move all of the paints and finishes into the main house to keep them at the right temperature, which keeps me running back and forth trying to lay my hands on everything I need to do a project. The extension cords are no longer running across the driveway between houses; they are stored away (so the plow guy doesn't get tangled up in them) and have to be re-run any time I want to work out in the JayBee. Tomorrow, I will have to move the stairs away from the front of the JayBee--so the plow guy can maneuver in the small drive space in front of the JayBee. Everything just becomes more laborious and complicated the colder the weather gets.
Weeks ago, a racket down on the road lured me down my driveway to inspect what was going on. Railroad hobbyists were launching one of their rail cabs down the tracks. Stinky! Definitely no emissions-treatment devices on those things.
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