http://www.blogger.com/html?blogID=4316350785635987648 Cave Dwellings: Raizing the Martin House…McGyver Style..
Cave Dwellings

Buckhorn Creek, Lake O' The Pines, Jefferson, TX

Monday, October 22, 2012

Raizing the Martin House…McGyver Style..

  Gloomy and gray day today..but the temps are in the 70’s, so I will NOT diss this day! McGyver has finally been released from his duty/fun of farming…I can’t say I will miss finding kernels of corn and bean chaff in our bed.  I was feeling a little like “the Princess and the Pea” at times.
The leaves have been just gorgeous here.  There is something wonderful in the smell of Fall…I cannot exactly explain this odor, but it makes me all fuzzy and snuggly and smiley….No, it isn’t the leaves burning…it’s just the “smell of Fall”. 
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I wandered out into the back yard and managed to retrieve a few “hangers on” tomatoes from our dying vines…
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As you already know, it doesn’t take much to make me happy…a few more fresh tomatoes from our garden did the trick Rolling on the floor laughing!



While I was doing the “happy dance” over our tomatoes, McGyver was contemplating taking down our Martin house for the Winter…We never have had any Martins in it, but have had Squirrels, Starlings, Sparrows and various junk birds make themselves at home in the Condo Cave…You gotta know that this Martin house was a huge condo, and very heavy…Naturally, as is the case with most men, Dennis will not ask for help unless he is going “under” for the last time (you ladies will understand what I mean).  When Dennis put this sucker up, he had our very young, very strong neighbor, John, helping him…McGyver dug the post hole in early Spring of 2011, and the bird house went up a month later.


Now, I am only so big…and only so strong…I use to be able to hold my own while helping McGyver attack his never ending  tasks…This included me holding dry wall up with my head while on a ladder, so he could nail it…helping take down our entire chimney, roof to basement, brick by brick, and toss it into the dumpster in our drive, and handing large buckets of wet concrete in to McGyver through our basement window,  so he could fill in our new sump pit….Oh, I could go on and on, because McGyver has done 99% of the work on our home with just himself…and “moi”..a MUCH younger “moi”..and we have lived here 38 years. That’s a ton of work, just sayin’… So, as I watched Dennis circle the Martin house, I knew darn well I couldn’t be much help anymore…and I could also tell that Dennis had his own plan….As it turns out, it included his treasured and trusty “Ol Blue” truck…
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The extent of my involvement in this project was being a “Nervous Nellie”, making woeful comments of doom, like “Look out!  Sheesh, you’re gonna  drop that Martin house on the truck’s roof!!!!”…I am always the sooth sayer to Den’s “lone wolf” projects,and I make sure to have 911 on speed dialFingers crossed…Surprisingly, his plan to walk the Martin house down from the back of the truck bed and lay it on the truck roof WORKED!!!Surprised smile!
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Great job, Dennis!!…………………………………..My work here is doneNyah-Nyah
This coming weekend we are taking the Heiser grandkids to a woods South of here to visit my brother….My brother, Michael, is a man of many talents…He is a gifted artist, has etched pictures on grave stones, carved decoys from a block of wood, done oil and water color paintings, fabulous sketching…and now has built a teepee by hand…(This is his 2nd teepee). This is a traditional Native American real size teepee, with wood burning fire in the center, made out of long poles he carved himself…The woods we are going to belong to a family friend, and this friend lets Michael and our son, Kelly, hunt and “play” down there…So, this weekend we are going to visit the teepee Michael built…Believe me when I say I will post many pictures of this…
So that’s about as exciting as our life is right now…However, I am going on a “journey” of my own sometime next month…No, not a journey of miles…More like a transitional journey…and now I sound a lot like Al…giving you a teaser…I will keep you informed when I choose to begin it…In the meantime, I appreciate those who are still hanging in there, reading my drivel….This road I take you all down can get pretty bumpy at times..Make sure you strap yourself in and hang on!!
Self-esteem is different than conceit. Conceit is the weirdest disease in the world. It makes everyone sick except the one who has it.”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ~Hartman Rector, Jr.

16 comments:

  1. great pics on the wren house removal...brrrr looks like its getting cold there too...freezing here...have to admit I love the header pic the best..no hats no hoodie...:) looking forward to watching your journey!!!

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  2. Uhhh... Donna... that looks like a martin house to me. If you put hang an old boot from your back porch I bet you'll get wrens next summer..... Glad the corn harvesting is over... that sure sounded like a lot of work!

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  3. As always I love reading your blog it makes me smile..

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  4. I recognized myself in the "nervous Nellie", woeful comments of doom. Glad everything turned out all right.

    TravelBug-Susan.blogspot.com

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  5. Darn!! I sure wish I could replay to the comments...At any rate...Odd Essay was right on...That is a Martin House..I shall correct it if possible...

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    1. Hey Donna, why can't you reply to the comments? The reply button is there and seems to be working.

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  6. Have you tried putting up the martin house at the beginning of March yet? It would also help if you built a lake in your yard. :)

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  7. That is quite the birdhouse! I remember when you put that sucker up for 'rich birds' but it sounds like riff-raff birds moved into the neighbourhood and took over the condo.

    Glad to see Dennis didn't wreck his truck roof - you must have been a great supervisor.

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  8. Your old truck kind of looks like our old truck....not a thing of beauty, but handy at times. '88 GMC.

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  9. I KNOW that Fall smell too!! And am always happy when i run across it!!!

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  10. Donna, I need to take a photo of TM's Purple Martin house; it never made it back up the pole last spring, and it is on a rope pulley! We still had sparrows nest in it - wacky birds... and even wackier hubby!

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  11. Know what you mean by that great Autumn smell. Love it & I think it has to do with the leaves. It is amazing how an individual can be so innovative when he/she puts his or her mind to it. I understand Dennis's thinking & desire to get things done by himself....as best he can. It is always a personal challenge.

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  12. Rick...Maybe you can reply..but I cannot...GRRRRR! EMail me with anymore ideas...I am a slooooowwww learner..

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  13. OH, you of little faith, of course he was going to get it right the first time with no damage or injuries:) Doesn't he always!

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  14. nice job putting the 'martin' house away for the winter!!..hope you have a lovely weekend!!

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  15. butterbean carpenterOctober 23, 2012 at 4:39 PM

    Howdy D&D,

    GREAT BLOG TODAY AND YIPEE YAY YAY!!! NO MORE COMBINING!!!!

    As for attracting PURPLE MARTINS, to your place:http://purplemartin.org/main/mgt.html...... TRY THIS!!!!

    butterbean

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