03/22/24 Randy and the Ebenezer

Outside our church is a stacked stone monument, with a plaque identifying it as an Ebenezer. 

I didn't know what an Ebenezer was but there is another plaque on the other side that explains it:

Randy and I tidied it up and the staff and members of the Block Party have undertaken to upgrade it and keep it clean. Randy started the Block Party a few years ago as a mission for our church; it hosts a lunch for neighborhood children every other week. The people who run it have been doing great since Randy turned it over to them, which works very well now that he's ill. 

They decide to start placing prayer stones around the Ebenezer and the very first stone they placed is for Randy!

Bluebirds!

The bluebirds were outgrowing the nest, getting big and colorful, and still unimpressed with me.

By 3/20 they were often looking out of the nest and probably doing short flights when I wasn't around. 

A couple of days later they all left home! The nesting period is 16-21 days so everything happened right on schedule. Since they all hatched at the same time, they were all ready to leave at the same time. Now there are five more bluebirds in the area!

So far the anti-snake barrior is working

The ugly baby birds are growing bigger and much cuter! I'm so pleased that all 5 are still here, even if it does make the nest crowded. It won't be long before they leave.

Let's try this again

I hoped the bluebirds would use the nesting box again but I wasn't sure, after last year's debacle. But they did, and laid five beautiful eggs!

It always surprises me how between the beautiful eggs and the beautiful bluebirds there is a phase that looks like this: 

This year I'm going to try to protect them. I ordered a spiky strip of metal and Randy attached it to the post. The points are terribly sharp so I hope it discourages snakes. I stuffed a bit of steel wool in to keep even small snakes from slipping under it. Hope it works!