Well, that didn't work.

When I checked on the bluebird nest I found something that looked like plastic stuffed in there so I asked Randy to help me remove it. Yeah, he immediately knew it wasn't plastic.

It's a snake.

So no more baby birds. I'm sad about that but I can't hate the snake cause he's just doing what he does. 

Snakey was not happy to be disturbed but I kept going out to look at him all day beause how often do you get the chance to annoy a snake?

In spite of my interest he stayed in the birdhouse that day and the next. Probably too stuffed with baby birds to get out. 

Stupid snake.

Baby Birds!

We have a bluebird hatchling! How funny looking! 

I don't have a good setup to watch them but when I see mama bird leave I sneak up and take a photo. A few days later it looked more like a bird than a peanut. 

And then there were two. Originally there were 5 eggs but it looks like only two hatched. It will be fun watching them grow!

April 14

The youtube channel is keeping me busy, along with redoing our yard . . . again. I can't seem to find the right combination here. But time spent in the yard is always enjoyable and even when it's hard work there are moments of compensation. Like the birdhouse we set up on our carport post. That seemed like only place to put it to keep it safe from snakes and feral cats. 

This is the fourth year that a pair of bluebirds have used it but they still dart out if I walk by. Today when mama bird left I stuck my phone camera up and got this:

How precious!

Florida problems

This is what happens when you pour frying grease into a bag and put it in the garbage overnight but the local bear decides he wants it.  This morning Randy found a greasy mess on our driveway and cleaned it up before I woke up. All that was left were some greasy bear paw prints. 

In The Kitchen With Randy

 Randy has a YouTube cooking channel!  He will be posting cooking videos at   https://www.youtube.com/@inthekitchenwithrandy/featured.  Randy like to prepare foods from scratch so this will be a lot of fun for him. 

His first video is how to prepare a Wagyu Beef Brisket Deckle appetizer. This is amazing!

Milkweed for the Monarch butterflies

At the Yard Stop outside Mt Dora I found some Milkweed plants. They really do look like weeds and they don't have beautiful flowers. The only reason I want them is because this is the only plant that Monarch butterflies lay eggs on, cause it's the only food Monarch caterpillars eat. 

As a bonus, it came with several caterpillars!

I also have some Red Milkweed Beetles, but they are supposed to be harmless.

Chrysalises at the end of Day 3

I checked on the chrysalises several more times but didn't see any change.  The day was getting colder and windier and I was getting worried about what would happen to them overnight. Eventually I went inside for an hour or so and when I came back out it was empty!! I missed it! 

OK, I can deal with that but I also could not find the butterfly. Maybe it already dried and took off? I called Randy out and he immediately saw it on the opposite side of the drainpipe, still drying its wings. The wind may have helped that but the dropping temperature did not. 

I texted Judy, a lady in the park who is raising Monarchs for release. She and her husband jumped in the golf cart and came right over. She asked if we wanted her to take them. She has an indoor setup where they can be safe through this weather so I said sure, I'd love her to save them! She gently took the butterfly while her husband cut off the section of the rope that the other chrysalis was attached to, then they took them both home. 

Soon Judy sent me pics of them relaxing at her place - so cute! She'll keep them overnight and maybe a day or two, until the weather is good enough to release them to fly south.