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falling leaves, apples, rain–and an oriole nest

oriole nest
THINGS ARE DROPPING FROM THE SKY around here, which I guess is why they call it fall. Leaves, of course, and lots more rain, and also apples off the trees, and even the occasional UFO such as the one in the photo above. It fell from the heavens (or at least from a giant oak), after serving as residence this growing season to a brood of baby Baltimore orioles, whose mother wove the sock-like first home for them, and hung it high in a tree. Any treasures unearthed in your fall cleanup so far–maybe those sunglasses or a trowel you lost just surfaced in the compost heap?

Categoriesbird sh-t
  1. Our autumn hasn’t really got going yet. The wind is up so maybe this is the beginning of the end of summer and treasures will fall.

    I’ve always thought ‘oriole’ is a lovely word – which is more than can be said for its nest, however cleverly it has been made!

  2. Kathie says:

    Lost a bracelet that I’ve had for 20 + years in the garden this summer. I’m hoping it will turn up during the fall clean-up!

  3. hnybnch says:

    How did you know? I found my favorite pruning shears in the compost. Also keep finding golf balls from the previous owners’ practice drives – dozens have turned up in the past 5 years – they obviously didn’t DO fall clean-up.

  4. Tim Sellin says:

    It’s about time to start our Winterization Program for our irrigation clientele… it seems like each year I find a screw driver or other tool I left behind from the previous year. Looking forward to the Sweet Gums, Maples, Burning Bush and other Fall Knockout plants!

    1. Margaret says:

      Hi, Tim. Starting to color up here a bit, which is nice — and finally a sunny day. Frost this morning, our first. Here we go!

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, Jess, and YES! Pretty much a miracle in some form or other every day. I never get bored of the discoveries.

    1. Margaret says:

      You are kidding, Jean. That is hilarious! I guess somedoby failed to find them at this year’s egg hunt in your yard????? :)

  5. itchbay says:

    We continually find all kinds of little toys and plastic knick-knacs whenever we turn over soil or tear up concrete, left by the kids who attended the day care run out of this house many years ago.

    Most precious of all was the pink turtle that we found along the creek trail that runs behind our house, picked up by my partner on a run along the trail over a year before we bought this house. It’s as though we were supposed to have this house.

  6. sharon says:

    This old garden treats me to unearthed mysteries, even after 14 years….”Key to rose garden,” the tag read. “Rose Garden”??? What rose garden? Where? Intact clay bird feeders. Animal headstones. Lumps of slag glass, emerald green, burnt orange, and the latest color, royal purple. I am blessed.

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