Two owl nesting boxes are up in the neigbhorhood

Don Price installing the Screech Owl box.

I knew that this day was going to be special when I saw a hummingbird on the Bottlebrush Tree bloom. (No bird photo.)

Don Price installed the owl nesting boxes today (Barred and Eastern Screech). Beth looked on along with neighbors Walter, Deb, Lois, John, and me.

The boxes are made of pine and will eventually turn grey and match the tree trunks.

We hope that the Barred Owl we hear most evenings, like this one recently photographed by John Ganis using his iPhone, will find a sweetie and decide that our newly installed box is the perfect home for their family.

It was windy while Don worked. Turkey and Black Vultures played in big soars. 

This one landed to look up and watch Don. It's as if it said, "Who is the new neighbor?"

Don secured the Barred Owl box on each side and in the middle. He carried it up his nifty collapsible ladder as if the box weighed less than its 23 pounds.

Now, maybe I will get to write about owls that find these boxes. 

Thanks to Don Price, orchids are flying high in the trees

Don Price and his partner Beth—bird photographer extraordinaire of Wildewood Springs—enjoy Wildewood Springs with the rest of us. When Terry and I had dinner with them recently, we learned that Don has experience mounting orchids in oak trees. So, dear neighbors, he is the person we thank for climbing the tall ladder to place the orchids you donated.

In between helping Don, Beth found a bluejay feather. In her generous way, she turned to me and said, "Would you like this?" Why yes! I think finding feathers is like receiving a mysterious message. Being given one from a favorite friend is special. Lucky me!