More Birds

Last night, during our regular after dinner walk, my hubby and I checked on our mocking bird nest. I'm happy to report there are two baby mocking birds now residing in the nest. They're brand new babies and were sound asleep when we checked on them. I assume mother bird was somewhere nearby, watching to make sure no harm would come to her new ones.

During our walk, Bill and I marvelled about how much life there is now on our farm, compared to when we first moved here. We rented a farmhouse a few miles from our place while we were building our home. At the rental house, we were constantly entertained by the life on the farm: lightning bugs, birds, beavers. Once our house was completed and we moved, we were puzzled by the lack of life. Fast forward four years and we now see bats, lightning bugs, birds, deer, etc. Our conclusion is that for years our farm had been a traditional tobacco farm. Our neighbor farmed our land using pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These chemicals wreak havoc with the balance of nature. Our first potato, squash, and green bean crops were almost destroyed by bugs. Rather than douse the plants with pesticides, we patiently worked the rows of plants, hand picking and killing the bugs. (I know, I cannot believe this city girl did that!) The hard work paid off. Subsequent crops have had very little pest pressure because nature has resumed it's delicate balance between beneficial and harmful pests. The land has healed and we now reap the rewards of a living farm.