Getting A Start On The Bird Blind - (Hillman, MI)

It poured all night long and into the morning.

Eventually, the rain stopped and Paul & Mary were able to get packed up and ready to go.  They dropped by for the traditional hugs and handshakes before they left.  :)

While it was still overcast, I worked on doing a sample website for the resort and Linda went to do laundry.

While she was gone, Ray, one of the employees here at Thunder Bay, stopped by.  He is constructing the bird blind.  He said he finished the floor and wanted to know where to put it.

I showed him the spot.  By the time he returned with the floor/deck, Linda had arrived to verify the location was correct.  :)

Ray got a backhoe with forks on the front loader so he could lift the deck into place.  As he gets each wall constructed, he'll bring those and we'll put them up.

The clouds started to break up and we went to the shop to get some tools.  With the floor of the blind in place and the wet ground, it was a good time to plant some 4 x 4 posts that will hold the bird feeders.

Linda decided on the spots for the 4 x 4s, and I started digging with the post-hole digger.

It always amuses Linda to see me using tools, so there are usually a few pictures.  :)

The first hole wasn't too bad, but I ran into some thick clay on the second one.  I wasn't putting much pressure on it, but, apparently, the post-hole digger had been around awhile.  One of the handles broke off at the base and we could see where the wood was rotted.  Sheesh.

I had to finish the last two holes with a spade.

Another tool, another photo.  :)

With the holes dug, we set the posts.  Linda held a level on them while I poured in some Quikrete and then added water.  In the next day or two, we'll add some brackets to hang feeders.

We don't really know what we are doing, so we're wingin' it.  Hopefully, it will all turn out as envisioned.  :)

Now, in addition to the bird feeders, we are going to add a couple water features to our bird blind viewing area.  We'll put in a traditional birdbath, but we also ordered a solar fountain.  Birds love running water, so we think we can attract some species besides the seed eaters.

The solar fountain arrived today.  It's a ceramic dove fountain we ordered from SerenityHealth.com.

I read the instructions while Linda did the minimal assembly required - the only tool necessary was a tiny phillips screwdriver.  :)

There is a little pump that recirculates the water.  The pump has a cable that attaches to a small solar panel.  There is no battery to store energy, so the pump only runs when the sun is out.

We took it outside and put it on a table in full sun.

We could hear the pump come on, but it took awhile for the water to start coming out of the dove's mouth.  :)

I have to admit, it's pretty cool and it works better than I thought.

We'll build a little rock platform for it and it will be a neat addition to the bird blind.

In the meantime, Linda fell in love with it.  We put it in our little yard so she could watch and listen to it.

She had to go fetch some of the other ladies to see it.  They weren't quite as enthusiastic as Linda - I have a feeling we're gonna have to order another one.  :)

The solar panel comes with both a yard stake mount and a wall mount.  We'll have to see which one works best for where we want to put it.  We might have to get an extension cable.

So, our bird blind is coming along.  Hopefully, Ray's schedule will allow him to complete construction, and it will be ready for the 4th of July weekend.

Speaking of that, we've had a couple of cancellations, so there might be a spot or two in the RV park if anyone wants to join the social gathering.  :)

Around 5:00, Ted came by wanting to play some golf.  I struggled with the decision, but at 5:01 I gave in.  :)

We got Dave and Butch to join us and headed out.  The weather was beautiful by then, and we had the course to ourselves.  Still, we struggled to get in our round by dark and we started to rush - never good for the golf game.  Also, the mosquitoes were out in droves near the end.

We'll have to re-think those evening rounds as the summer progresses.  :)

That's it for another day.  We'll see what we can get into tomorrow.  :)

---

 

 

Comments

[klueck]

The solar bird bath looks pretty cool...we might have to have one as well.

Are you putting up any baffles to keep the squirrels out of the bird feeders?

[Howard]

Karen,

We ordered large baffles specifically for 4 X 4 posts. They came in today. When it stops raining, we'll put them on and get photos and provide links to where we got them. :)

[John & Linda Huber]

Concerning the mosquitoes. We voluntteered in Olympic National Park in the rain forest, so I was worried about bites. I started taking vitamin B-1 daily and they weren't attracted me. You might want to give that a try. A bottle of 100 is about $5.

[ED]

"We might have to get an extension cable."

Howard, I'm sure that you know enough about solar to realize that an extension will result in some voltage drop. That is a rather small panel - you might not be able to run the pump with an extension.