My mother went totally deaf in one ear from a medical condition, and the other ear is now profoundly hard of hearing from her advancing age. I don't know what to say to her when she complains, as she is not the complaining type. I just ask her if she had to lose either her sight or her hearing which one would she rather keep. Her answer, consistently is her sight. I also remember my grandmother, who for my entire life was blind. She got on very well through innovation and minimal assistance and lived independently until she was quite old. I remember even as a very young child, closing my eyes and trying to do anything, to try to understand what the world was like for Grandma. I couldn't comprehend it then, and I don't think I can now. My heart has wrenched each time you talk about the progression of the loss of your husband's sight. I don't have any platitudes to say either except that having people who love you unconditionally is a great blessing, because more shoulders make the weight lighter. He seems to be positive in his outlook, and I'm sure you beside him has helped.

Thanks Kenn. As bad as it is to find any dead baby bird, it just seems worse when it is a baby you've invested so much in. This bird was found around our BOSS feeders, so I did not think it was a bluebird, but just not sure what it was. Your photos always help. Phil

Tim, I was a little confused too on your paired boxes. I gather at one site of the two boxes you have a pair of blues that wouldnt let TRES nest that close. What about the other two paired boxes, what is in them? At a park near our home where I have nestboxes I had two sets of paired boxes at 15 feet apart. So I had two boxes 15 feet apart then over 300 feet and not within site another pair of boxes 15 feet apart. I've only had one box ever used as nothing would let another bird nest even that close. Here at my house I have paired boxes 25 feet apart and get Blues and TRES nesting fine with that distance in between them. So around here you need at least 25 feet to get both Blues and TRES, I do know other places have different results though. Late this Spring I moved my park boxes approx 40 feet apart as I am fine if we get two pairs of TRES in each set of boxes. Will see what happens next Spring with them. I too have a TRES box with 7 in it, however the all hatched the other day! Here is a pic from Sat.... If all my TRES hatch we will have 54 hatchlings out of 9 boxes!

I couldn't sleep last night worrying about the babies. I was so scared they would all be dead this morning. It looked as though the mom was feeding them yesterday but I really wasn't sure if they were getting much or not. This morning I got up early and got ready, took the dogs for our daily morning walk and then came back and took the guard off. I prayed so much yesterday and my heart was beating so hard as I opened the box and looked in. Thank God I saw four pairs of eyes looking back at me. So I have been watching for over an hour now, no peeking at all that I could see. Took Mom half an hour to go in and feed them but now she is feeding them and removing poop sacs but it still seems like they want them out for some reason. I have no clue why, she will get the food and sit for the longest time either in a tree near the box or on top of the sparrow spooker before going in and I can hear her chattering. Dad still hasn't done any feeding yet, for some reason he couldn't figure out the hole guard yesterday. So I am going to watch as much as I can today. If one goes out and cannot fly I may just try putting it in a tree and watching it, that way at least I know they will get fed. If I have to I can always put the guard back on for overnight. I am praying they all make it ok. Thanks everyone for your help. Donna