I learned not to keep any containers of water uncovered when I was gardening near my compost bins and heard a scrabbling sound. In one of the buckets of BIM was a little chipmunk swimming for his life and trying to climb out. Have no idea how long he was there but he sure ran away fast when I tipped the bucket and he could get out. I wondered how the BIM affected him. Haven't yet put meat or any dead animals in my compost. DH throws them (mice or marmots) in the woods for the predators. Not sure if this is wise but he refuses to put them in the compost.

It is the most amazing thing if you get box you can open and see the babies or handle them each day to see the startling amount of growth/changes every single day! Our boxes are right under the power line and the parents will sit on the line and watch us and sometimes chirp, but they are a- ok with their babies being handled as long as you don't let them get chilled and are gentle. I learned the hard way to stop trying to hold them after 12 days when i made one batch fledge early. Kept trying to put them back in, but it was too late and the parents really got mad about that. I don't think we've ever had a nest that went much beyond 16 days though, so it's interesting that they are supposed to stay in 21 days. I don't even open the box after day 12. Yes, predators love blues (any baby bird). When you figure out where you want to put a house, make sure cats, coons or snakes can't get to it. Grease the pole or use a baffle or mount the box in such a way that nothing can get in. BTW, the big boxes sell very reasonably priced cedar blue houses- like $12 last i looked. You may very well get some competition from titmice or chickadees- they all like the same size, so you could get multiples and hang them (titmice are the fiercest mamas- they won't budge and will hunker down and hiss at you!). Blues happily nest close to the others but won't nest close to their own kind. And they love to have a choice of boxes. Some years i've had 3 out of my 4 boxes full. The only ones you may want to evict if the get into the box would be the alien house finches. Knock on wood, i've never had it be a problem, but have head from others that it can be.

Mosquitoes can go down the gutters and down spout. They can lay eggs in a bottle cap of water. I use the dunks in my pond. Fish can not eat the eggs and mosquitoes fast enough. I use them in my rain barrels also. But in a pinch I have put vegetable oil on a rag and suspended it in the rain barrels. It smothers the eggs and mosquitoes. I also use the BackYard spray. We are in an area that has lots of mosquitoes. A lot of lakes and ponds and swimming pools. Horse troughs, goats etc. That have to have water for drinking.

The table near the chair will be used for a drink and as an accent for that space. mareda, small skirted tables are a great idea, but I don't think I would like that look in this room. Below is a photo of the whole room (as it was a couple of weeks ago - but chair is moved back to the left side of window rather than the right). The room is more contemporary with only this side chair as an accent. I feel skirted tables fit better in more traditional rooms, although the ability to add some different colored fabric and softness is beneficial in lots of circumstances and as patricia43 said - you can hide lots of stuff. les917, thank you so much for the link, you always have such good ones. I do like the shape of the mango table, but am now thinking something with a bit of color - rather than more brown in the room - I feel the wood would be lost on the slate floor. The mango table has a similar sheen to the one I was mentioning I saw at World Market the other day. It was a barrel shape but is made out of wood, was smooth, and opened up with a small lid on top but is flat so a drink could be placed. Last night I had a vision (I see I am becoming obsessed with decorating when I have visions at night - uh oh - the bug has bitten) about getting a inexpensive pottery vase and covering it with mosaic glass - I was thinking of the amber glass that came out of my front window - see photo below - I had told a stained glass artist she could have it - but another no show for a free item. Perhaps make the whole thing with amber glass but add in an occasional blue tile or contrasting piece of glass. Maybe cut the glass in long strips so it doesn't look so busy - I am thinking out loud here. Below is a drawing I drew quickly to explain what I am thinking of. Can you picture the long strips in the gold and the little black squares in an irridescent blue glass - what do you think? (I know a lot of work). I am going to a studio today to sign up for a glass jewel box class and I will ask them if this is feasible. I just have to find a form to adhere the glass to. Plywood would do and I could make a wooden top so stuff could be stored in it. I could build it an octagon shape so it wouldn't be square. I would change the top so I could put a top on it or a small platter as les suggested earlier. Now I just need about 40 hours in each day to do this. Does anyone understand what I am trying to explain? What do you think? Living Room Mosaic Form Mockup and Amber Glass