Operation Bluebird

Before moving to our slightly more rural lodgings here in Rockland County, we lived in Brooklyn, NYC. Some might think there isn't much in the way of wildlife to be had in the city - but they'd be wrong. A little wrong anyway! Growing up in Scotland where wildlife is abundant, I certainly had that opinion of city living, enforced after a spell living in London where all I saw were pigeons and on one occasion a fox. However in Brooklyn we regularly had a large possum in our back yard, so much so we named him Pete! We had the (dis)pleasure of meeting several racoons, and the joy of being able to feed Cardinals and Blue Jays most days. There were the usual finches and once even a bright yellow Goldfinch. One of the draws for me about moving out of the city was definitely being able to see more wildlife. We haven't been disappointed. So far we've been treated to many visits from deer, rabbits, skunk (not so welcome!), groundhogs, turkey vultures, hawks and coyotes. But it's the small birds I love. Apart I might say from owls which will always be welcome, especially of the Great Horned variety. In the bird department we have many different Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Carolina Wrens, Hermit Wrens, Tufted Titmouse, Hummingbirds, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Black Eyed Juncos, Oriole,  Robins... and a lot more that I'm forgetting! But there is one we do not have, even though they are all over the Hudson Valley - the Bluebird. So my mission this year is to finally get one here - you know how it goes - photo or it didn't happen!

I'm going to start by putting a nesting box out front on a very large, old maple, it faces the house and has an expansive piece of grassland out there, conditions I've heard they like. The pond is in sight if they fly around a bit, and I'll put out some meal worms.. apparently that's what they eat. Not sure what else to do but I'm crossing my fingers that will be enough!

the waiting game - part deux

Still no buyers. It's quite soul destroying to have people walk around your house and walk out never to be seen again. We've had over 35 viewings now, and no real offers. The last guy went awol. I feel like I'm stuck in a perpetual state of waiting, life on hold til that one day comes when someone actually shows us the goods and signs on the dotted line. I feel very much stuck, and the children are feeling it too. They constantly ask to go on the deck, that is the only garden they've known. All the promises of moving to a big house with a big garden seem like a dream at this stage. So they work with what they have, which isn't much. I also got a little freaked out by the super from the apartment building's husband saying he saw the children on the deck, and my how they've grown. My fear of course is if he can watch them, who else can? The park is full of unsupervised children running amok. I spend most of my time there telling them not to push my children at the top of the climbing frame, or not to walk up the slide when my children are coming down. A very stressful experience for all. My Grandmothers health back in Scotland, is deteriorating, and me not feeling settled is making that all the more difficult to deal with. My Mother and one of my brothers who were to visit, are saying that they'll wait til we move. So I don't even have that to look forward to, not knowing when we'll sell etc. We're having an open house again this weekend. I'm trying to clear out the basement more, touch up paint, clean, change things around, but at the end of the day I know it will just take time and patience, two things I lack. Le sigh!

developments...

So we held open house yesterday, and again today, however someone actually made an offer last night! Our agents have told the potential buyer to get pre-approval so it can be an official offer, but its certainly encouraging all the same. I let the agent for the house we want know and luckily it is still available :) I may yet find out what color the peonies in the garden are before next year!

Making a start

I made a start on the bathroom today. I know potential buyers won't be inspecting the walls with a magnifying glass - but I am, in fact I should have taken out shares in the Spackle company! I've decided to do one room at a time. Doing bits around the house in various rooms, just wasn't cutting it. I hated that feeling of having done a load of work, but not being able to actually see a difference. I made a start out front over the weekend, weeded, bagged up all the trash people throw in my garden. I planted some annuals for that all important "curb appeal", tomorrow I'll put down mulch to fill in the gaps. I feel if people start noticing it as being a lovely front they'll be more interested in the house when the for sale sign goes out. Onward and upward.

Scottish Belle

A little about me. I grew up in the beautiful South West of Scotland with my wonderful artistic mother, 3 fantastic brothers and a menagerie of horses, pigs, goats, hens, ducks, geese, dogs and cats. J M Barrie himself, played on the very river of the town where I was born. It was the summers he spent there with friends playing pirates and such, that he drew inspiration from when he wrote Peter Pan. To find out more about this see Moat Brae, Dumfries, which is a lovely Georgian mansion, sadly repeatedly under threat of being knocked down by council bigwigs. If it were mine I would build a statue of Peter Pan and have a wonderful garden to commemorate its importance.. but as I'm sadly lacking the funds to buy overseas property - I consider it a dream, that may one day be realized. Presently, I reside with my adoring husband in his hometown - Brooklyn, New York. After 7 years and the arrival of 4 children, we have decided to relocate out of the City that never sleeps, and hope to find a more rural house so that the children can finally have some space and we can start a new chapter of our family adventure. I've started writing to take you all on the journey with us... getting this house ready to sell, finding our new home and what we get up to along the way. As anyone who has a brood as large as ours may tell you - you just never know what exciting thing could happen next!