My Life With Garlic

Spring is here & fellow bloggers have been showing off their fab gardens. Some of them are truly out of this world with water fountains, roses & ceramic fairies. Living in the city I do not have the luxury of a backyard to plant flowers or veggies. I have garden envy!! The best I can do is a window box with some fresh herbs. Last year basil & parsley grew very well & I loved opening the screen & pinching off some to add to a salad, pizza or homemade gravy. So, I headed back to the window with some seeds, soil & fertilizer & this is what I found.

This is not the first time I found some eggs in my window box. Two years ago I noticed that while the basil was flourishing, the thyme & parsley were not. I found sticks & dried leaves on top of them & I remember thinking - how did this get in here? I do live on a tree lined street, but I'm on the fifth floor, so I'm above everything. My question was soon answered when I saw 2 little eggs sitting upon a haphazard nest. I freaked out at first because I thought they were pigeon eggs. Living in NYC has not made me fond of pigeons, also known here as flying rats, to say the least. I soon found out that they were morning doves(part of the pigeon family but different). Tom & I began to watch with interest. The mom & dad(morning doves are monogamous) took turns sitting upon the eggs. We watched them communicate & they watched us open the window & pull basil leaves. After a while they didn't even flinch when we came near. Tom even touched them several times. Of course, the worrying Italian in me would yell for him to scrub his hands afterwards. "Birds are dirty!" I swear my grandmother's voice came right through me on that line. I watched the baby birds hatch & called Tom at work to give him a play by play. We watch the mother feed them until they were large enough to fly off on their own. It was like having Animal Planet right on our window sill! So now they're back, well, we're not sure if it's the same birds, but we are excited about their arrival. This time I'll take pics of everything & the herbs will just have to wait.

28 Comments:

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At 11:26 PM, Anonymous said...

Nature is a wonderful thing to watch. I like your design and blog you have done some cool things with it. Keep up the great blogging.

Hello, Michele sent me."

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At 11:38 PM, Candace said...

Hello, Michele sent me!
If you're interested, take a look at a blog entry of mine on February (12th?), where there are pics of our lovebirds and their babies in the aviary my husband built.
Great blog!

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At 11:41 PM, Julie said...

Wow! That would be neat to watch. I love the picture. :0) I am here from Michele's place! Glad I came!

http://simplymylife.blogspirit.com

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At 11:52 PM, annie said...

Sweet! We need a "nest cam". Keep taking pictures!
Oh and Michele sent me.

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At 12:06 AM, Raehan said...

That is incredibly cool. Wow. You have one lucky window. Enjoy.

Michele sent me.

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At 12:28 AM, Crazy Single Mom said...

Michele sent me! That is truly wonderful!!

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At 12:44 AM, purplefugue said...

what a wonderful introduction to your site... will be back to get the news on the eggs.

oh...and Michele sent me!

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At 4:25 AM, Zinnia Cyclamen said...

Hello, Michele sent me. It's a delightful experience to have nature come so close!

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At 4:25 AM, Zinnia Cyclamen said...

Hello, Michele sent me. It's a delightful experience to have nature come so close!

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At 4:25 AM, Zinnia Cyclamen said...

Hello, Michele sent me. It's a delightful experience to have nature come so close!

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At 4:25 AM, Zinnia Cyclamen said...

Hello, Michele sent me. It's a delightful experience to have nature come so close!

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At 5:29 AM, Anonymous said...

How sweet! They have swallows nesting on the front porch here at my brother's house...this is the second or third year they've had them. I'll have to remember to take a photo. (I don't know who Michele is, but she sure brought a lot of commenters.) :)

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At 8:04 AM, Mamacita (The REAL one) said...

Good morning, Michele sent me, and I'm very glad she did. Your blog is great, and as for the little eggs in your herb plot, all I can say is, WOW! Keep us posted, ok?

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At 8:22 AM, Anonymous said...

What a treat for you both! I try to keep anything and everything that might possibly attract birds because of this cat that followed my daughter home a few years ago... and refused to leave. I don't like to make them targets to become dinner. Enjoy them and perhaps they'll return.
Oh and I'm here from Michele's site

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At 8:29 AM, Tammy said...

How cool! I'll look forward to seeing the pictures. :)

Hello, Michele sent me...but I'll be back!

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At 8:34 AM, Anonymous said...

Birds always use to build nests on our back porch. My mother would always have a fit and want my dad to move them, but he never would. =)
Michele sent me.
Have a great day.

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At 9:00 AM, Ella said...

Lovely to have nature right there in your window.

Hello, Michele sent me.

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At 9:11 AM, angela marie said...

We had a robin who was DESPERATE to have her nest in our garage a couple of years ago. We finally let her. What a joy to watch those babies develop. Thanks for sharing.

I also am familar with the 'brain fart' and am glad I read more of your blog. Thanks!

Oh, and Hello, Michele sent me!

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At 9:12 AM, Kimberly said...

My kids would love that! I think Animal Planet is on 24/7 in this house. I'll be back to check out more pictures.

BTW- Michele sent me:-)

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At 12:55 PM, Cara said...

Wow! That is so cool! I can't wait to see the photos of the baby birds and such! Not only would my hubby and I think that was just too cool...my kids would just LOVE it!
BTW, Michele sent me! You have a great blog!

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At 10:55 PM, Omykiss said...

Hi Michele sent me. Nice blog. I love garlic so I'll be back to checkout your recipes.

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At 9:52 PM, Anonymous said...

Very nice site!
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