I reached in the greenhouse for the hoe this morning and look what I found...
A little Wren's nest in a small watering can.
Little Wrens build their nests in the most unusual places. Many years ago I remember Aunt Berlie reaching for her clothespin bag that hung from a nail on the back porch. As she reached up, several tiny little mouths opened up from inside a nest in the clothespin bag. Baby Wrens! She let me peep inside the bag but then we left them alone. Aunt Berlie hung the wash on the line that day without using her clothespins.
I've just realized how much this spot looks like The Devil's Tramping ground. There really is such a place, you know. It's in the woods near Harper's Crossroads near Bennett, North Carolina. Supposedly the devil walks there at night, planning his evil and nothing will grow in the circle. It's said that people who spend the night there are never sane again. There are all sorts of tales about the devil's tramping ground. Lots of people go there...but not me. I know mama and daddy have been. Growing up, we always called it "the devil's stomping ground". Google it...it's scary!
Even Weetie eats a kernel or two of corn from here...no wonder she is getting pudgy.
Friends, yesterday's post has been worrying me. I should not be calling people idiots. Really, you can read my blog and see that I'm probably the biggest idiot. Thank you for not deleting me just yet. :)
I do appreciate you, my blogging friends, so very much.
Love,
Henny
Poppy always says, show me a rat snake that will eat only rats and I will leave him alone.
I think considering what that person did ( leave the poor dog in the hot hot car), you can be forgiven for calling him an idiot. Wrens do like strange spots to build their nests, I'm just a teeny bit superstitious and would not be going to "The Devil's Tramping Grounds"!!!! I hope you are having a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I don't plan on ever going there either! :)
DeleteLOL well you know you have to call a spade a spade and when someone leaves a dog shut in a hot car? Idiot seems appropriate to me. I think you were actually pretty nice in your choice of names :O), I can think of a few that are a lot worse that would be appropriate too ROFL ROFL... You should not give a second thought to that :O).
ReplyDeleteWhere I grew up in the Ozark Mountains there were many tales as well. It was always fun when anything lent any type of sustenance to them. It kept them alive! Some I think there was a grain of truth to, in time they grew into full folklore bigger than life :O). So many stories I heard growing up. Looking back now, I wish had written them all down!
I appreciate that! I wish so much that I had written down stories that I heard too. Especially mama's family. There were some strange tales told in that part of the country.
DeleteThat is certainly an unusual spot for a nest, but I think it's amazing how they improvise. You know, I'm a little like you. I wouldn't want to go anywhere near that tramping ground, but I am curious enough to Google it... :)
ReplyDeleteEven if the devil is not hanging around there, I would be afraid of the people there spending the night. :) Too eerie for me.
DeleteI have very little patience for people who leave children or animals unattended in HOT cars, I'm happy that you reported them to the police.
ReplyDeleteI love little wrens, they are the sweetest and noisiest of songbirds.
Looks like the perfect place for the hens to dust their feathers, my cats would revel in it's mess :)
~Jo
Thank you, Jo. I love the little Wrens too. I like the way they fuss at people who get too near their nests.
DeleteLove the wren nest!
ReplyDeleteYou were not wrong to call that person an idiot!
Stick that person in a hot car for an hour or so and see how long they would last!
Our critters have a couple spots in the yard they like to eat at too.
You know, if we would do that, it might stop some of this leaving animals and children in hot cars. Thank you.
DeleteI love your wren nests and the story about your Aunt Berlie. I could almost see a picture in my mind of her hanging out her laundry without pins :)
ReplyDeleteHey Connie, My Aunt Berlie was my favorite aunt. I stayed with her every chance I got. She lived alone in an old house with a few chickens, an outside toilet, and the well was just outside the back door. She washed her clothes in an old green wringer washing machine. The good old days.
DeleteLove the poster, I would change the name of snake and use it for several we have around here.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I need to frame it and hang it somewhere.
DeleteI doubt if any other part of the country has as many colorful tales as the South.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I refuse to Google the Devils Stomping Ground. I scare way too easily!
I think you are right about that. Wish I could remember all the old scary tales I heard growing up. Things that scared me to death!
Deleteway cool Wren nest! Some people are idiots...and calling them such is just being honest:)
ReplyDeleteThank you. I can't tell if the nest was used or not. There were probably babies raised in it though. I left it where I found if.
DeleteThere are no stepped on toes here by using the term idiot. I am glad you were able to do something. Pets sadly are in our hands, idiots or not, we must think of their welfare. You did good. If I do something like that, call me idiot, because I am.
ReplyDeleteYour Weetie is a cutie!
I have heard, but not researched, that a male wren builds the nest and the female chooses her mate by his house building abilities. I think that should be a prerequisite for husbands, too!
I'm not sure I would like The Devil's Stomping Ground but I will research it. That is fascinating.
Have a blessed evening.
Hey Gail, I did not know that about the Wrens. I totally agree though with your thought about husbands. :) That little Wren did a good job!
DeleteSome people are idiots. You are just saying what is true. ;-)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks good. I had a squirrel one year that insisted my clothespin bag was going to be its nest. It finally settled on the Magnolia tree.
Blessings to you!
I've never heard of a squirrel nesting somewhere like a clothespin bag. It does sort of look like a squirrel's nest though. I would love to have another baby squirrel to raise.
DeleteLove the gathering place for the animals. I can see why they like it! Nothing gets in the way of seeing the food. I have a hummingbird nest in a tree out front. It is in a rather obvious place which is unusual because they usually build in the flowering crabapple tree by the front door. year before last, I had a sparrow build her nest in the wreath I had hanging on the front door. For months, I would let anyone use that door!
ReplyDeleteGrace & Peace
I've never seen a hummingbird's nest even though we have hummingbirds around here. I would love to see one and the tiny babies. That is so sweet that a sparrow built in the wreath, and sweet of you not using that door.
DeleteInteresting about the Devil's place. Will be checking that out, but I wouldn't go there either! Love the gathering place you tribe has found.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I have no interest in that place either.
DeleteI would hope that no one would take offense of calling someone an idiot on these hot days leaving and animal in the car. I would not worry about it!!
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of your tramping ground!! I have never been to the Devil Tramping Ground in Bennett either. Frank has been there though. I love you!!
Hey Vicki, I had not thought about that place in years. I bet your dad went there, don't you? Love you!
DeleteI certainly agree to some points that you have discussed on this post. I appreciate that you have shared some reliable tips on this review.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteLooks like you got a visit from the same spam friend as me:(
DeleteLooks like you got a visit from the same spam friend as me:(
DeleteI've heard about "the devil's stomping place" but I never dared ask more of it. That's pretty scary...and going there? It's not just gonna happen.
ReplyDeleteYou've got fun companions around - dog eating corn kernel :) They're lovely!
Thank you. Yes, I had rather stay away too. Even the people visiting the place would scare me!
DeleteWhat a great gathering place for all the livestock, let us hope it is nothing like the devils stomping ground you refer to. Ha! Ha! Love the wrens nest and the touching story of your Aunt.
ReplyDeleteI hope it is nothing like the devil's place either. Thank you.
DeleteYou were kind only calling that person an idiot, thank you for taking action on behalf of the dog.
ReplyDeleteSo I googled the tramping ground. Kind of funny the stories that get carried on and embellished. Of course if you know the 'story', it would be scary to stay there, otherwise it would be just like any camping spot in the woods. Sounds like the locals are using it and surviving!
Doesn't take long to train the animals when it comes to food:)
You were kind only calling that person an idiot, thank you for taking action on behalf of the dog.
ReplyDeleteSo I googled the tramping ground. Kind of funny the stories that get carried on and embellished. Of course if you know the 'story', it would be scary to stay there, otherwise it would be just like any camping spot in the woods. Sounds like the locals are using it and surviving!
Doesn't take long to train the animals when it comes to food:)
That's right. I can remember my Dad talking about the tramping ground when I was young and it was really scary to me then. I would probably be more afraid of the people camping there.
DeleteI think it's okay to call someone an idiot when they do something to harm another being with their stupidity. It's okay, Henny! We are having w problem with wrens. They want to build nests inside the porch where we spend a lot of time and they enlarge the tiniest hole in the screen until they can get it and quick as a wink they've built a nest. Silly birds. There are much nicer places to raise their babies than inside the porch where two big dogs hang out.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cynthia. That is so funny about the little Wrens. I guess they see it as the perfect spot. I can't just see them wriggling through the little hole. Wrens are funny. They can sure make a fuss.
DeleteMama, you are not an idiot! And I totally understand why you would call that person who left the dog in a blistering-hot car an idiot. The dogs don't have any choice! They suffer when left shut up like that. Poor thing. I love you!!
ReplyDeleteLynn