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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there was a bicycle. It was a happy bicycle, it lived in a beautiful neighborhood on the north shore of Long Island. One day the bicycle owners decided they no longer wanted this bicycle and put it out at the curb for the garbage men to collect.

Luckily a woman spotted the bicycle before the garbage truck arrived. She remembered her friend wanted an old bicycle for the garden and this bicycle looked like it might be perfect. She was a good friend, she loaded the bicycle in her car and brought it to her friends house.

The bicycle was placed in a lovely section of the garden. It's new owner place a nice straw basket on the handlebars and a birdhouse on the back carrier.

Within days a little wren came and made a nest in the birdhouse. Soon the bicycle was home to a clutch of baby birds. It was happy.


This is what a baby wren looks like (the one on the right :-)) the first day it left the birdhouse. This particular birdhouse has been an excellent shelter, raising many, many wren babies.


Many years later the bicycle was still in the garden, still holding up the birdhouse. The straw basket had rotted away and unfortunately there was only a metal basket to place on the handlebars.


Along came another friend. One of the best parts of gardening are the amazing friends one makes with other gardeners. This friend had found a straw bicycle basket waiting at the curb for the garbage truck. She knew it would be perfect for the bicycle. She was a good friend, she picked up the basket and brought it over to the bicycle's home.

The bicycle's owner went out to put the new basket on the bicycle. She brought along a shovel because there was a large poke weed right in front of the bicycle that was driving her crazy. As she got near the bicycle she heard that sound, cheep cheep cheep, the birdhouse was filled with wren babies. She decided that the poke weed and the basket could wait for a week or two until the babies could fly.


Two days later the owner went out to check on the baby wrens. Horror of horrors, the bird house was not there!!! Carefully creeping around the garden bed the owner saw the birdhouse was laying upside down on the ground. Worst of all, three huge squirrels were trying to get in the birdhouse while a tiny wren was frantically dive bombing all three squirrels.

The bicycle was sad. The owner was mad! She started to flap her arms and loud sounds came from her as she chased those nasty squirrels across the neighbors yard. (Upon reflection, she hopes that nobody actually witnessed her loss of composure.)

She carefully lifted the birdhouse from the ground. As she slowly turned it upright, the baby wrens started cheeping up a storm! Hooray!!! They were alive and well!

Only minutes had passed when the owner saw the wren arrive with a juicy green inch worm. Breakfast time for the baby birds.

The wrens were happy. The bicycle was happy. The owner was happy. The pokeweed was happy too.

The end.


18 comments:

Sylvia (England) said...

What a lovely story, Melanie. I have admired your bike before. I also want to say that I enjoy your other blog Melanie's Perennials and often visit as you write some great posts there. Thank you.

Best wishes Sylvia (England)

Erin said...

I have learned a lot from your blog, but don't often (ever?) comment. I couldn't resist today though. I love the story about the bicycle and it's new life. Reminds me of "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.

Barb said...

Meline I enjoy reading both of your blogs. I wish I lived close to you so I could visit your great yard.

Barb

Laura said...

A wonderful story with a happy ending! I really needed this; one of our cats (who has no claws and has never been aggressive) killed one of the Barn Swallows this morning. I was concerned because there is a nest of babies and I thought the dead bird was the mother. Luckily it wasn't.

Debra Howard said...

What a good friend to pick that bicycle up. It is just perfect.
Debbie

Gail said...

The best kind of story Melanie...one with a happy ending! Squirrels are so brazen! gail

Kim said...

Ok you made me comment again.

This was just too funny on this miserable day!!!
Thanks for a little sunshine.

Kim

Holly said...

what a marvelous story. Can I have permission to copy and link to it?

Melanie Chopay said...

Wow, you are all so wonderful! This story has been inside my head for two days. This lousy rain we're getting once again gave me the opportunity to finally sit down and write it out.

Holly, yes, my whole reason for blogging is to share with other people. I'd be happy to have you copy and link here.

I am lucky to have so many wonderful friends (including all of you).

Joanne said...

What a lovely story and how true gardeners make such nice friends.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

What a great story! I'm so glad the owner of the bike saved the wrens.
What great friends she has ;-)

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

I love a story with a heroine and a happy ending. Thank you.

lynn'sgarden said...

Melanie, who wouldn't be losing their composure!! And Mother Wren is forever grateful! Your garden is blooming it's heart out, I can't wait to see your posts on the daylilies! Btw, driving along 78W anytime soon?
Lynn

Hà Xuân said...

Lovely story, Melanie. I'm also looking for a bicycle to add to my yard. You have inspired me a lot.

Rebecca said...

What an interesting saga! I've never seen a birdhouse on a "garden bike" before. I like it! Actually, your bicycle looks a lot like the one I ride around town. Mine is probably is even worse shape! (I may have discovered it trashed, too. I can't remember.) I think I'm going to start looking for a better one to ride and move my "clunker" to a garden spot!

Anonymous said...

Hi Melanie
Loved your story and loved to have had my little part in it!
Bonnie

Connie said...

Cute post. I love the look of the bicycle in the garden, and baby birds are the icing on the cake.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

I am so glad the Wren Mother was able to finish raising her babies! What a great story! Thanks for sharing it!!!(-: