More gardening thoughts

We had another horrible snowstorm this weekend, stranded many motorists, closing the interstate for 24 hours and causing multiple accidents, some of them horrific. However, our garden club met yesterday for their "International" luncheon with state officers attending and the camaraderie of those others loving to garden gives me hope that spring will come yet. The sun is shining today and the snow (at least 12 inches) is melting. That said, the robins, doves, blackbirds, finches and bluebirds have been visiting my backyard garden and the pond. Sooo-we have cleaned out the bird boxes and with help from the Mr. I have finally figured out how to make a house from an old Wyoming boot.

This first image shows the elements: an old boot from the Mr., an old license plate and two cedar boards cut about 2"x7" and two for the roof pieces. I cut the hole with a common utility knife. With a leather punch, surrounded the hole with about 10 holes for the lacing and to secure the lacing, pulled it up through the holes in the top of the boot and tied in a square knot.
With a drill, holes were placed in the front and back for the screws which secured the two narrow pieces of wood inside. The two roof pieces were screwed and glued together, then screwed into the upright cedar pieces. The license plate was bent and attached with two screws.
I have had some birds nest in the most unlikely decorative homes so to insure that you might have visitors, you may want to size the entrance hole according to those "wrenters" in your area.
I used an old piece of barbed wire for the hanger by simply threading it under the roof. I did not yet put drainage holes in the sole, but will do that. Mike.....this is for you. Erica got a camp trailer so this is yours finally. I can't wait to make mine and get out in the garden. The dahlia's haven't been ordered as I can't decide which ones to order...so many pretty choices to put in the soil.

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."--Margaret Atwood