The New Wood Duck Nest Box with Flying Saucers

My bid at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy banquet secured the wood duck box. The morning after I drove it home, when I stepped out onto the porch with my coffee, a wood duck flew directly overhead complaining that it was time, they were waiting, so I put the first coat of polyurethane on it that morning. This transition from winter to spring has been long, slow, and protracted, but now everybody's in a hurry. So this morning, two days later, I walked down to the river with a ladder and the four-inch brass "fasteners" David and I used to build the bridge, and we offer now a very secure and spacious waterfront condominium for a family of our most dramatically beautiful duck species. I hope we have better luck with this than we've had with the owl nesting box, which continues unoccupied.

Two days ago I planted 45 trees on the near end of the front slope: 25 white pines, 10 red oaks, and 10 sugar maples. I'm hoping for rain today because I can't move that much water that far. The next step is to observe whether the deer are interested in the new trees and then apply for a nuisance deer permit from the DNR. Don't eat my trees.

Last night was the first night in nine months when Alison did not have to take her position at her desk to write a paper. This means that she has successfully completed her first full year in Michigan State's anthropology program. It's been a transformative year in the sense that she now sees many more options in her professional future. Ask her four years from now at the graduation party.

The semester's over, grades are due, and research travel looms. This summer is going to be very interesting, very productive, and no doubt full of surprises. Jenny will flit through here once again, this time on her way back to the impossibly populated Shanghai, where she has a very enticing gig. September 16 marks the early doe season, and David and Libby will be married on October 14. But let's slow down and let the summer ease on in for full enjoyment.

I believe my trail camera is the first one ever to capture a fleet of flying saucers.