May 21, 2026
On May 9, I came to my senses and decided to stop all the craziness. I really shouldn’t have walked over a 1/4 mile each day for two days right after surgery. On the second day, I was also kneeling which was awful. I learned you should NOT kneel or sit on the ground. It is very hard to get up and the pain is horrible. Just don’t do it!
I walked around the house. I walked out on the back patio and onto the front porch. All perfectly sane amounts to walk.
Jeanne from ajeanneinthekitchen.com, sent me a gorgeous flower arrangement on May 8. I took time to really enjoy it. I would make sure to walk past it and admire all the beautiful flowers.
I walked around the small back patio with the Merlin app turned on for sound.
This is the list of birds it picked up.
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Carolina Wren
- Tufted Titmouse
- Northern Mockingbird
- Indigo Bunting
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Northern Cardinal
- Common Yellowthroat
- House Finch
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Red-wing Blackbird
- Eastern Bluebird
- Field Sparrow
- Killdeer
- Chipping Sparrow
- American Robin
- Blackpool Warbler
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Blue Jay
- Chimney Swift
A few minutes later, I walked out to the front porch and sat in my rocker. I turned on Merlin again.
- Indigo Bunting
- Northern Cardinal
- Blue Jay
- Carolina Wren
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Downy Woodpecker*
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Blue Grosbeak*
- Song Sparrow*
- Black-throated Green Warbler*
- American Robin
The birds with a * next to them are birds that weren’t on the previous list.
Blackberry Homestead has so many birds!
I told Bruce it kept picking up the song of the Indigo Bunting.
Bruce decided to proceed with the cremation of Pine Tree One’s stump. The fire burned for the entire afternoon. During a walk to get more cut brush to place on the fire, an Indigo Bunting flew out of the fence hedge, right in front of Bruce. When Bruce came in for a bio break, he was very excited to tell me he had seen an Indigo Bunting. He said it was incredibly blue.
At sunset, Bruce sprayed water on the fire and put it out.
I did not go outside while the fire was burning. For me, breathing in smoke can and often does, trigger a migraine.
We had a beautiful sunset.
Blackberry Homestead 
Glad you are taking it easy! There certainly are many birds at Blackberry Homestead!
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It is wonderful to listen to all the birds!
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I would enjoy that, too!
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I would love to see all those birds. thanks for the shoutout. Love you lots. 🙂
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I bet you would be surprised at the number of birds around you. You can download the Merlin Bird ID app to your phone, select the sound button. It will pick up bird songs and tell you the bird that is singing. It also provides examples so you can learn to recognize the birds.
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I understand. Mike after surgery rests and is learning to rest and pace himself. I wonder how I will be after my surgery for the hip but it won’t be immediate. Shot (Cortisone) is still good. The picture of your front law and roundabout is nice.
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I’m glad you’re taking it a little easier. Rome wasn’t built in a day and homestead work shouldn’t be done with a Mach I pace either. Let yourself enjoy life around you-you’ll heal quicker. 💞
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I find the work so satisfying, it is hard to slow down. Bruce tells me that we own Blackberry Homestead, it doesn’t own us. I do try to take that to heart.
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Good advice from Bruce. Life lessons (and not so much medical advice) sound like his forte. 😉 Keep remembering that valuable wisdom regarding ownership.
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