Holiday Sanity Challenge Revisited

Gourd birdhouses

Birdhouse wedding present

Over here at the Raven Jake homestead, we are trying to practice what we preach and when I said that I had no intention of going even more broke or insane because it defeats the purpose of the holidays, I meant it. Unfortunately, we're not quite ready for a fully Amish-style gift frenzy, but special family and friends will be receiving a gourd birdhouse. I grew the gourds about two years ago and had a blast watchin' those vines shoot up a palm tree in the backyard. They've been curin' for a spell in the garage and now it's time to carve 'em and send them out into the world.

The first one (right) went early as a wedding present and the rest of 'em will be goin' out over the next couple o' weeks. Hopefully some wrens or finches will find them to be suitable accomodations for raisin'  youngsters. I've got a pile of gourd seeds and I'm givin' those out too, hoping that some gourd-gardening fever might take hold. If you want some mixed bag gourd seeds, send me an e-mail and I'll try to hook you up for the cost of postage & handling ($3 for a generous serving). I've got a New Year's Resolution to raise a garden this year, and you can bet that gourds are going to be part of that.