Kaseys Korner

Red Breasted Nuthatch

pair have taken up residence in my yard!!!  

I've never had them in my garden before last Fall then suddenly a pair showed up with a little flock of chickadees and stayed all winter.  A couple weeks ago, I put up a chickadee nesting box & they promptly took it over.

Horrible pictures (above & below) but included so you can see they're gathering nesting material. 

 

Edited:  May 2, 2018

It appears the Nuthatches have abandoned the nest box.  I will give it a little longer (before I check) in case I've missed them, but there has been no sign of them for at least ten days now.  I feel certain there is a nest built inside the box.  They put 'pitch' or sap around the entrance hole on the outside of the box (as is customary) but now, no sightings or activity, even in the mornings & evenings when I was seeing them before.  

 

Edited (again):  May 3rd, 2018

The day after posting the above update, I decided to get the ladder out & climb up to see if I could figure out what the heck was going on.  You'll recall in the last update I mentioned it been quite a while since I'd even seen a Nuthatch in my garden let alone around the nest box.  When I opened the box, the first thing I saw was a paper wasp & the beginning (maybe five cells) of its umbrella shaped nest, on one side of the box.  It sickened me.  There absolutely was a nest and it contained EIGHT eggs.   

Without having anything concrete to base my feelings on, I immediately felt strongly that the wasp was the factor that forced the pair to abandon the nest.  When I googled, I found this website:

http://www.sialis.org/paperwasp.htm

The first sentence (if you aren't inclined to click thru the link) says:

"Paper wasps are nasty buggers that seem to love to quickly build umbrella shaped nests in nestboxes, baffles, and feeders. Many birds will avoid or abandon a box that has paper wasps in it - even if they have eggs or young."

It also said destroying the paper wasp nest won't do any good because they are imprinted on the nest box.  I will be removing the nest box from the garden immediately.  There was useful information about how to prevent paper wasps from using nest boxes in your garden (applying wax, vaseline, etc., to the inside surfaces) and I will do that next Spring before putting them back up.

The loss of a viable nest saddens me greatly.  Eight baby Nuthatches would have been a welcome addition to the garden & the local bird population.   

first daffodils

Sleeper's Castle

'Sleeper's Castle' was an Amazon recommendation based on books I've downloaded or bought in the past. There are times I think the Internet is intrusive but when it comes to book recommendations, it's actually a pretty effective tool. I haven't been steered wrong on suggested selections very often, and this book is a case in point.

It was my first introduction to the writings of Barbara Erskine and it seems I've been missing out. This English authoress writes engagingly, in the genre of my choice with a sprinkle of magic & a dual timeline to boot. Seems like I would have given it more than 3 stars, right? I think 3 1/2 would have been perfect. I'm definitely going to read another novel by her (I found there are a plethora of choices & every one I looked at appeared interesting.) Although I very much enjoyed this book, parts could have been omitted & the story would have had the same effect & in my opinion, been better. Let's backtrack first tho before I start slashing apart the painstaking work of the author. 

'Sleeper's Castle' gets it name from the dreams it induces when someone stays/sleeps within it's medieval walls. The castle is situated in a remote, picturesque part of Wales known as "the Marches" ~ borderlands between Wales and England. Miranda, aka Andy, starts dreaming immediately upon taking up residence & gets totally sucked into another time in history (1400's) and into the story of a young woman (Catrin) who resides within the very same castle. Catrin lives during a violent period in Welsh history when Owain Glyndwr, the last native Welshman to hold the title 'Prince of Wales,' leads a final rebellion to try & free his country from English rule. It's a time of seers, poets, bards and magic. Fascinating & all the more so since learning I have Welsh ancestors. I liked reading every bit of the history in that part of the book.

Now, back to the parts that could have been omitted, both are in the modern timeline, wouldn't you know? One was the visit by Andy's father. I don't know why, but that whole interlude seemed a bit cheesy?? Everything she thought she remembered about him wasn't true & he offered nothing to the story. The other part was the ex-wife of her deceased lover. A mentally unbalanced person who perhaps was added to ratchet up the tension in the book (??) but I found her totally distracting & completely unnecessary. I felt the book & it's history would easily hold a readers interest without either addition ~ therefore the lower star rating. 

By the end of the book Andy was "dreaming" so much, she was hardly awake. I almost felt like nodding off with her ~ another reason to eliminate the extraneous parts, it would pare down the 500+ pages to the most essential (& interesting) elements.
The book ends on a happy note with a tidy little historical link to the castles' predecessor. 

'Sleeper's Castle' was a good read. It didn't blow me away but I'm entranced enough to search out another title by this author plus it piqued my interest in Owain Glyndwr and now I definitely want to read more about him!

 

 

A Feast for Crows

I've been active on Good Reads for several years now & finally figured (since all I have to do is push a button) to post my reviews here as well.  I'm an eclectic reader so you might see anything from Home & Garden, romance, fantasy, classics, etc.  I hope you enjoy!

** spoiler alert ** Okay George R.R. Martin, you sure pulled a fast one. I can't say it was amusing. 

The next time you decide to do that "splitting the book in half" thing, for the sake of your readers sanity, would you please make the "meanwhile back on the wall" page a foreword instead of an epilogue??? I read and read and read, and read some more, until 3/4ths of the way thru the book I finally caught on that Tyrion had vanished in a poof of smoke from one of Daenery's equally absent dragons. The angst that could have been avoided! After the way Tyrion exited, did you not think that would be foremost on our minds?? Thank the Seven Gods I have 'A Dance with Dragons' handy, else I might have resorted to a Lord Robert tantrum & made something "fly." Deep breaths... 

What I did enjoy ~ the epic unraveling of Cersei, the Queen Regent who finally out-maneuvered herself. It couldn't have been sweeter. All the plotting, conniving & scheming came ricocheting back just when it seemed like she'd pulled another coup. I still remember her (somewhat smugly) telling Lord Eddard, in the Godswood at King's Landing, "when you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die." It would seem her turn at the winner's table is up... About time, her reign has been tumultuous, fraught with casualties & deceptions. Next player please!

Anyone else think the Starks were born under a curse? Now Arya is blind???? Are you kidding me?? I didn't quite understand that ~ because she killed Dareon?? or because she wasn't able to give up her identity?? Can it please, please, please be temporary? Is that too much to ask? This family has been thru the wringer! 

Oh and Lady Catelyn!! Another person I was dying to find out about after we were thrown that curve ball at the end of 'A Storm of Swords.' Yet again tho, so many words (approx 900 of them) between wondering how she survived, (??) if she really did, and another appearance by her. When she does finally show up, what the heck is she??? A kind of "wight??" The description of her when she and Brienne met again sounded hideous. I'm not fully satisfied with this development (maybe I should reread that part?) & I don't see how that whole band of outlaws & Lady Stoneheart can think Brienne broke her vows? They can hang as many Freys as they can get their hands on, I doubt I'll ever get over the 'Red Wedding,' but leave Brienne off that list! She is most undeserving of a noose around her neck.

Jamie has definitely experienced a character shift. I like him so much better since he learned the meaning of honor from Brienne. Great portions of the book, including the parts about him, Arya, Brienne & Samwell, just seemed like a lot of groundwork. Voyaging, riding around the countryside. learning little tidbits here and there, etc., etc. Will Book 5 be more of the same only with the characters missing in 'A Feast for Crows?' These books are so complex, it's probably a necessary process to get to the ultimate finale?? 

Then there was the whole new set of characters from Dorne that we were introduced to & I'm still trying to figure out how important their roles are in the story? Arianne with Ser Arys & Myrcella ~ mystifying why we went thru that whole mishap and for what?? How does it fit in the big picture? I confess I was still fixated on Tyrion & other loose ends from the last book when the sand snakes, Prince Doran, etc., came onto the scene. The breadth of characters in GoT's is nothing short of impressive (mind boggling actually), but as someone who struggles to keep them all straight, I find myself questioning the need for more & how invested I should get in them? So many people I've attached myself to in these books have perished and aside from some of the originals who will remain favorites, I'm having a hard time opening my heart to new ones...

The last thing I have to say ~ is there anything, I mean ~ throw me a crumb ~ to like about the Iron Islands or any of the Ironmen (aside from Lord Rodrik, the Reader?) I don't know if Theon warped me against them after his vile, little escapade at Winterfell but Euron Crow's Eye downright scares me. and Victarion isn't exactly ingratiating. I do find Asha somewhat interesting but otherwise, it would be okay with me if every single one of them were feasting in the Drowned Gods watery halls.
I hope those dragons can spew fire in a major way by the time the Iron Fleet makes its way to Daenery otherwise I'm more than a little nervous for her.

Why oh why do I get myself all wrapped up in these mega sagas?? Especially ones that have no resolution in sight because the books aren't even completely written yet??? Does George Martin himself know how it's all going to end? oohhh, the exquisite agony... It's already killing me thinking about starting book five because I know when I'm finished, I'm going to be left hanging! What's a girl to do? No choice, no doubt ~ read on! and leave myself twisting at the mercy of the formidable Mr. Martin. What I do know is the next "normal" book I read is going to seem tame & simplistic in comparison to the ones in this series!

p.s. I think I overlooked Maester Aemmon as a character until the end of his life but now I regret that since it seems he had major unexplored depths.... Also I have a feeling Sam's time at the Citadel is going to be very enlightening, looking forward to getting back there with him.

25th birthday

Six layer, "shades of pink"  concoction by moi:

Crocus 'river'

From the inside looking out:

 

Mrs. Dalloway

 ** spoiler alert ** I have never in my life been so happy to finish a book. 

This little (194 page book) that I expected to be a "cream puff" ~ thinking it was about an English socialite preparing for a party, could not have kicked my butt more. I found it tedious and mentally exhausting to follow. Clearly I'm not one iota in simpatico with Virginia Woolf. Which makes me sad, I really wanted to love her.

Before I rail on & spew negativity about a literary icon, I did learn a thing or two reading it:
1. The entire novel takes place over the course of one day ~ a day that felt ten years long ~ which left me curious if there was an actual name for this type of book. Turns out there is ~ it's called "circadian." Good to know ~ all was not lost!

2. Googling Virginia Woolf, I found out she was a pioneer in the use of "stream of consciousness" as a narrative device. (info compliments of Wikipedia) I can't say I'm a fan. It was like reading verbose, flowery, mental diarrhea (with lots of references to spiders??). Sometimes the only way it made sense was to actually read it out loud. Perhaps an instance where the audible version would be more palatable??? Also, you can absolutely not be distracted in the tiniest degree while reading because, on the turn of a dime, characters & their thoughts are switched up. I found myself having to backtrack & reread because I'd missed the switch & got confused about who was doing the thinking. 

3. There are zero chapters in the entire book. Zero. No lie. Once you read the first sentence, expect to be all in because you won't find a "break point" any where. A difficult thing for someone who can't read the book in one sitting.

Incidentally, Mrs. Dalloway contains some of the longest (run on??) sentences I've ever read ~ and I should know since I have a tendency toward those myself. Mrs Woolf's are infinitely more eloquent than mine but just the same, at the end of certain sentences, I felt compelled to exhale exaggeratedly. 

The book is about so much more than preparing for a party and most all of it depressing. A WWI veteran who commits suicide (suffering from what we'd call PTSD today), unrequited love stories, a husband who can't even say "I love you" to his wife, a pious German woman seething with anger, etc., etc., ~ on and on it goes. Without knowing Virginia Woolf suffered from mental illness, you sense it in the darkness that seeps throughout her writing. I haven't looked into the subjects or tone of her other books but after 'Mrs. Dalloway,' she's suffered a serious setback when it comes to my want-to-read list. What a bummer. I had really high expectations. Maybe I'm lacking the capacity to appreciate her brilliance and/or her style? I hope that's the case because knowing she's beloved, I am left wondering what I missed??

Animal Farm

** spoiler alert ** 

Don't let this slender volume fool you. While easier to read than 1984 (only because it's shorter?) it packs every bit the wallop in its capacity of striking terror in the hearts of freedom lovers & independent thinkers everywhere. Using animals as metaphors for the facets of communism makes it worse to my tender animal-lovers heart. Supposing you read this as a child without any concept or knowledge of communism, you would still grasp how wrong it is for a few to prophet off the backs of many, whether it be animals or people, and especially if you are one of those many struggling without the quality of your life improving. 

I'm giving the book 5 stars, not because I loved it (it actually sickened me as it unfolded) but because it was sheer genius of George Orwell to lay out, in such a relatable way, how a regime of communism evolves and/or is built. Fear based, a slow erosion of beliefs with a scapegoat for everything (Snowball in this case.) I can't even say those "poor animals" because I'm thinking of people in their places. I did read that Orwell wrote this about the Russian revolution of 1917, where the Russian people revolted against the last Tsar. Like the animals in this story, I'm sure they thought their lives would be better once he was overthrown but it circled around to being more of the same, if not worse? In that instance, the Russian people were "faceless" because we couldn't put names to them, but this book is painful in that we "know" the animals by name & watch their positions shift as the propaganda increases & the ideals they dreamed of, erode away. Something 'Old Major' didn't warn them could potentially happen. That Utopian society was sure short lived. At the end of the book, when the pigs come out with whips, you feel like puking. It seems so hopeless, they only exchanged one master for another and the new one fortified ten times more than Farmer Jones. 

Just like 1984, if you are fortunate enough to live in a democracy, 'Animal Farm' should be required reading. I should probably be rapped across the knuckles with a ruler for just now getting to it! Scary how quickly things can change, subtly at first, with liberties taken away little by little. Chip, chip, chipped away. Until indoctrination is complete and all those who don't comply, isolated until they come around or removed from the picture. This book is crystallizing in how it shows the gradual process & steps of just how that occurs. Orwell should be the one wearing medals ~ for championing Democracy with his two classic novels that both warn against authoritarian governments.

A Storm of Swords

** spoiler alert ** 'A Storm of Swords' has left me as fractured and bruised as the Seven Kingdoms. I'm still gasping for air the morning after finishing it & trying to wrap my brain around everything that happened. Once again it's every man for himself and life and death teeters on a knife edge. It's mind boggling to believe there's anyone left standing, there have been scores of losses, brutal and far reaching. I guess that's why George Martin stuffed his fantasy series with so many hated and compelling characters ~ so there's always someone left standing & the battle(s) can rage on. 

Before I say anything else, a confession ~ I'm still baffled as to why I'm so engrossed in this series? It's as alien & remote to my person & "typical" reading habits as anything could possibly be. All of my friends look at me incredulously & have the same response when I tell them what I'm reading. They know as well as I do, that I'm not a blood, guts, violent, gore kind of girl. That said, from the opening chapter of the first book, I knew I would read this series to completion. I wonder ~ has it corrupted my character? It's elicited thoughts & feelings from me that I never thought possible ~ cheering when someone dies or wishing for vengeance and retribution for my favorites. Some of the deaths impact me powerfully. In 'A Storm of Swords,' ~ Robb Stark & Grey Wind. That was horrendous. I'm as invested in these direwolves as much as the people and we're down two so far. I think George R.R. Martin is going to push my capacity for violence to the ultimate brink. Can I take all that remains to come? I don't know. It's a tribute to his skills as a writer that he can ensnare a reader (such as myself) into this world & keep us captive there by our own volition. 5 stars for that alone!

Okay, having said all that, on everything that's holy in the Godswood, what the heck didn't happen in this hefty almost 1200 page tome? There's so much ground covered, I've almost forgotten how it started off. Like I usually do when I'm bereft of words, I think I'll just cover the high points:

Tyrion: How was he not a hero for all he did to save 'King's Landing' in 'A Clash of Kings?' I was shocked at where we found him. His story continues to be a fascinating centerpiece to the series. Sansa tho?? Crazy! and his retaliation against his father and Shae, left me breathless. Heartbreaking revelation about his first wife too. 

Arya: I love this girl. She's been thru so many captors & situations and she LIVES! Of all the characters, in the beginning, I worried she might be one of the first Starks killed. Turns out she's got longevity & guts out the wazoo. Still not sure I grasp 'The Hound,' her latest captor??? He seems a monster at times but at others??? Do all roads lead to the "Free Cities??" It seems like Tyrion & Arya are both headed that way. Will they collide?? I would not mess with this girl and her "needle!"

Jaime & Brienne: An ingenious pairing. They bring out the best in each other & I love them together. I hope their journey isn't over. 

Sansa: When is she going to show some gumption??? Always a passenger or victim in her life. At risk of repeating myself, I'm still waiting for a breakout move! Was meeting Dontos it??? Sansa, please! She keeps exchanging one "incarceration" for another. Now Littlefinger has control of her and what control it is. He's probably the person I underestimated the most. The moves it appears he's orchestrated are mind blowing. Is he the "victor" ultimately by being the most treacherous and underhanded? This could be the most dangerous situation Sansa's found herself in to date.

Joffrey: Tears of joy that his twisted soul is no longer torturing the people of 'King's Landing' or sucking up valuable oxygen at all. I can't say when I've hated a character more (maybe Black Jack Randall in 'Outlander??') I see the House of Lannister crumbling. When will Cersei get her due? 

The Freys: ugh, ugh, ugh and ugh. Hateful, hateful black souls. The 'Red Wedding.' No, no, no and no. What they did to Robb Stark, Lady Catelyn & Grey Wind was despicable. I can't even think about it, let alone write anything. Oh, except for ~ is it possible Lady Catelyn is alive?? That scene at the end with Merritt Frey left me reeling.... Oh wait, a slender glimmer of hope ~ Nymeria! It had to be her (onto the Stark scent) that pulled Lady Catelyn out of the river. She was so close to Arya too. *sigh* I'm not giving up!!!!!

Davos: Love, love, love him. A solid man if ever there was one. The voice of sanity & reason. Stannis is lucky to have his loyalty. And, speaking of Stannis ~ moving from 'Dragonstone' to the Wall? Whoa. How will that play out with him so close to the Brothers Black & them sworn to not take sides??

Jon Snow: His story is epic. He was beyond the Wall, running with 'wildlings,' seeing his own brothers of the black killed and having to kill 'Halfhand' himself. Losing Ghost then reuniting at the end. Elected Lord Commander. Ygritte. When the final chapter is written, if it's down to one man standing, I'm holding out hope it's Jon Snow. 

Bran: A story unfolding. His role was minimal in this book but with abilities largely untapped, I'm not counting him out for having a pivotal role in how this whole series culminates. Intriguing things to come, I'm sure. Meeting Samwell & finding the gate under the Wall was curious. You see the 'Pieces' in this 'Game of Thrones' becoming more entwined. Samwell himself, is coming into his own. I like him more and more too.

Daenery's: Still waiting..... The dragons are growing. Will the next book be "her story?" It sure is a slow build. 

You already know I'm reading on. No question. I think I'll break off for something less intense tho before jumping into the next book. My heartrate is seriously high & I need to bring it down!