Rocky Mount Gourds & Treasures of Louisiana

We have been busy cutting and trimming unwanted trees and limbs.

 We have a way that makes it, at least, partial fun!!

 My husband installed an extension on the bucket of the tractor, using heavy plywood so I could stand on it.  We have a small generator going and I use an electric chain saw (not too heavy).  He can lift me up high enough to get to many unwanted limbs.....this is actually a fun way to go about it.  At least HE gets a kick out of it!!!

The clean up is not so bad when you throw a chain on the ground for the limbs to land on and haul them off with the tractor to the burn pile.

This is a good way for me to help, as I cannot use the heavy chain saw, but can use the electric one!!

We have put up our Martin Houses using a similar method too!!  Don't have to drag a 14 foot ladder around doing it this way.

Still watching for Purple Martins!!

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount, Louisiana, that is....

We have still not seen any Purple Martins here at our home at Rocky Mount. I can remember many days over the years walking the lane wondering when they would arrive. It is always a waiting game for me!!

I can remember one year, I didn’t think they were going to nest here again because it was so late in the season. In mid May, there was a horrible storm and right after that storm ALL of our houses were full. I wondered if their home had been destroyed by the storm and they had to move. I will never know. So, as you see, you should not give up.

I have heard for new homes, it may take up to five years to attract the Martins.

I have been outside a lot lately, especially, watching, and listing for the Martins. I usually hear them, as opposed to seeing them. You never forget their sounds, all it takes is one of their sounds and you start watching the sky.

I have to remember to check with my neighbordown the road, he doesn’t have his gourd Martin Houses up yet. He has the boxes, but not the gourds up yet. He was so excited about the gourd bird houses the last few years. I guess we notice even small changes with our neighbors!!

Tomorrow, I will get back to the gourd crafting some to keep it a bit more interesting!!

For now,

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount, Louisiana, that is....

We had wonderful weather here today, in N.W. Louisiana, it went from a cold 20's to possible 54 degrees.  We should be so thankful for this.  I spoke with a gentleman today that lives in northern Arkansas, he said it looks like a war zone there because of the ice storm.  They have been without power for several days now, and not sure when it will be back on.  This really makes one appreciate things more!!

To view the image for this project, simply right click on the image and click on 'view image" and the image will pop up. 

I want to give you an idea for a crafting that would be good with children of many ages using the Buffalo Gourd.  You can create Indian Rattlers, either large or small ones for Christmas Decorations.  Children of all ages enjoy this one.  All you need is a small round gourd, Buffalo, we call it.  If not a Buffalo, you may use a Dipper Gourd.  Cut a hole in the gourd to fit a stick, possibly an inch wide.  You may clean the seed out (and save them for planting) and put in some small pebbles.  Glue the stick into the gourd through the hole that you cut.  You, or the children may decorate the gourd with acrylic paints, or marking pens.  To preserve the design, later you may use a light misting of polyurethane spray.  If you would like, you may further embellish the stick (handle) and gourd with leather lacing and feathers.

This is a great project for Boy Scouts too!!  I used it often in Arts In Education in the schools in Louisiana.  I am adding an image of a couple of completed ones so you may see.
For now, have a good evening,
The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount!!

Sorry for not posting for a while, but we were clearing an area behind one of the barns that was overgrown, and the bamboo kept coming up inside of the barn.BAMBOO!!!!I love bamboo, but

My husband has no appreciation of it when it is so invasive.

When he planted it, I could just see all types of things I could do with it.I even tried torching it one evening.Had more fun, but it actually didn’t bend as I wanted it too.I see all types of elements from nature that I can use to further embellish my Fine Art Gourds.I do a lot of weaving onto my gourds to create a Gourdsket (combination of a gourd bowl and basket).One particular evening, my husband had

gone to a meeting and I saw my chance to play.That is when I made small strips from the bamboo.I had been working on a bamboo design on a gourd and wanted to use real bamboo around the top.

It took much patience, and it almost worked.I finally completed the gourd in pyroengraving and staining…maybe I will try bending bamboo again someday.For now it will be used for bean poles and tomato stakes!!

Now, it is time to get back to the Purple Martins.I noticed on my calendar that I saw the first scout

on February 17^th last year.Checked the Purple Martin Conservatory website and there have been

sightings in Shreveport, LA, just 30 or so miles southwest of Rocky Mount, on the other side of the Red River.

If any of you have any input you would like to make about your Purple Martins, or pictures you would like to share, just email them to me here on the Local Harvest website.And don’t forget, it is not too late to order your Purple Martin Gourd Houses.

For now,

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount, Louisiana, that is!!

I do not usually want to discuss anything unpleasant on this blog, but I have been keeping up with the Peanut Butter Recall and would really like to make sure each and everyone that I know has direct access to the recall information.  The link below is to the FDA Peanut Butter Recall listing it would be great for everyone to keep up with this to be safe.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm

I will continue with my regular posting tomorrow.

For now,

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount, Louisiana, that is!!

I would like to share some tips from the Purple Martin Conservatory concerning the Purple Martins.  "Ten reasons why people fail to attract Purple Martins."

  1. Housing placed too close to tall trees or in yards that are too enclosed.  Last year we had let a tree grow up too close to the back side of the Martin House line and I think that is why we didn't have as many Martins.  The tree is gone now, so, perhaps, they will forgive us.

2. Landlord allows other bird species to claim the housing first. Starlings are always a problem in your yard, we try to keep them run off.

3. Housing placed too far from human housing.  They like to be around people, although ours like to dive bomb us when we stand too near.

4. Housing not painted white.  our first couple of years we put up gourd Martin houses, not painted just natural.  Finally we painted them white and the Martins did come!!

 5. Housing opened up too early.  This leaves time for blue birds and other birds to nest.

6. Failure to open the martin housing.

7. Vines and shrubs are allowed to grow up under the housing.

8. Housing not really ‘built to specifications"  The holes need to be 2-1/4" and the house needs to be at least 6" wide.

9. Housing attached to wires, or placed too close to wires.  Our houses are strung across the yard on a heavy cord, but we do not have the squirrel problem here.

 10. Landlords buy or build housing that can’t be easily managed.You need to be able to get up there and check to be sure no other birds are nesting or trying to take over the Martin's nests.  The Martins don't mind.

 I checked the Purple Martin Conservatory site today and it shows reports of Martin Scouts as close to us as Pineville, Louisiana.  Pineville is probably within 200 miles of us, south, so they are not far!!

Still hoping you are safe from the devastation of the bad weather, and able to watch for the Martins!!

It is not too late to order your Gourd Martin Houses, see our site here on Local Harvest!!

For now,

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount

I hope we are all following and waiting for the arrival of the Purple Martin Scouts.  I am thankful they are not here yet, a couple of hundred miles south at Baton Rouge at last report.

There have been years the Martins have arrived and there has been a hard freeze here at Rocky Mount.  I don't know how, but they made it through the freeze.  I have heard of years in the northern areas that thousands of Martins did not make it because the freeze was too hard and too long.

Don't forget to keep watch on the Purple Martin Conservatory for updates on where they are seen.  If you see any Scouts, it is a good thing to report them on the website so they can keep track of them.

This is the wagon wheel where we first had our Martin Houses, next to it you can see where we have started the new line going to another pole.  I know one gentleman up north that has some 800 Martins each year, we only have about 50.

Hope you all are safe and stay warm.

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount

It is still too early for most of us to start planting in our Gourd Patch, but, there is still time to start new gourd plants indoors for a head start.  Peat pots or small pots with a starting mixture may be used.  If you have a green house, this is great, but you may start them indoors in a well lighted location too!!

One year I started about 1,000 gourd plants in my small 8' x 12' greenhouse, for which I am very thankful!

 Just make sure you are using sterile potting mediums, as it will not have diseases or pests hiding inside.  Yes, gourds are very prone to diseases and pests, especially the more you grow them in Louisiana!!

 In the mean time, if you have any gourds around you may want to start creating!!  Children usually love gourds too.

For now,

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount

If you are having trouble attracting Purple Martins to your current habitat and you have had Martin box type houses in the past you may want to try gourds and creating a new habitat.  Often predictors have invaded the habitat and the Martins will not return.  I have two neighbors that believe a snake was in their Martin Box and they are trying Gourd Martin Houses in hopes the Martins will return.

If you have access to large gourds, the preferred hole size for Martins is 2-1/4", and no perch.  The Martins love the swinging motion in the gourd.  I love to look out on the line with 20 or more Gourd Martin Houses and they are swaying with the wind.  We also have Gourd Martin Houses on our site here at Local Harvest.

 Until tomorrow, happy "sky watching".

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount

As we all know it is time to get ready for the Purple Martins arrival.

This is a wonderful and exciting time getting up our Gourd Martin houses and watching for the first arrival Scout!! 

If you would like additional information the Purple Martin Society is a great website to check out!!

 It turned cold today, in the low 30's, but that will not stop the scouts.

Keep looking, i usually hear them and start looking!!

Susan