country letter May 31st

From: Caroline
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 5:48 AM
Subject: May 31st

When my brother was still a very small boy he had an argument with his nurse. When our mother asked him about the outcome he said, "well, she won out but I won in." That's the way I feel about my on-going battle with the English sparrows over the bird boxes. They have won out with four, but the furthest away in the back forty is filled with short lengths of small black twigs and I am in hopes that there is a wren nesting in there. And if I don't have charming tree swallows, at least I have a pair of barn swallows nesting in the garden shed. Of course I have to leave the door open for them, but since they eat a prodigious number of flies and mosquitoes its worth it.

This is the timeof year when I really feel sorry for city dwellers as where else can you find air so sweetly scented but in the country? Right now the heavy fragrance of Russian olive fills the air - alas they are invasive as are the wild Rosa multiflora which will follow, but for one short period you can forgive them both. We also have sycamore maples which I haven't seen in other places and they are hung with little green bunches of flowers that look like tiny bunches of grapes. If you haven't ever taken the time to small these, try it. They smell like honey. Hard to believe that May has passed us by so quickly, so hold onto June. Caroline