Crafted with some of the finest redneck how-to, and accomplished without one piece of duct tape or an old radiator:
As you can see, the fern is really taking it in the kisser. But back to the slide, we turned the hook with the fern slightly so now the nest is directly over the slide, which is at about a 45 degree angle, levels a bit, and then has a much more gradual grade and the drop off. The goal is not to catch them and keep them off the porch, it is to make sure they don’t take a graceless 6′ drop with accompanying splat.
Another look at the peeps:
And some bonus pictures of Lily helping me navigate my hamlet:
As you can see, Lily takes her job very seriously and we always look both ways at an intersection so we do not mow down an old lady, a kid, or any varmints that might be in the AO.
Geeno
LILY PUPPER!!!
She is the cutest guide pupper ever
Mary G
If they were unable to take the fall without splatting, the mommy and daddy bird would not have put the nest there. Trust Mother Nature.
Thanks for Lily picture. She is getting so grey, but looking healthy and alert. Don’t make her work too hard.
Mnemosyne
We’re in Santa Barbara for the weekend and having a decent time despite my bum knee. We went to the art museum and did a wine tasting in the Funk Zone, then came back to the B&B so I could ice my knee and rest up for dinner. There’s a shuttle that goes up and down the main drag for 50 cents per person, so we’re exploiting that as much as we can.
Planetpundit
Sweet Lily the Super Pupper
Pogonip
Cole, you must be the only person on God’s green earth who’d erect a safety net for birds. I bet none of your neighbors have TVs; you provide plenty of entertainment. You’ve certainly entertained me over the years.
I am glad to see Lily continues to do well. Happy Memorial Day, and Thank You For Your Service (TM).
rikyrah
Lily is so cute??
You are good people, Cole. Taking care of the little babies?
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
Memorial Day is for those who gave their lives.
Cole gets Veterans Day for having served.
TaMara (HFG)
Lily is so adorable and feminine.
I’m clearly a ghoul because robins have built a nest in my gutter and I’m like, if you’re that stupid your offspring probably shouldn’t live to reproduce. And now I have to put the gutter/window guy off to the end of June. Argh.
But you know, great safety slide.
Shell
Or another critter who will then insist on being adopted into Cole & Co.
Gravenstone
Dude, nature knows what it’s doing. Let it work.
Shell
Peepslide! I feel like there should be a drumroll.
Thunderstorms rolling thru here in Maryland.
Beautifulplumage
Thanks, everyone, for the truly LOL post & comments. Much needed!
NotMax
What was wrong with simply unhooking the pot and placing it on the floor temporarily?
John Cole
@NotMax: Then varmints might get them.
John Cole
You fuckers the slide is more for my peace of mind than the damned birds.
Doug R
The slide might scare Mom away, especially if that Tropical Storm comes your way.
HRA
John I actually thought the nest was in a bush near the porch and not in a hanging pot. (I really need a vacation from this retirement.) Birds nest here every year high above the ground.
Love seeing these photos of Lily alert to any possible problem out there.
Have a good Memorial Day weekend.
Hope
geg6
Gawd, Cole, you kill me. ???
HinTN
@John Cole: You worry too fucking much. OTOH, Lily is da bombe. Love the bow tie.
ETA: The Peepslide is some bodacious engineering, no matter what I say about your approach to the natural world. Made me laugh!
Shell
That sling might be needed. That nest is looking pretty damn crowded.
Miss Bianca
@John Cole: John, the Peepslide is easing my way into the evening with a laugh. Well, that and the mead. ; )
Now, anyone got a cure for the Car Urpies? I’ve just gone thru’ a harrowing road trip with Watson – puking multiple times each leg of the trip. How did Allie Brosch describe her Simple Dog in the car? “A horrible vomit perpetual motion machine”?
Got some beef-flavored CBD oil at the fancy dog boutique in Salida, hoping that helps with the pukies and with the growling at D. Mellow out, little dude!
Aleta
Lily is what they call centered, isn’t she. This deep thought just dawned on me. Foolish brain without sleep.
scott alloway
John Cole, I admire you. You are good and decent man. I respect and appreciate who you are and what you stand for, as evidenced by your actions. Having rescued a few birdies who fell, a couple or four pillows on the deck would do. One of mine fell 15 feet from a vent and momma ignored it. Took him in for three weeks, fed him wet chicken cat food through a straw and released him Memorial Day, 2004. He flew away over the trees, we said bye, and came back that night. Hung around for 7 months and would come on call. But he socialized well with the other starlings and flocked with them.
J R in WV
@Miss Bianca:
Maybe a tiny sliver of meclezine (sp?) anti motion sickness drug? I don’t know if that’s OK for dogs; so I looked it up:
J R in WV
The slide looks good. More important is keeping the critters off the porch.
Much respect for your caring nature!
Miss Bianca
@J R in WV: Bless you, J R ! Such a friend in need! : )
Aleta
It’s a good idea, the slide. Seems good to try to keep their numbers higher these days. I don’t believe standing back to ‘let nature takes its course’ is the ironclad rule. As long as we’re here.
So um, what about some hay on the tarp, so if they do crash they have some traction and cover? Or dirt even.
(Naturally macrame would be ideal, but who has time for that these days.)
Shell
For getting rid of the lingering odor….I think someone mentioned a combo of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish detergent.
dexwood
The old bumper sticker holds truth – Dog is my co-pilot. You always amuse me, Cole. you have a good heart
stinger
The fledglings will have so much fun on the slide they won’t learn to fly any more than what’s needed to get back up to the nest and slide down again. They’ll be dragging the hose over and pushing the faucet open with their little beaks so they can turn it into a water slide. Then they’ll start charging admission to all the other birds in the neighborhood. Fun on the porch!
Have I mentioned lately how much I love Lily?
satby
@John Cole: ignore them Cole, you’re a good guy.
BruceFromOhio
Totally approve of the neon pink string holding everything together in the foreground. Way better than duct tape.
brettvk
@John Cole: In my part of the nation we call that Ozarks Ingenuity, but it’s rarely exercised for such humane reasons. I salute you, sir.
Amir Khalid
@Miss Bianca:
Which of you is puking, you or Watson or both?
Yarrow
Lily is the bestest doggie! Love how she keeps watch for you. Awww….
Your peepslide is awesome. Can’t wait for the hilarious tales of baby birds sliding down it then figuring out how to get back up so they can do it all again. Someone should write a children’s book about it! Lily must have a minor part in it, of course.
bluefish
Loving the peep slide! You are too funny. Lily looks great!
Nancy
@John Cole: When nature takes its course we find the little dead baby bird bodies (LDBBB) in the yard. If you don’t want to find LDBBBs on your porch or in your yard, I’m all in favor. And rock on, Miss Lily.
artem1s
@TaMara (HFG):
um, June probably won’t be long enough. Robin’s will sometimes hatch 2-3 broods per season, weather permitting.
al
cats will use tarps as ladders.
kindness
Come on John. We want a shot looking down on the nest with you feeding them mealworms. Just a bunch of open mouths pointed up.