Happy birthday to us!

[wdfifteen]

I just turned 69 and MrsWD will be 65 in a few days. We "opened" our mutual gifts a little early for her, because I couldn't wait. We both got exactly what we wanted, and it was truly a surprise for both of us.
I got a Purple Martin hotel that I had been talking about since the first day we looked at this place and I saw the pasture out front.
She wanted an ATV - long story.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Happy Birthday to you both!

[Scott Douglas]

My brother and I just turned 66 & 68 respectively, three weeks ago or so, yup, same day, 2 yrs apart.

Happy Birthday to you both. Wish we had room for that hotel at our place.

Looks like you both got treated perfectly.

[fastfredracing]

Happy B day to you both, and your place is beautiful

[PorscheGAL]

Happy Birthday!!

The Purple Martins will love their hotel. Some friends' son is filming a documentary about the purple martins. Here is the trailer and an intro to Zach.

[Baz]

I'll be 65 in 8 days......haven't really thought about a gift but will think about it and send you a PM....

J/K...congrats to you both and good choices for birthday gifts!

[masraum]

Very cool, congrats and Happy Birthday to you both!

[shadowjack1]

A very happy birthday to the both of you.

[herr_oberst]

wow! Role reversal in gifting!

Happy birthday you two!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

Happy Birthday!!

The Purple Martins will love their hotel. Some friends' son is filming a documentary about the purple martins. Here is the trailer and an intro to Zach.

I want to see that movie! Thanks for posting!

[ckelly78z]

Cool, i'll be 54 in 8 days (June 12), I don't expect anything but a nice dinner out with family.

Nice thoughtful gifts for the OP, congrats.

[KFC911]

Just wait until next year "Pops"....why don't you act yer age....for once !

Happy b-day to you both Patrick...well done!

[oldE]

What a bunch of old farts! I too will be 65 by the end of next week.

We used to have purple martins in Nova Scotia, but starlings would invade their nest boxes and by the 50s, there were none left.
I remember seeing Martin Apartments in the attic of a farm near ours when I was growing up.

All the Best
Les

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by oldE

We used to have purple martins in Nova Scotia, but starlings would invade their nest boxes and by the 50s, there were none left.
I remember seeing Martin Apartments in the attic of a farm near ours when I was growing up.
Les

Almost all the purple Martins in the eastern US live in man-made, managed "hotels" because the invading European starlings took their nesting sites. If you don't have starling resistant openings in your hotel you have to lower it and evict the starlings every couple of days.

[cabmandone]

Happy birthday!!
The gourds are where it's at! If you setup two hotels and put a wire between them, the starlings will land on the wire and you plink them with a pellet gun. The Martins figure out you're not shooting at them and barely flinch after a while. At my parent's house we have two large gourd condos and a big hotel. They seem to prefer the gourds for some reason. Good luck in your efforts to bring them in. My parents spent a few years trying to attract them and now have a well established group.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by cabmando

If you setup two hotels and put a wire between them, the starlings will land on the wire and you plink them with a pellet gun. The Martins figure out you're not shooting at them and barely flinch after a while.

That would be awesome! I've always hated starlings.

When I was about 14 or 15 my bedroom overlooked our garden. In the fall there was a lot of leftover vegetables and seeds and flocks of starlings would cover the garden. One afternoon I set up my 16 gauge shotgun, my dad's double barrel 20 ga, my 22 rifle, and dad's 22 piston on the window sill.
I forgot to warn my mom.
When the ground was black with starlings I unloaded everything I had on them. Killed lots of birds, filled the house with gunsmoke, and almost killed my mom with a heart attack. There she was calmly cooking dinner and WW III broke out upstairs.
It's still a story we tell at family gatherings.

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That would be awesome! I've always hated starlings.

When I was about 14 or 15 my bedroom overlooked our garden. In the fall there was a lot of leftover vegetables and seeds and flocks of starlings would cover the garden. One afternoon I set up my 16 gauge shotgun, my dad's double barrel 20 ga, my 22 rifle, and dad's 22 piston on the window sill.
I forgot to warn my mom.
When the ground was black with starlings I unloaded everything I had on them. Killed lots of birds, filled the house with gunsmoke, and almost killed my mom with a heart attack. There she was calmly cooking dinner and WW III broke out upstairs.
It's still a story we tell at family gatherings.

These days they would send you to therapy.

[Chocaholic]

HBD to you and this missus. All things being equal, I think she got the better gift!

[Evans, Marv]

Happy birthday to you both !!! Seems like most people on here are now in their 60s. I guess that's a good think, since everybody is still kickin it.

[vash]

happy birthday!!

and may be be involved with you choosing your 70th gift? trust me, it wont be a birdhouse.!!