See the cardinal pictured below? You know what he is saying?
There are all kinds of suet recipes for birds on the internet! I melted some peanut butter with some Crisco and then, mixed it with some oatmeal and bird seed and froze it in one of the same plastic containers that I had saved from the store- bought suet.
The birds really did like it. (Oh, also...I saved a wee bit of bacon fat and poured that over the very top of the suet before I froze it.)
A wren flew into our house yesterday. We worked for over 30 minutes to capture it and release it! Birds can fly, you know!
We would get close to it and ...up it would go! I know that others have had to resort to throwing a towel over the little winged creatures but we were afraid that we would hurt it. I got the window open, Richard cradled it gently in his hands, walked to the window and the bird flew away...FREEDOM!
Remember my post about the film "I'll See You In My Dreams"?
It was about the amazing lyricist Gus Khan! He wrote so many songs and another one that was just as DREAMY was this one:
"Dream A Little Dream of Me". It was a huge hit for the Mamas and Papas with Mama Cass singing the lead in 1968. The song was written in 1931 with the music by Fabrian Andre and Wilbur Schwant. (The lyrics by Gus Khan, as I just told you!)
Now, why would the Mamas and Papas in the swinging hippy days of the 1960's record this song from the 1930's? Turns out that the group used to sing it for fun! One of the members of the Mamas and Papas, Michelle Phillips, had lived in Mexico City as a child and her family were friends with Fabrian Andre, one of the writers who wrote the music for this song.
Interesting to me, Mama Cass had this to say about it...
"I tried to sing it like it was 1943 and somebody had just come in and said 'Here's a new song', I tried to sing it like it as if it were the first time".
I found a video of Doris Day's recording of it. Hope you like it too.
By the way, Doris Day will be 96 in March. Look out for a future post about her. You know I think she is the bee's knees!
Okay, found another video of Mama Cass singing this song!
We have trouble with birds flying in our garage which has a really high ceiling. That was interesting about The Mama's and the Papas, always liked them.
ReplyDeleteHave to watch out for little feathered friends!
DeleteI just loved Mama Cass and the whole group. The Mamas & Papas were such a special part of my 'growing up' years. I didn't realize the song was that old when they recorded it.
ReplyDeleteWe have had birds in the house and, ever worse, BATS. Don't even ask! lol Hope you have a great Sunday- xo Diana
Better than having BATS in your belfry! HA!
DeleteOh wow! This brings back so many memories. It's hard to know which version I like better. I do like the Doris Day version as well.
ReplyDeleteI loved the vocal by Doris Day, the piano in the background dates it a bit!
DeleteI loved those songs too - and the groups. Glad you got the bird and he was safe!
ReplyDeleteGlad that we were able to rescue him/her!
DeleteIt's one of my favorites. I love the voice of Mama Cass. The first video is best for me.
ReplyDeleteI spend a crazy amount of time trying to put THE best video on here from YouTube. Imagine my dismay when I look at my posts later, and you are not able to view them!
DeleteAhhhhh! Not DD again! :o) I put out seeds and bird fat balls as well but all I get here is sparrows, blackbirds, robins and pigeons.. plus grey squirrels- nothing exotic or colourful :o(
ReplyDeleteYes! I will make even YOU like the marvelous Doris Day!
DeleteDon't get me started on squirrels, bird lovers would love to make them disappear!
I loved the old time feel of Dream a Little Dream by Mama Cass. And Doris Day is definitely the cat's pajamas.
ReplyDeleteYes! The song by both Mama Cass and Doris Day is PEACHY KEEN.
DeleteHave always loved 'Dream a Little Dream'... Didn't Groucho Marx say he knew Doris Day before she became a virgin? I don't know what our neighbours have been feeding the birds, but there are hundreds of the little blighters and I've just spotted a great spotted woodpecker!
ReplyDeleteNow, now...that remark from Groucho sounds just like him!
DeleteFeed the birds and they will be there forever.
I loved the Mamas and the Papas and that song sung by Mama Cass. My other favorite is Monday Monday.
ReplyDeleteA wren got inside my place a few months ago - I think it was resting inside the fern that I brought inside because of the freezing temp. It made its way back to my bedroom and hopped under the bed. Oh my. So I turned off all the lights and opened the front door and waited. Sure enough - it flew up the hallway and out the door toward the lights outside. Someone told me that tip once and it worked!
Our bird was upstairs and we were not sure that he/she would be able to fly our our front door. Well, it did fly in there but still, the bird really was terrified! Thanks for the tip though!
DeleteSo glad you and Richard were able to help the little wren back to freedom!
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, I was married to a Sicilian. We spent every summer holiday on Sicily in the home village, and one evening, a small bat had found its way into our bedroom. Like your wren, it didn't trust us and fluttered up and out of reach as soon as we were almost within reach. Eventually, I carefully threw a bedsheet (lightweight - this is Sicilian summer we are talking about) over it and then managed to extract it from the folds.
I held it in my hands and its tiny body was quivering with fear; it probably thought it was going to be eaten any minute. The head was a bit like that of a small cat. I took it out on the balcony and carefully put it on the railing, where it stayed a moment, maybe gathering its wits, before it flew off into the evening dusk.
Love that recording of Doris Day! I've only known the Mama Cass sung version of the song so far, always really liked it and had no idea the song is so much older.
Thank you, Kay!
Rescuing a bat, you can add that to your many accomplishments!
DeleteGlad you liked my little story of this song, I looked it up, when I was looking up all the lyrics written by Gus Kahn!
Birds in the house can take forever to remove, and they leave a mess!
ReplyDeleteUh, there was a bit of a clean up!
DeleteGet a genuine ostrich feather duster for your house for when these things happen. You can gently approach the bird with the duster and cover it with the feathers, it will often stay still and let you carry it, wrapped in the feathers, to safety. It works for other critters, too, one lady managed to get a bat out of the house that way!
ReplyDeleteOstrich feather duster, that makes sense!
DeleteI tried making suet cakes with my grandchildren once but mostly they fell apart. We left them outside anyway for the birds and other critters to enjoy. I love seeing the cardinals at the feeders and the wood peckers too and Love seeing the blossoms at the end of your post...I am thinking Spring !
ReplyDeleteIf you have enough fat in the recipe and freeze it, the suet will stay together. Thinking of Spring, sounds nice. xx
DeleteOne of my favourite Mamas and Papas songs!
ReplyDeletePlease tell me that you sang along with Mama Cass and Doris Day, you know I did.
DeleteI'm glad that you and Richard safely caught and released the wren! I loved the Mamas and Papas, especially "California Dreaming." All the times I listened to that song, never knowing my future was in California married to an American (my first marriage). Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that! Take care!
ReplyDeleteLouise, thank you for this comment! You made me do some research on "California Dreaming". I might have to do a post about it!! THANK YOU! xx
DeleteLucky you to have lived in California, as for myself, when I was at Lake Tahoe in early 1980's, I asked my travel agent group if we could just drive across the Nevada/California state line so I could say I had been to California, thinking that might be my only chance. Boy, I hate being right all the time! LOL!
Love this song! So interesting to hear the two together and compare. I really love Doris Day, always watch her old movies and she has done so much for animals, she's quite a lady!
ReplyDeleteIf you listen very carefully to the Doris Day recording and just pay attention to her vocal, you will recognize how wonderful it truly is!
DeleteI think that Doris Day is wonderful! She HAS done a great deal for animals and bringing attention to their plight. Anyone who speaks for others who can't speak for themselves is a hero in my book.