Happy Earth Day!
While I think it’s important to reuse, recycle, and repurpose items on a daily basis, today’s Earth Day recognition is extra special for me.
I asked my brother if he would build me a pair of Eastern Bluebird houses for our property. He loves to build things and is very creative when it comes to making things out of salvaged items. He gave me the birdhouses today and I was over-the-top delighted when I saw them – they’re made out of a fence we had in our front yard when we were kids!
The Back Story
I remember the day when my Mom and Dad started building the fence for our front yard. Dad brought home planks of redwood and long posts. My Dad was very handy – he could build anything – and did! I remember Mom and Dad digging the holes for the posts and Dad cutting them to length in the shop he had in our garage. When I close my eyes, I can still smell the sawdust mingling with the smells of oil and gasoline – a scent that will always remind me of Dad.
My brothers were quite young at the time, but I remember Mom and Dad letting me ‘help’ them put the fence up. I felt so important holding the posts while Mom and Dad pushed the dirt in around them to hold them upright. When the fence was done, Mom painted it white. She even let me help her paint it! I remember Mom standing in the road with her hands on her hips, admiring her new fence when it was done. She had a great eye for design and wanted that fence to help frame our front yard. She always loved that fence!
When we were little, we used to love to climb the fence – not something we were supposed to do! The fence boards were held in place by metal hangers on the posts, and the more we climbed the fence, the more those hangers bent and ultimately caused the fence boards to fall down. Dad kept repairing the fence while reminding us kids we were not to climb on it. He always had a lot of patience with us.
Over the years, it became my job to repaint the fence to keep it looking fresh, clean, and white. While I would have much rather been off playing with my friends, I actually did enjoy painting the fence. It made me feel good to do something worthwhile with my hands, and something that my parents appreciated.
That white fence has long been taken down to make way for landscaping, but my parents kept those boards – stacked neatly in their garage. I’m so glad they did!
The Bird Houses
Thanks to my brother, I now have a part of that special fence for my own yard – chippy white paint and all! Yes, I am a very sentimental kind of person, but these birdhouses fill my heart with much joy. My parents have both passed, and seeing these birdhouses not only makes me think of my Mom and Dad and the beautiful childhood they gave us, I’m also touched that my brother made these for me.
When my husband and I first built our house in the country, my Dad – an avid bird lover – kept telling me we needed bluebird houses on our property. Every Spring he’d ask “Do you have your bluebird houses yet?”. Here we are – 16 years later – and I finally have my bluebird houses. Dad would be happy, and I know Mom and Dad would be pleased that their old fence has been repurposed into something new. A very Happy Earth Day, indeed.
143 Mom and Dad, and my awesome brother Jay
Hey there. Your post made me emotional and nostalgic. Sweet memories, indeed. Of course, I’m also happy that you finally got your bluebird houses. My little sister also wants to take care of birds. We have old cedar fence pickets in the backyard. I kept them after updating our fence. So, I don’t have to buy new materials. They are perfect for building little birdhouses. Plus, they are naturally water resistant. Thank you for sharing your touching story.