A DIY birdbath and a lullaby

Hush little baby is a lullaby thought to have been written in the United States although the date of origin and author are unknown. In it all sorts of materialistic things are promised to the baby if it will be quiet. Sylvia Long wrote a beautiful board book with alternative wording. Here it is: "Hush little baby, don't say a word, Mama's going to show you a hummingbird. If that hummingbird should fly, Mama's going to show you the evening sky. When the nighttime shadows fall, Mama's going to hear the crickets call. While their song drifts from afar, Mama's going to search for a shooting star. When that star has dropped from view, Mama's going to read a book with you. When that story has been read, Mama's going to bring your warm bedspread. If that quilt begins to wear, Mama's going to find your teddy bear. If that teddy bear won't hug, Mama's going to catch you a lightening bug. If that lightening bug won't glow, Mama's going to play on her old banjo. If that banjo's out of tune, Mama's going to show you the harvest moon. As the moon drifts through the sky, Mama's going to sing you a lullaby." I like how it encourages baby and mama to look and enjoy the simple beauty around them. The robins arrived several weeks ago and I decided it was time to introduce my toddler to the joy of watching a bathing bird. I also wanted it to be an opportunity to encourage her to look at how she can use things creatively rather than buying. We found a scrap chunk of 6" by 6" pressure treated post. It happened to be the perfect height for our base. After locating the perfect spot we dug a hole and "planted" it. Then we moved two young ivy vines that were growing elsewhere in the yard and transplanted them to the base. I will train them to cover the post. The bath was the lid from a plastic 50 gallon water drum that I use to collect rainwater. Now we are ready for the robins.

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