Summer in my garden brings lots of beauty, joy and responsibility. There is the weeding, mulching, planting and general garden and lawn maintenance that takes time… As well as that I have added provider to my list of chores. We have more than one nest of hungry baby birds and frantic parents to placate. An apple a day has been keeping the parent birds happy and satiated …. until I began giving them pear which is the new neighborhood favourite. Mrs goldfinch and Mrs blackbird have had a spat over the pear du jour at the bird feeder. There really is enough for everyone but you can’t tell them that. They scrap like it is the end of the world. I will miss them and their babies as we journey around the South Island and will have to make sure that I leave behind some super ripe apples, pears and oranges for my feathered friends. As well as instructions for our house sitters re: the daily feeding regime at the homemade bird feeder. We have to keep up with the fruit supply.