Habitat for Humanity - er, Birds?

About a year ago a kid's activity day at Woodland Dunes Nature Center resulted in several bird houses coming home with Than, Collin, and Lee. Without Grandpa around, we never got those houses put up in time for last spring's nesting season. So there they sat all winter, on top of the frig, rustic decor to match the cabin.
As time rolled around to this year's repeat activity, I told the boys we were going to get those bird houses up one way or another. Which means we drafted Brent into the housing business. Actually all he had to do was guide the use of the screw gun; I picked out the posts for house mounting, and Lee did the rest!
As you can see, he was very sad that the houses didn't get put up last year.

But our plan brought a smile to his so-cute freckled face!

Collin and Lee both got lots of practice using a hammer while helping Grandpa remodel the log barn into a log cabin for us to live in. Those hammering skills brought praise from the folks helping the kids construct bird houses at the activity, the boys were very proud of themselves. Of course no home is complete without a little personalization - the boys figured the bluebirds would appreciate a welcome...

With Dad coaching, Lee went right to work. He was all over that screw gun.

Then he toted the houses out to the field beyond the garden, where an apple tree marks the

old fence line. A few sturdy old cedar posts were still standing, waiting to have a useful life again.

One of our farm mottos is, "Teamwork".

There is just something so heartwarming about a dad teaching his son "guy stuff"...
"You can do it, son - you're on your own now."

A new home in the neighborhood is a beautiful thing.
Postscript: the bluebirds were a little late getting here, so a family of tree swallows were this year's first occupants. More bird houses came home from this year's Birding Breakfast activity, so we hope the bluebirds actually get to live in them - they have one more batch of babies to raise this year, their second nesting season runs to June.