Use It Or Lose It!

I think we all are aware that if you have a space that you never use, nature will take it over. That concept played out in true form in my garage studio this spring. One morning, while searching for something in what I thought was MY space, I was greeted with the following scene:

I had to do a double take. The sparrows had decided that a box, which I'd turned on its side to use as a shelf, would be a perfect spot for their nest.

As I drew closer to it, I had to admire that, although messy, there was a certain beauty about it with all the collected and varied materials. Well, it was much like a collage.

These are styrofoam blocks into which I had carved relief designs for stamping. I stored them in that cardboard box. This is where the the whole "use it or lose it" notion comes in.

Fortunately, upon close inspection, I was able to note that there were no eggs or baby birds and I felt comfortable in removing the nest and reclaiming my space. This time, though, I placed the box on its bottom and sealed the top closed.