"Lions and Tigers and Bears and Wolves , Oh My ! "

The words came to mind as I finished up my very first project-a concrete birdbath ....the "wolf" , my own addition .

I have never been happy with the basic conventional bird bath, they are way too smooth, with a sharp rim that drops too steep for most birds to enjoy traction and wade down a gradual slope to splash.

With perfect weather for this, I dug a rough form in the ground, lined it with a plastic garbage bag, and picked up two bags of quick set concrete mix, and two bottles of buff colour .

I knew this project would be far from a professional looking job, in fact, would be quite rustic , but fun trying it , nonetheless.

So all you concrete guys and builders who would do this to artful perfection, bear with me !

All I wanted was a bath that tilted very gradually from the rim , with a gentle slope into the center...a pool with the shallow ends, and the deeper end , so to speak. Not smooth, (I knew I wouldn't have the pro talent to do that anyway ), but textured just enough for feet to grasp and not slip.

Typically, I should have used normal slower setting mix . Once I poured , I could see and feel that quick set becoming just that, right before my eyes. I had to work much faster than I would have liked , in shaping...and then adding on the art around the edges that inspired this whole project ....wolf tracks !

By the time I pressed in the last few wolf imprints, it was almost too solid to work easily. Sheesh....lesson learned .

Thanks to...Jack !!!!! Your wood wolf track "stamp" is perfect !

When first pressed , they looked very like the ones in your walkway ..light and airy....but for this, I wanted more traction for small toes and claws , so , after pressing them all around, I roughed up the insides with several sharp stones . The last two tracks were difficult as that concrete was threatening to be rock solid. I managed to get it done !

I'm so glad I went the extra mile to colour it. Anything but grey....it turned out more yellow ochre than what I considered to be "buff", but that's fine. I like this tone .

It turned out to be 40 " wide, and just over 2" deep at center. The photos don't show the slope well, so I included the tape across the top to see the slope better.

It weighed a ton, lifting it out of the ground . The divets in places along the edges are where it broke off as I handled it , too thin, I suppose .

I chose a wood round and a cement round paver as a stand. The wood round isn't level in cut...for now I have it shimmed on one side until someday I can fix that round, or get something else. I did get the bath itself level on the bottom, by fitting a large dinner plate right side up in the ground , building up dirt around the edges, and covering it all with the plastic bag. It worked great ...formed a perfect flat wide surface with the sides curving up from the edges.... using that plate was perfect !

Not twenty minutes after I filled it this morning, two pine Siskens flew to it and drank , and lounged around ...mission accomplished !

Thank you, Jack ! This wouldn't have been near the fun without your "wuff track " !

For my very first concrete work, rustic as it is, I'm happy , and want to share the happiness with the Tman Tribe !


When it first came out of the ground mold...

Very classy, just like the artist. Always enjoy your talent

Lots of work there Sharon !! Pretty ambitious.

I have to wonder about birds that drink bath water

Fabulous

Well Sharon, that looks great! Them dang birds got a gift right there, nice job as usual.

Zim

That looks great Sharon.Like a big old Toadstool for the wee birdies to enjoy.

Nice! Mom and my grandparents always had a birdbath.

Me, I keep several around but people mostly call them potholes in the driveway. Lol. It's fun to watch them flap their wings, splashing water everywhere.

That would be fun with a BB gun !

Been there White, lol.
I use to get in all kinds of trouble with my BB gun. Worst was plucking one off the birdhouse. That was a no-no I found out.

Thanks, Kevin, very rustic !

I refresh the water often , and the sign posted telling them to shower before using the pool helps too , Sir Ken

Thanks newtoga !

Zim, I wonder if the chooks would like to cool their toes in something similar, thank you !

Boco, thats a great similarity ! I like that ! Its large enough so that everyone else won't frown when the big boys, the robins dive in and splash water everywhere !

Hippie, thank you . Its very rustic, but fun for me. I bet you peeling out your driveway helps build those bath holes

Nice but I’m afraid those tracks will scare away birds. lol

Clever idea - using the ground as a mold!

I never would've thought of that... Wonderful!!

Very impressive Sharon I'm always pleasantly surprised to see what type of art you made next then shared with us to enjoy.
Allan

Very, very cool!

Wow! Great job.
My wife loves it.

Looks good Sharon. I dig it.

My dad made a couple and used the cheap $5 plastic bird baths as a mold. He cut the bottom of the post and the bath/top. Once the top was firm enough he reshaped and expanded the bath portion. Wish I had one

Nice for sure. Don't forget to turn it over come winter. A one of a kind as well.

Hippie, statute of limitations has just run out on what I done with a bb gun.
Started in 1958 when I was just 4 years old.

Zim

So far, so good,they're still investigating ! 08080808080808

Thanks, zoo400 ! Only thing about the ground is that if it's heavy, it isn't fun lifting it carefully from below ground level.

Thank you, Allen, MnMan, Hern ( you may have a new project !)

Adam, that is a great idea your father had in making his own !

Pete, great thought ! Yes I don't want the winter ice or snow to pile up on it. I will take it down and put it someplace safe. Thank you !

Zim, those wee chooks know they're safe with you protecting them !

Looks great, Sharon!
I'm using a big old frying pan as a birdbath because I couldn't find a cement one this Spring at the usual box stores.

Sharon, it really was. He was a mad scientist of sorts when it came to concrete. The bird bath idea came to him because the plastic ones never lasted so the next one my mom bought he immediately went to town on it. I wish I had pictures of it or the concrete picnic table or the many other things he made.

looks great

Beach, a pie plate , or even a stone with a dip in it will work wonders. The traction and shallow edge is key- thank you for your efforts , though !

Adam, cool info to have in your history , and thank you, Dahlgren.

The kiddos have been discovering the bath over the old small one all afternoon. Siskens are like pre school attendees , they do things in groups , and follow the leader.
They have been exploring the bath, drinking and splashing in the very shallow ends that I figured they would prefer . I like when I guess behaviour on sheer observance.

I had one Evening Grosbeak also enjoy the bath, though he flew off as I was trying to focus with my cam.

Cant wait to see robins find the deep end.

The pic is very bad in resolution, through the screen and glass , but you get the idea .

It's so fun to see them focus on the exact area I figured they would.

Peep sights on the BB gun will work since you already know where they will be !!

I see a pie in your future !!

LOL ! Isn't that the poem-four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie?



Pass the hot sauce !

Can we say "black-birds " ??? Shame on you !! They go really well with margaritas !

Kill a bird, save a huckleberry!

LOL !!

" Needs garlic " ......

Haha, I saw pie mentioned and........

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I rub garlic on the front sight. It reduces parallax

Well then, that dials it right in focus !

I knew garlic was good !

Besides......garlic goes well with foul..................maybe that should be fowl.

Fowl......and buttah...... the secret to life !

Buttah ???? ..........Coulda fooled me !!

Howevah, the youts with wings wouldn't agree on any of this ... we all must be hungry !

LOL !!! YOOTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats what I meant !! YOOOOOOOOTHZZZ

Incredible. Unfortunately you just gave me another project and I happen to have 2 sacks of redimix.

Good on you.

Pete

Thank you, TD !

Pete, if your redimix is the fast set stuff, be ready to work fast ! With the interesting stones you have there, I bet some inset nice ones would look good, it would of course make it heavier , but still manageable , if small in size.

With so much of the country in this awful heat wave , water is much appreciated by all.

Now that is way cool and practical to make. Looks like the birds are now on vacation at your place. Great idea!

Thank you Jim !

BTW- I tried your idea on the dryer sheets - you are right- it worked like a charm getting the bugs off ! I dont use dryer sheets so I had to buy a small box to try. That would work perfectly on trips in travel !

Sharon -

Leave it to you to come up with something that beautiful and that practical. I love it. Too, I figured you would come up with something legendary with the carved wolf track. I can't think of anyone else I know that would put it to such great use! Now Miss Lisa wants to try her hand at making a pteetsa banya!

Jack

Jack ,

It was only natural to see the fun in using the wuff stamp on this venture !

It now has residence in my office , patiently waiting it's next call in art.

Maybe I should carry it in my truck for the next asphalt paving the road crew does....excite drivers seeing wolf tracks trotting across the highway, across the yellow line paint

Sounds like a plan for Miss Lisa ! Projects enjoyed in the planning and building together are so fun

The wee ones are having a blast enjoying the pool . They always stay right where the tracks are , no doubt the traction is perfect for them . Robins haven't discovered it and the deep center yet !