Bits of Info

When I pinched the new growth on this tree, a little puff of pollen blew. I had only a few minutes away from office today for a little walk and the smell and sounds of Spring were all around.

The temperature reached 72 today but it will get quite chilly overnight and for the rest of the week. This would have been the perfect day to call out sick for driving around, chasing hawks and finding other things of more interest to me than organizing piles of paper in a windowless office.

My article about the Bluebird release on campus was published in the college newspaper. Will I receive a stipend? HA! Of course not, but I’m not about stipends. I just enjoy the whole experience. I learned of good news yesterday, too. The Futures Institute of the college has received funds to create a National Wildlife Habitat on each of the seven campuses. Plans are to provide bird sanctuaries with feeders, properly mounted birdhouses, and shrubs and trees that will attract birds and butterflies. My Dean and another professor solicited my help to co-chair the effort and I wholeheartedly agreed! Little is known about details yet but I’ll be informed soon. I have ideas already to include a stream bed but it will depend on the budget.

Michael brought bird and butterfly chimes home on Tuesday night. He’s caving in. Maybe he’s realizing that birds aren’t all that poopy after all. They’re ceramic chimes so I’ll keep them hanging inside the sunroom to prevent damage.

Maybe this is old news to most people. Gina has been promoting these goofy looking shoes called “Crocs”. When I first saw them, I laughed out loud and refused to even try them on. Last week, she convinced Michael to buy her a pair and he bought me a pair also. Hesitantly, I tried them on and since then, they are my preferred pair of shoes! I wear them from the time I arrive home from work until bedtime. They are cushiony, light-weight, and give ultra-comfort. I even think they are therapeutic for my left ankle that has screws and pins in it. Wonderful shoes! I still can’t get past the fact that they remind me of bedroom slippers, though, so I haven’t worn them around town – yet.

House finch butts. This is the best I could do this afternoon with 55 mph wind gusts.

A few days ago, Cuppa at Brown Betty Brew wrote a post that included links to truly sweet, wonderful stories and photos of Chickadees. If you love Chickadees and would love to be very close to one, go to this post and follow the two links she provided. I loved it. The stories made me want to go out and stock up on Jiff peanut butter (not Peter Pan)!

The Soul Sistas. My little Chickadee on the left and my Ewok on the right say goodnight. Time for American Idol.

Cell Phone Sins

Many people don’t hesitate to bring out their cell phone anywhere or any time. Does it give them a natural high to reaffirm their own self importance, i.e. VIPness? Cell phones annoy the heck out of me as do the people who use them with such a sense of urgency. Take it outside, if you must gab away, and don’t expect me to listen to your conversation because I-Just-Don’t-Care!

In the early 90’s my husband had a “mobile phone” he used for work, a heavy cumbersome thing that was hooked up to his dashboard in his car. I thought that was a great concept. A few years later, cell phones became the rage and I bought one for a good reason. My cell phone was a safety tool I kept with me during the rides to and from swim practice with five or six kids in my car, many times at 9:30 or 10:00 at night. I didn’t even consider chatting on that phone. We insisted that Gina carry a cell phone when she got her driver’s license, too, and she was told to pull over and park her car before picking up the phone to call anyone.

I realize times have changed and a lot of people don’t even have land lines anymore. And sometimes I wonder how we ever managed without cell phones. I think the most value I ever placed on having a cell phone was a few years ago when Gina and I were driving from Wilmington, NC to Delaware in our separate cars. It was our first time taking a route through Virginia and we were lost a few times that day – a horrid trip but funny in retrospect! We were in heavy beach traffic on Rt. 64 in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, looking for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Following Gina, I wasn’t speedy enough to stay close behind her and it was difficult for me to read the signs since my right contact lens popped out and I later found it dried up and crispy on the steering wheel. I looked to my right and there went Gina in her little green Cabrio, disappearing from my sight down an exit ramp, while I was being pushed straight ahead by the heavy flow of traffic. Ooops. Twenty minutes later, we reunited on the parking lot of a Walmart store, thanks to our cell phones.

This post started out cranky and this is why. While waiting in line with two people ahead of me at the grocery store today, a woman at the checkout counter was having a conversation on her cell phone. And she blabbered away the entire time her items were being scanned and bagged. I estimated her age to be around forty, dressed in business attire, and I had plenty of time to determine it was a business-related call having to do with rescheduling an appointment. Now, how urgent can that be, I ask? She finished the conversation and while rooting through her ridiculously enormous black leather bag for her debit card, her phone rang again. She answered, of course, and continued the conversation where it left off seconds before… This is when the cashier, the man in front of me and I exchanged a quick glance. Then we started shifting our weight from one leg to the other witih hands on hips. This high and mighty woman had the audacity to raise her pointer finger up at the cashier as if to say, “Wait just a minute”. She turned and faced the opposite direction of the register, cashier, and the two poor fools in line who were waiting for her to put the phone away. Forty-five seconds is a long time to hold up a grocery store line of people, especially when you are in the “10 items or less lane”. Our jaws hung open. I wanted to shout, “Just end the freaking call, woman!”

Unfortunately, this type of person is far too common. She didn’t apologize to the cashier and I wasn’t surprised. Sometimes we wonder why America’s children seem to be self-centered, preoccupied with their popularity, and grow up to be rude and disrespectful adults. I’m certain that “cell phone be-och” made her contribution by setting an example for her own kids…

Had to vent and I feel better now.

I sneaked out of the office twice today for a 15 minute walk and here is what I found. By the way, it was 65 degrees today, nice enough for a light jacket!

There were about five Fox Sparrows digging around and they knew I was approaching so I kept my distance. They’re not a lifer for me, but I rarely see them. They blend in well, look closely or enlarge.

Mystery bird. I’ve been watching this bird dart around the treetops for weeks. It’s very tiny, has a bright yellow belly, and clings and flits back and forth at the top of the highest pine trees. Difficult to catch by camera fifty feet below! Here’s another.

It could be a Kinglet but I know I can’t rely on a guess. I’ll be looking for more photo opportunities.

I saved the best for last. Yes, it’s only a male Downy Woodpecker, but it’s a lifer for me. When I caught sight of this black and white display, I stopped dead in my tracks and took one shot. He fled instantly. Oh, I wish I could have moved in closer!

Spring & Summer on the Horizon!

If Laura in NJ can photograph toads hugging each other in her post, “Not What You Think”, I’m going out on a limb and showing a little toad porn taken last Spring on my pond. Look closely or click to enlarge. See the on-looker waiting for a piece of the action? Now is the time that I am ready for fun in the sun! I’m so tired of dwelling on how short the hours are in the day so I’m dipping into my photo archives and concentrating on what I have to look forward to in a few weeks or few months.

By May 1st, I expect to see the canna growing and multiplying, and color around the pond as in this photo taken last May. It’s so dormant, depressing, and bland now. It’s a young pond and will grow more beautiful each year as I add my personal favorites around it. I'll be ready for the hummingbirds to return in a month or so, too, and adding more Koi and watching offspring grow.

Here's one of the residents who was responsible for a lot of noise and over a million tadpoles last year and still resides in that spot, all winter long.

The lizards like the western side of the house where they bake in the hot sun. Might sound weird, but I like the lizards.

The fragrance of a Magnolia blossom is so heavenly!

This pair was my first sighting this morning on campus. It’s possible they are Millie & Johnnie, as they were perched above the house they investigated a few weeks ago. I saw a different side of bluebirds today. Not the sweet song I’ve heard before, but I saw irritated wing flapping and loud songs as if they were very annoyed with each other. Could they be courting, or was there another male invading their territory? I found a link at Life Histories of Families of North American Birds that described the loving courtship of bluebirds. I'll be watching them closely.

Here’s an excerpt from the link:

The love-making of the bluebird is as beautiful as the bird itself, and normally as gentle, unless interrupted by some jealous rival who would steal his bride; then gentleness gives place to active combat. The male usually arrives a few days ahead of the female, selects what he considers to be a suitable summer home, and carols his sweetest, most seductive notes day after day until she appears in answer to his call. Then he flutters before her, displaying the charms of his widespread tail and half-opened wings, warbling in delicious, soft undertones, to win her favor. At first she seems indifferent to the gorgeous blue of his overcoat or the warm reddish brown of his ardent breast. He perches beside her, caresses her in the tenderest and most loving fashion, and sings to her in most endearing terms. Perhaps he may bring to her some delicious morsel and place it gently in her mouth, as an offering. Probably he has already chosen the cavity or box that he thinks will suit her; he leads her to it, looks in, and tries to persuade her to accept it, but much persistent wooing is needed before the nuptial pact is sealed.

The pond needed topping today. At the same time I dropped the garden hose in it and looked to the feeder, I saw a Tufted Titmouse preening itself, only twenty feet away from my face. He looked at me, square in the eyes. This is a bird I don’t see often it and made my adrenaline rush. It was too much for me to take and I blew five shots at this brave little bird…each one of them resulting in a blurry mess. At least I suppressed a primal scream before he fled. I really need to settle down and relax, but when you are new at photographing birds, you fumble. I have said this before…being a novice in bird photography is similar to being a novice golfer. You have your eye on under par then you wind up with a triple bogie more often than you’d like. And, each time that happens, you need to keep in mind that there is always the next hole.

I'm putting off the winter doldrums tonight. Husband is in VA and I have the house to myself. Now, I'll crank up Taylor Hicks on the Bose and clean the Beta tank.

Working Weekend

After I spent last weekend fooling around and gallivanting around town, my conscience forced me to buckle down and give the house a good cleaning. The past three days have worn me down. For three nights in a row, a dog has vomited in the bed and on the carpet in the bedroom. I know these things happen when you own dogs or cats but I’m tired of waking twice in the middle of the night to the sound of heaving next to my ear and cleaning up. Stripping the bed and washing the linens down to the mattress pad on a king bed is enough work for one day!

We recently changed dog food but today went back to the old. Chloe’s problem is more than likely due to the upset of surgery. My fingers are crossed that tonight will be peaceful since I want to get to work tomorrow and be somewhat coherent.

It’s been a weekend of scrubbing and dusting (the chore I loathe). I left the house only twice since Friday just to visit the grocery store! This morning, daughter Gina questioned, “What are you having for dinner?” What I wanted to do for dinner was to throw a frozen pizza in the oven and be done with it, but since I love seeing her, Billy, and Mr. Biggins, I knocked myself out and made a nice meal. We watched some of the Daytona 500 and a golf tournament that I can’t even name.

What I needed was a little time outside with my camera. So for a few minutes here and there throughout the day, I stepped outside. None of these photos are breathtaking but I’m posting them anyway.

It’s unseasonably cold here in Charlotte. My skin is dry and my hands are cracking. The winds were so fierce that the birds were flying backwards in their attempts to get to the feeders. The chair hammock on my neighbor’s back porch eventually broke off and landed on the roof of their neighbors’ house. The temperature should hover around 60 by the weekend and Michael primed the lawn equipment today. I wish I felt Spring in the air...

Cute little thing held on tight for a sunflower seed.

I’ve been nicknaming Bella “Chickadee” lately. I see a resemblance.

My convalescing Chloe is doing quite well other than nighttime belly problems... My old girl is a trooper and eating slowly until her mouth heals.

My goal was to get near a male Cardinal today since I usually ignore them, in search of others less common. Most of the time, there are about twelve of them staring me in the face, for goodness sakes! Could I catch one up close? No, sir – not today! The wind kept them moving and finding sheltered spots too far away from me.

This guy didn’t give a hoot if I clapped my hands or not. The wind blew the roof open on the feeder and I found him inside! In this photo, he had just realized that I meant business and made a dash for it right after I snapped the photo. Another thing to add to my list, “BUY BAFFLE.”

At least the bed linens are once again fresh, there is no dust visible, and the house is sparkling. The weekend wasn't a total loss. Sigh...

A Game of Tag, Anyone?

Annie in Austin and Laurie of Don't Make Me Get My Flying Monkeys were tagged this week in a game that is fun and can be very revealing to those who are getting to know you! The rules are to list at least five things that most people don’t know about you, then name six people you want to tag. I’m not going to tag anyone but I’ll play the game anyway. Listing things about me that few people know was more difficult than I thought!

1. My great-great grandmother was a Squaw.

2. Regarding food, I tasted one brussel sprout in my life and quickly spit it out. I treat myself to baby beef liver and onions twice a year. I’m not too picky.

3. My least favorite household chore is dusting. I’d rather scrub a toilet. When I dust the house, I play my favorite music loudly to take my mind off the misery.

4. I have a natural talent for drawing. My art was displayed in public libraries during my school years. Artistic talent is God-given but it needs nurturing and work. I've wasted it but I hope to get it back one day.

5. I can wiggle my ears. I’m right-handed but use my left hand for dealing playing cards, vacuuming, and other things.

6. My first “official” kiss happened when I was thirteen years old at a boy-girl party in a psychedelic basement (parents upstairs) while playing Spin the Bottle. I wore fish-net stockings...ughh. We were probably listening to something like Iron Butterfly’s “Inagodadavida” and the little creep slipped me his tongue and I was so grossed out I could hardly sleep that night.

7. My typing speed is 75 wpm with 100% accuracy. Whoopee! I’m only that good during a test. I also take shorthand (I’m dating myself, I know…) but haven’t taken it since 2001 when I told my boss it was a waste of my time and his. That forced him to learn the keyboard.

8. I’m not a jock, by any means, but I’m a great fan and spectator of any sport. I can play Badminton, and basketball, though. Love it.

9. When I was in the fifth and sixth grade, I aspired to become a Catholic School Sister of Providence. I loved the smell of their starched habits as they walked passed my little desk and the mystery behind the headpiece. That dream was thwarted when I had my first “crush”.

10. I’ve never used an illegal drug, except for taking one drag of marijuana when I was 22. It was awful. Pot stinks.

11. I don’t have a college degree. There have been times during my life I’ve regretted entering the workforce after high school and not continuing my education. However, I have held some very fine and successful jobs along the way.

12. I LOVE TO DANCE (a lot of people already know it).

Would anyone like to join me in revealing a few things about yourself? There are a few items above that I never told anyone before and I didn't mind telling one bit!

The day wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t post a “bewd” picture.

A Carolina Wren loving the suet.

Heavy Eyelids, and Kudos

Due to Chloe’s condition, I stayed home from work today. Last night her mouth bled as well as the incision on her back, so I thought it best that I watch her closely today. She’s perky and doing very well! I’m exhausted, though, because of last night’s events.

11pm: I escorted Bella into the bedroom to sleep with Michael and I set up camp in the family room with Chloe. Oh, joy. When it was time to turn off the lights, she was planted in the middle of the sofa, snug as a bug in a rug, so I didn’t bother her. I found a small spot on the end of the sofa and slid my legs around her, pulled up the covers, and laid there on my back (not in my favorite fetal position) with my eyes wide open for a long time, unable to move.

Midnight: I must have dozed and was awakened by her hair raising, high soprano whine, each lasting about ten seconds. It then switched to a baritone, equally as long in length. She sat in the middle of the floor and performed for longer than I could stand. There was nothing I could do, as she had pee’d outside, drank and ate. She later settled back on the sofa with me, covered by a blanket.

3am: I heard the bedroom door open and Michael, along with Bella, noisily trudged through the family room. By then, one of my legs was hanging off the sofa but at least I had been sleeping! Michael, “She’s coughing! She won’t stop coughing!” I am always amazed at the sounds that bellow from Bella. She hacked and coughed and hacked some more. In his Fruit of the Looms, he was desperate for sleep, but let Bella outside. Meanwhile, Chloe was snoring and I opened one eye to say, “Michael, go to bed when Bella comes inside. Let her stay out here with us.” Happy with my suggestion, he bends over to give Chloe a pat on the back and, in turn, she gave him a sincere warning growl and snap. Michael, “All I did was pet her!” I said, “Oh, just go to bed”, but thinking, “She just had surgery on her back, dumbo… duh…”

With Bella back inside the house, still hacking in my ear, I was determined to close my eyes even though there was still no room for my left leg on the sofa. I heard Michael’s annoyed mumblings and exclamations in the bedroom and a few bumps and thuds. I didn’t even care. Just let me sleep. Bella quieted down.

6am: The house was silent. I heard Michael’s keys. Then I heard him pour his bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Karuuunch. Karuuunch. Karuuunch. For at least five minutes, I could hear the hollowness in his head with each karuuunch, over and over and over again. I listened with wide eyes and contempt. The sound seemed to be amplified in the silence of the house and I was only seconds from asking him to take that damned bowl down the hall and finish it.

Later this morning, I learned that Bella had thrown up an eight inch wide pile of vomit in the middle of bed. That’s one other reason I stayed home today and the reason for Michael’s little temper tantrum in the middle of the night.

I can’t stop yawning.


Took a trip to Lowe’s home store for some thistle today and here’s what I found in the parking lot.

It’s Cedar Waxwing Week here. Say that ten times fast after a glass of wine.

There was lots of action at the feeders today and I am so happy to report that I saw a red-bellied woodpecker! I was stepping outside with the dogs and, unfortunately, he heard our sounds and made a u-turn and fled. Immediate happy dance! I hope he returns… The suet feeder is finally getting some visitors.

Here’s another mocker showing off. Camera hogs, they are.




I like how you can spot a house finch from afar.



The Chickadees are visiting regularly and after at least twenty shots, this is the best I could get.

If you want to see super photos of Chickadees, check out Tom, Laura at Natural Notes, and Sandy at Gardenpath. They showed great Chickadees this week!

Icicles were a hot item this week as shown by Sandy at Gardenpath, Cathy at Looking Up, and Donna at KGMom Mumblings.

My blogroll is loaded with talent. Every day I look forward to visiting poets, writers, historians, photographers, artists, soul searchers, and others who have something distinct and personal to offer. Some are wacky and some are serious. All of these great people have their own style but I think we all share a few things in common – curiosity and a love for the simple things in life that often go unnoticed.

This week, Trixie from way up north, photographed some birds we probably won’t see at our feeders. And Lynne at Hasty Brook photographed a hawk/crow combo on her way to Target!
I'd highlight something from everyone’s blog tonight if my eyelids weren’t so heavy…I appreciate all of you.

Chloe, Home from the Hospital

It was hard for me to sleep well last night, knowing I had to drop Chloe off at the hospital in the morning. This was the first time in ten years I left her at the vet. My heart was breaking for her because she has always had a fear of the vet’s office and examinations. She's been very nasty with vets in the past. Today she went under general anesthesia to have a benign surface mass the size of a bing cherry removed from her shoulder, a teeth cleaning, and a nail clipping. While I was signing some papers this morning at the reception desk, an attendant took her lead and she toddled off before I could say good-bye. Around the corner I saw her go and I called to her in a soft, but loud enough voice, “Be a good girl, Chloe... I’ll be back later!” I had a knot in my throat the size of a lemon and told the receptionist it’s the first time I’ve left her for surgery in a decade. She understood. I drove to work fighting back tears to see the road.

You know, in a weird way, I think it’s harder to leave your frightened pet than it is to leave your child. Of course, leaving your child tears your gut and heart out, over and above this, but at least you can communicate with them, tell them everything will be OK and the doctors and nurses will take good care of them, and Mommy and Daddy are right here! Even though Chloe and Bella understand most of what I say, there’s no guarantee they understand me when I need it the most.

On the way home, she didn’t care to look out the window at every stop. Too woozy.

Her dental treatment was more complicated than I expected, as the vet found dead and decayed molars and dead, loose front teeth. They were all extracted but she still has plenty of teeth for chewing. I regret not having her teeth professionally cleaned in all her years and I’m going to make sure Bella has a professional cleaning within the next year, or sooner. If you have pets, schedule an appointment. They’ll have cleaner breath in their later years and they won’t have to endure extractions.

She thought we were in the neighborhood and needed to see if it was true! Can I leave my calling card on that hydrant, please? Just pick me up and take me to it.

Bella was all over her, checking her wounds and ID. She was a very concerned sister and sensed that Chloe didn’t need any rough and tumble playing. Poor, insecure Bella was home alone all day. Chloe leads the way for her and I would imagine that she whined for a while after we left this morning and might have stood at the kitchen door all day, waiting for us to come back inside.

Boston Terriers don’t give up on action. She needed to check out the back yard to see if it was still there. The girl is obviously exhausted in this photo, unsteady on her feet, but is afraid of missing out on something.

Thirty minutes after her homecoming, she was snoring in the sun. You can see her incision (Chloe has a red collar and Bella has the black one.) Nurse Bella made sure she was sleeping soundly.

She didn’t miss a tid-bit treat here and there tonight and was still present for her daily dinnertime handout. Those Bostons are persistent, no matter what!

Since her incision is weeping a little blood from her leaps onto furniture, I think I’ll sleep in the family room with her tonight and I may even stay home from work tomorrow to keep an eye on her. We’ll see. Everyone is sleeping right now. That's good.

Valentine's Day and Cedar Waxwings

I'm not a poet. During my lunch hour today, though, I scribbled this little ditty and I almost took it out of this post. I decided to leave it in since this is my journal, it's true, and very silly.


Camera, walking shoes, field guide in my bag in the mornings

Husband, perplexed, rolls his eyes at me as a warning, and thinks…

Does she need a suitcase?

Is my eccentric wife a bird-hunting nutcase?

Camera around my neck,

Down the driveway for the mail, I trek,

He asks, “You need a camera to get the mail?”

“Well, yeah…I might see something…like…a snail.”

My husband, Michael, doesn’t understand my fun with birds and photography. He likes the sunset photos and the dog photos, but doesn’t quite get the birds. However, this is my gift from him for Valentine’s Day. This Swavorski now sits in the middle of my curio, directly under the light. He isn’t so bad, after all!

I remember when a Mourning Dove crashed into our sunroom in Maryland and died on a pond rock. I found the poor thing, cold and stiff, and Michael followed me to the scene. He couldn’t believe the bird was dead, picked it up, and placed its belly on his ear like you would hold a telephone. He turned his head to the side, listening for a heartbeat. I interrupted him and said, “Michael, if you are calling the bird, or waiting for its voice, there is no answer.” So, he really does care…

When I arrived at the hair salon's parking lot yesterday I saw a silhouette of a flock of birds resting on a small tree. Under the tree, they were flitting and flying in and out of low berry bushes. It was a rainy, gray day, so I had to get close. But when I parked the car and approached them, they fled. Seeing their crest, I knew they weren’t cardinals and definitely not titmice…hmmmm. But there’s more ahead!

There is something so luxurious and relaxing about resting your head back in the sink and have your stylist massage your scalp. I always close my eyes. Why doesn’t it feel the same when you try it with your own hands? Amber is a pretty young woman, tanned, with loads of long auburn and brown hair and a pearly white smile. All of the cute stylists wear black trendy outfits and black high heels. I wonder how they do it? If I was a stylist and the salon opened at 9am, I’d be limping pathetically by 9:30! Actually, I’d be disabled. Period. For a while, I was the only frumpy over-50 woman in the place but I was glad to see another one walk in later, frumpier than me. Ahem...I'm not that frumpy.

Feeling a lot lighter and sheik with my freshly done hair, I got in my car and scanned that tree again, and found it still full of those birds. In pursuit, I turned off the radio, rolled down the window, approached at one mile per hour and stopped the car fifteen away. In the driver’s seat, I raised my camera... in… slow… motion.

A lifer for me. Beautiful Cedar Waxwing. Of course, I didn’t know they were Cedar Waxwings until I got home and downloaded the photos, but I knew they were a special find for me. If the sun were shining, I couldn't have imagined how beautiful their colors would have been…

Today I went to the grocery store at the same strip mall. Through my windshield, busy Cedar Waxwings, on a sunny day.

Oh, how lovely.




From my driver's seat, in the sun, simply gorgeous.

I wish for my friends, who are buried under loads of snow and ice, that it will melt quickly and the sun will shine on you soon.

Empty-headed

Yesterday I realized that I have posted on all but two days since Christmas Day. I’ve run out of posting steam. There are no words, no ideas right now, so I need to charge my battery for a while. For a day or two I’ll visit my favorite blogger friends to see what everyone has been up to. After I click “publish” tonight, I’ll fold a load of laundry and watch a mindless TV show. I’ll be back in a few days, or sooner than that if I catch the Great Blue Heron standing on the side of my pond!

At the right side of this photo, there is a glimpse of Chickadee feathers exiting the feeder.

See? I need a break.

Cute Overload

Just when I’m feeling a horrible case of blogger burnout, which will probably be the subject of a post soon, something happens to invigorate me. There is so little time in the day for meeting my responsibilities plus finding time for relaxation, which in my case, is creating a form of art called blogging. It’s a peaceful release of energy that I look forward to every day but it’s a challenge to find the time to create something pleasing for myself, first and foremost, and for others who might read along with me.

Here he is. Mr. Biggins spent a few hours with us this weekend. For those who don’t know Mr. Biggins, his real name is Austin (named after the city in Texas) and belongs to my daughter Gina and her boyfriend Billy, originally from Austin, Texas. But we call him Mr. Biggins because he is three times the size of my two Boston Terriers. Does he look like a mean dog in this photo or does he look worried? Yes, but his looks fool you. He is the sweetest, gentlest male Boxer mix! Mr. Biggins loves pink plush toys with squeakers in them. What I love about him most of all is his affection for Bella, Chloe, Grampa, and Gramma. When Gina brings him through our door, he turns himself inside out with glee and heads directly to the kitchen for a cookie.

“Off you go!”, I say. “Play outside for a while.” Two minutes later, they are begging for me to come out to play with them. “And, bring some TOYS!” (Cute overload.)

PURE DOG JOY.

Mr. Biggins and Bella wear each other out. I love my camera and this photo! This action shot would have been a complete blur if taken with my old camera.

MORE PURE DOG JOY.

They are spent. Mr. Biggins ran and played until he couldn’t stand on his feet. Chloe asks, “Is it time for him to go home yet?”

There was no time for a walk or watching the feeder birds today but I managed to catch a few. They are especially for YOU, Gina!

The Cowbirds are back after being gone for a week or two. They try to rule the feeder but the others get their share. I caught this female waiting for me to disappear.

I’ll probably tire of the Goldfinches soon but until I do, here's another one, “Around and around we go…”

This afternoon I went to a movie with Gina, her friend Lea, and her mother, Ellen. The movie we saw was so appropriate for mothers and daughters, called “Because I Said So”, starring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore. It's a nice chick-flick that made me laugh alot and cry, just a little. While driving out of the mall complex, passing the restaurants, I saw the sky swarming with Ring-billed Gulls. It’s the first time I’ve seen them in several months!



While I was stopped at a traffic light I saw a gull perched on a light fixture... I fumbled for my camera and dropped it once, rolled down my window and got one shot before the light turned green. Because I held up traffic for maybe three seconds, at the most, the driver behind me honked his horn. I shouted out loud, “Oh, blow it out your ass!” Then, as I drove through the green light and remembering it’s Sunday, I calmly said, “And have a nice evening.”