April 23, 2012



Jesse sunning himself



It won't fit!















By the time the dogs and I returned from our morning walk at 11:00 yesterday, it was already 57 degrees!  I gave them their treat, then sat on the porch and watched the woodland life.  "Our" wren is back in the birdhouse cleaning and putting in a fresh nest.  Most of the little insect fliers are also back: flies, wasps, gnats, bumble bees.  As I sat there, our first hummingbird appeared at the porch, the red one.  I took the hint and got out the feeder.  Washed it.  Filled it.  And hung it out.  It took less than two minutes for him to find it.  A little later I saw the tiny green one at the feeder.  Also saw a lizard sunning himself on a stump as I went to clean out and fill the bird bath. 

Heard the turkeys down over the west ridge.  The dogs ran over to the edge to look, but didn't go down.  Elsie said that every day now when they come home from work, "their" flock of turkeys are in their yard.  What a sight to come home to!

I have never been more aware of birds before moving Up Here.  Maybe because their songs are not drowned out by traffic and other sounds of life Down There.  We did have a bird feeder on our deck when we lived in Kirkland, until one day when I looked out the window to see a roof rat sitting on the railing and eating bird seed.  Norwegian roof rats look nothing like a typical rat, but more like a pack rat.  A big, cute hampster!  We actually had to get our house "rat proofed" as we some had gotten into the attic.

The high temperature for yesterday was 64 with a cloudless sky!  Way above average.  It was 74 Down there which was 18 degrees above normal.  More like an early summer day.  Elsie came up in the early afternoon to sand the bathroom walls and put another coat of mud on.  She plans to come up again this morning for the final sanding, and then I will prime the walls this week.  When that is all dry, she's going to help me put on a texturizer that goes under the paint.  Should be all done in a week or so.  Just in time for us to order the tongue-in-groove pine to finish the great room.  Our road should be just fine for the truck to come up by then.

No game cam pictures today as I do not know how to put the card back into the cam and reset it.  We'll check it when JB gets back today.

Had a passing thunder shower this morning at 7:20.  Very short.  Just enough to wake me up.  We may get a few more during the day, but it is already 54 out there so it will be another warm one.  Didn't need a fire last night for the first time this year.Thought for the day:  Maple Leaf Gardens: the most important religious building in Canada.  William Kilbourn  (In honor of the hockey playoffs)