A Bird Day

 Evidently the melting of the snow over the last couple days exposed enough fallen birdseed that it brought a bunch of birds back.  First, a pair of Juncos pecked around, then a pair of Sparrows came to the feeder, the House Finches landed on the platform feeder, a Chickadee swooped in for a seed, and a flock of Mourning Doves landed on the ground under the feeders.  It was so dim that they're hard to see but there are about eight Doves in this picture, maybe more.

While the Doves were there, a female Downy Woodpecker came to the suet for a snack.

I added a few rounds to the January Cast Sock #2 but couldn't muster up much gumption to knit today.

17 January--Barbara Malcolm, The Seaview. 

It was getting close to six in the evening and time to close the dive shop when I walked down the beach to my hotel.  From the sea side it looked much better.  Luke and Stanley had finished priming the front and, while it was a bit blotchy, I could see a hint of how it would look when it was finished.  Maybe I could get the shutters painted over the weekend so that as soon as the final coat of paint was applied they could be mounted.  They were real working shutters too, not just decorative ones.  They had nice sturdy latches to hold them closed if a big storm came onshore.  I climbed the steps of the front porch and pride swelled as I saw what we had accomplished in a little over two months.  There was no music cascading down from the roof which meant that Luke and Stanley had finished up for the day.  I had seen Silas and Edward walking down to Johnno’s when I left the dive shop, so their hammers and saws were quiet.  No rusty old pipes clattered down the trash slide into Mr. Carty’s faithful dumpster that still crouched under it in back, so the plumbers were gone too. 

“Hello?” I called and I heard Iggy say, “Back here” from the kitchen. 

When I went down the short hall and through the door I was amazed at what I saw.  “Oh my god,” I stopped dead one step over the threshold, “I have a kitchen.  A real kitchen.” 

While I had been away a miracle had occurred.  The stove was installed and the sink and countertop were too.  Along one wall there were bottom cupboards, with doors that had pierced metal inserts, topped by a quartz countertop.  Above it were open shelves made of wire for air circulation.  It was everything I had imagined all those months ago when I was spending so much time and money in home improvement stores. 

Iggy smiled at me from the top of the stepladder where he was attaching the last blade of the big ceiling fan.  “How do you like it?  I made everyone help so that I could surprise you.” 

I covered my mouth with my fingers.  “It… it is just wonderful.” 

He climbed down and I walked to him and put my arms around his neck.  “Thank you, Iggy, thank you so much.”  I rose up on my tiptoes and kissed him. 

His arms went around me and pulled me close.  Our kiss deepened and the stresses of the week faded.  I ran my right hand down his back and cupped his butt.  I loved his firm bottom, the way it felt it my hand. 

His hand strayed from my jaw to my left breast and we ground together, each of us murmuring our pleasure.  It crossed my mind that we might just make love right there. 

“Mother!”  A shocked male voice blared through the room.

Today's toss was another old phone, this one a cordless with two charging stations.  I'm sure no one will want them but you never know.

Writing went okay today.  The prompt wondered how you would cope with no tech.  I decided that I can't be without it, especially during the pandemic.  I don't have a landline anymore and if I couldn't zoom with knitting friends or text people, I'd go mad.  Or madder than I already am.  Anyway, I managed to fill the page with my ramblings.

--Barbara