He Has the "Key"

Sept 17 -- key

Key, that's today's Photo A Day theme and Durwood has a new key for me to take a picture of.  Never fear, I have a key for that new vehicle too, in fact, I have two keys for that vehicle since I have the valet key in addition to the other key key.  The valet key was the hidden key and I know that because it is covered with duct tape glue.  I'll get some gloves and the Goo Gone to clean it up later and do it outside so that Durwood can keep breathing.  I'm thoughtful that way.

It's chilly outside in the morning now.  *sigh*  I love it when it's chilly outside in the morning.  The coleus is as happy as it's ever been, the sedum's blooming, the apples are ripening, but the early spring bleeding heart is collapsed from the chilly night.  Guess that means it'll soon be Fall.  Which also means that the "W" word and the "S" word aren't far behind.  Guess it's time to call the snowblower and mower fixit guys to come pick them up... no, wait... our neighbor LJ offered to do the regular maintenance for them, but the mower needs a fixit guy, I think, because the self-propelled part's been a little balky this summer so it better go to the shop instead of into LJ's garage.

 

I think the male hummingbirds have migrated but the females, the tough ones of the crowd, are still here and still fueling up for their long future flight.  Do you realize that some of these tiny fliers cross the Gulf of Mexico in one, non-stop, 18 hour flight?  So, no, they don't migrate on the backs of the geese, as one myth says, these tough little birds make it all on their own.  I lucked out again this morning and had the camera in my hand and turned on when a chubby little female hummer landed for a morning drink.  They're so tiny and so fierce I am constantly enthralled when they stop at our feeder.  Two of them were chasing each other around in the apple tree the other day and it looked from where I sat like they should have bonked into branches and knocked themselves out but they didn't.  There's probably lots of open space in there behind all the leaves and fruit where there's just bare twigs and stuff, but it sure looked crazy

seeing those eensy, weensy bodies zipping around in there.

September 17--Jean Baptiste Greuze, Study Head of a Woman.  She had a scarf tied around her head to keep her hair from tangling in the wind that blew in through the open door.  The house had been shut up for so long that the stale air felt heavy like it would make a sound as the fresh air shoved its way in and forced the old air out.  Jean had to use both hands and lean in to turn the old key in the rusty lock in the front door.  She had waved a broom over the doorway and around in the entry foyer to chase away any spiders and sweep away the webs.  Mr. Gilbert, the agent, wasn't paying her enough for her to take any chances that spiders might get down her neck.

Okay.  It's like I have a new husband.  Buying that van seems to have been a catalyst for him to shuck the last of his high altitude, we hit a deer and wrecked my beloved van, malaise and start on the road to recovery.  Whew.  I'm getting my old Durwood back, just a bit, I can see him twinkling out at me from those amazing blue eyes.  Thank.  God.  Time to kick-start my day.  Ta-ta!
--Barbara