Sleeves On!

I got over my mad at the Red Marl sweater yesterday (kinda sorta) and sewed on the sleeves at work in the afternoon.  It didn't really take long and was rather satisfying even if the abomination of a collar flap thingy is still attached to the neck back.  I intend to sew up the sides today while icing my ankle (it still aches and is a lovely shade of black and blue), then I'll only have the collar to think about and finish.  Being that close to finishing I think I'll give myself permission to start something new.  A reward for good behavior, so to speak.  Or maybe an amuse-bouche before the final collar slog.  (that's a one-bite appetizer, a little something to tempt your tastebuds)

Birds!  I want to talk about seeing birds, two of them I don't have actual, eyewitness photos of but birds that I have been longing to see and finally saw.  First, the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are back at the feeders.  (I took this picture)  There's a little teeny tiny female zipping in for a sip at both the near and far feeders throughout the day, one male, and another female or two making random fly-bys.  I haven't seen an oriole again but the level of nectar's down in their feeder too so I'll be whipping more up later.  

On my drive up to the last (boo hoo) Door County Shepherd's Market on Saturday I saw a Snowy Owl (yes! really!) perched on a sign in the median coming around Brussels.  I was sorely tempted to swing across on one of those police car turn-arounds and go back to snap a photo or ten but I was absolutely certain that I'd get a ticket if I did, so I have no proof that I saw one.  But I saw one. I think it was a male because I saw it from the back and it didn't have many stripes.  It's my first "owl in the wild" sighting and I'm so excited.  (this photo and the next one are from Wikipedia)

For years I have been considering planting a shrub that makes berries to attract Cedar Waxwings to the yard but don't really have a good spot visible from the patio doors so Durwood can keep watch for me.  Last night while supper was simmering I saw a flurry of wings in the top of the blooming apple tree, looked up, and at first I thought there was a flock of female cardinals but soon realized it was Cedar Waxwings feeding on the blossoms.  No way could I take a picture of them, the tree was white with flowers, the sky was white with clouds, they're gray green and were flitting around up in the tippy-top of the branches.  Take my word for it, they were there.  I looked them up in the bird book and it was definitely them.  I could see the little bandit stripe across their eyes.  

I haven't been able to snap a photo of the Mama and Papa Chickadees feeding the babies in the birdhouse, I've seen them coming back with bugs and worms but they're too quick for me to snap a photo and it's been too chilly to sit out there stalking them (yes, still, it's bleeping 45 right now supposed to rocked up to 53 today, grrr).  Durwood says that sparrows have nested in the birdhouse under the honeysuckle but I've only seen a pair of them cavorting on the dead branches, haven't seen them going in or out.


May 19--Andrew Child, Droplet Sequence.  The sound of the drip hitting the water standing in the bowl in the sink echoed down the hall and woke Kelly from a sound sleep.  She meant to move the bowl and put a dishcloth down to muffle the sound but she forgot.  She meant to get a washer to put into the faucet and silence the drip, drip, drip once and for all but she hadn't had time.  She lay there in the darkest hour of the night with the piercing sound of it drilling into her brain and thought about dollars going down the drain with every drop.

Don't you hate how things are magnified in the night?  I'm glad I sleep through most nights.  I rarely have trouble falling or staying asleep *knock wood*, and I'm really really glad.  I might get dressed today, oh, I have to get dressed because I have a tank to drop off.  Oh well, it's nearly noon, time to dress no matter what, right?
--Barbara