My first day back home and I was thrilled to have visits by Red and Mrs. They haven’t been fed in the week that we were away, so I was afraid they left. My husband reminded me that they live in the wild. All of our birds have to find their own food — unless I’m home.
Mrs. the cutie pie was first to arrive after I put out the seed block. The seed blocks usually last four days. This one was gone within 24 hours. The birds must have been hungry. The pouring rain didn’t stop them from feasting.
Red and friends munching away.
This wet momma quail was hanging out under a bench to get out of the rain.
Can you see the rain on the barrel cactus spines?
The last bits of the seed block enjoyed by quail, sparrows and Red.
No, the quail aren’t fat, but fluffed up their feathers to protect from the rain.
Red with his House Sparrow buddies braving the rain.
This Harris’s Hawk made an appearance yesterday, which is my second or third sighting since I began my beginning photography class.
Harris’s Hawks
You might notice the difference in photos? The first one, I took yesterday. The hawk was on the next door neighbor’s roof after I shooed him out of our yard. The photo with two hawks was taken in December before my class began.
I used to love it when the hawks came to visit. But now I’m a mother hen looking out for Red, the Mrs. and their nest. When the hawk decided a good place to hang out was next to the Reds’ nest, I got in his face with my camera. He didn’t like that and landed on the roof next door.
This Mr. Harris Hawk right next door to Red and Mrs.’ nest. It looks like he could be staring into their nest — which could bring a new meaning to “empty nest.”
I got these photos of Red and the Mrs. after the Harris’s Hawk flew away.
Before my photography class and getting to know my beautiful cardinals, I believed nature should take its course. Now I have one eye nervously glancing out the window whenever I see a large bird fly by. I’m right out there with my telephoto lens to snap pictures, which also scares away the predator birds.
My next adventure is to learn some of Adobe Photoshop. I’m beginning today, and am thankful for a professional photographer friend of more than 30 years who has offered to help!
What are your thoughts on my wanting to interfere in nature and being protective of Red and his wife?
The other evening, I sprinted — or walked — up to a vacant spot in our neighborhood to catch this view of the sun setting.
After a few super busy months, I feel fatigue deep in my bones. As much as I’ve wanted to do nothing for a few days, I haven’t had that luxury. First, there are those pesky household duties like laundry, grocery shopping and cooking. Plus, we have friends staying with us for a week. They said that I didn’t need to worry about them. They’re here to scout out a local lake for a spearfishing competition in April.
But not fussing over them is not in my nature. I cooked corn beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. Tuesday was salmon, spinach, shishito peppers and rice. Wednesday, they treated us to dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Thursday was surf and turf. Haven’t figured out what to do tonight. Sleep instead of eat?
Things happen. Like a leak in the ceiling after four days of rain. It’s in my office and my husband looked up at the ceiling and said, “I’ve never noticed those stains before.”
When we stepped a few feet away, we spotted at the top of the wall next to the ceiling, hanging plaster and paint.
I walked outside with my trusty camera after taking pics inside. I went outside to see if I could see the problem on the roof.
It was in plain sight. The damage was done exactly where a solar panel support is anchored into the roof. I spent a few hours looking for paperwork online from doc-u-signs during the solar purchase and install. I read through the warranty and small print. None of this is helping my fatigue, by the way.
We went through Costco for solar. I wrote them a letter yesterday about our current roof issue. Plus, the first experience with this vendor. I wanted to contact Costco first — and not their solar vendor — to see if our problem can be solved.
When the solar panels were installed, they had to redo the breaker box. The vendor installed 220V into a kitchen outlet under the sink where the dishwasher and garbage disposal are plugged in. It should have been 120V. The dishwasher motors blew, but thanks to that little red button on the bottom of our garbage disposal, it was saved.
I paid for a repairman for the dishwasher. He said it was cheaper to buy a new one than replace the motors, which I did. Then I paid $190 for an electrician to fix the circuit. I emailed and called our rep at the solar company to tell her about our problems. She said they were so sorry! I asked the company to reimburse me for the electrician only. (The dishwasher was old and I didn’t think they should buy me a new one.)
She said they would reimburse me for the electrician. I got bounced from department to department for seven months for $190!
One day, an email arrived into my inbox from our rep, who was promoting solar to Scottsdale. The email cc’d all the solar companies in our area. I replied all and wrote about my experience with Costco’s vendor. (How many companies would love to have that contract?) A few days later, I got reimbursed.
Enough about my roof and solar issues. As Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day.”
I remember my mom and what she called her “mung” days. She’d spend the entire day in her Lanz flannel nightie.
Right now, I’m thinking I would love to do that. (Hint to self — or family reading this — a Lanz flannel nightie for Mother’s Day?) I don’t have my Mom’s super power to “mung” all day. I think her manic depression as it was called back then — especially in her down cycles — helped her accomplish “munging” to level I’m not able to do. Yes, I miss my mom. I need to take a few pages from her life’s book and take a day or two off!
What is your favorite way to rest and recharge when you’re feeling over tired?
Kitten Olive with her best friend Angus, may they both rest in peace.
It’s been a sad few days for me. But I’m forcing myself to go outside and walk. I also spent time going through all the Olive photos on my iphone. I’m sharing some of my favorites here today.
Olive enjoying the Palm Springs lifestyle.
Olive in a negative mood
Olive found herself locked in the car. I have no idea how that happened. She was deathly afraid of cars and hated them.
A picture taken by my daughter on one of Olive’s first days with us.
Below is Olive enjoying indoor/outdoor life in Palm Springs.
Indoor Arizona life.
My favorite photo of Olive.
Closet cruising.
A stowaway in my suitcase.
My pretty kitty.
One of Olive’s favorite things to do. Harass the quail.
A picture my son colored in second grade. Wait until you read the story he wrote about it below!
Funny how it takes guests staying with us for me to get motivated to clean closets. I successfully emptied the casita closet. It had turned into storage space for all sorts of stuff including blankets, air mattresses, slippers, Sorel snow boots, hiking boots and even a box full of canvases and paints. Now it holds an appropriate number of sheets and towels.
That felt so good. I continued my cleaning spree in my own closet.
My efforts filled a car with blankets, books, comforters, and more that made it to Kiwanis Thrift Store. It’s amazing how things can accumulate after three short years of being in our new home. To be honest, a lot of stuff that I stored in closets moved with us.
Next, I went through my bathroom drawers and threw out ancient makeup, cough drops, unnecessary ointments and mini lotions and shampoos from years of hotel stays.
I have a guest bedroom closet left to tackle and I’ll be done! But it has all the personal things like photo albums, boxes of photos from my mom including her notebooks and diaries. I have generations of things to go through. Like the photo above, I saved things my kids created, report cards, school awards and swim medals. I have my daughter’s set of Madame Alexander dolls from the Wizard of Oz. I think it was easier to clear out the big stuff — especially because there’s no emotional attachment.
Here’s the story that goes with the photo:
What are your thoughts about the story? FYI, “derend” is a unique spelling of turned.
This past weekend, I was fascinated watching two mourning doves flying in and out of a bush in our backyard. They would fly up to the bush, sit on a branch and then disappear inside. They were carrying twigs and grass in their beaks.
I got the photo above before scaring the birds to the top of our pergola.
One of the doves kept guard from the top of the pergola before continuing the chore of building their nest.
I wanted to get a picture of the nest, but this is what I saw when I got up close:
Do you see the dove roosting in her nest? Her eye is to the left of the vertical branch. I backed off after snapping a photo. I don’t want to scare them away. That was quick work in building the nest!
Last year, I discovered quail eggs in a large planter next to our garage. The quail must have laid eggs while we were out of town. Once we were home, I noticed quail flying out of the planter whenever I opened the garage. I looked in the planter and discovered quail eggs, but mom and dad quail were scared away. The eggs never hatched.
I don’t want that to happen with the mourning doves. So, I’ll try to stop myself from taking more pictures!
A Gila woodpecker goes in an out of a saguaro nest in our backyard. All the holes were most likely made by woodpeckers. When they leave their nests, other birds move in.
I love watching birds in my empty nest.
What nests have you noticed in your neck of the woods?
I wrote this when we dropped our daughter off at college several years ago. Now that she’s living in the adult world — I still miss these things about her. We were lucky to have her sheltering in place with us for a couple of months. That was one of the good things that happened in 2020 — not COVID-19 and being locked down — but getting the chance to spend time together.
Kat at Carpinteria State Beach
We took our daughter to college two weeks ago. She looks really happy in the photos posted on FB and Instagram. She’s made new friends, is enjoying her team and coaches — and likes her classes.
My life is busy with new and old projects. But, I notice a quiet, a sort of waiting sense, that I didn’t feel before. It’s the little things about her that I miss.
Kat swimming
I miss her cracking my back. She would give me a hug, tell me to relax and say, “One, two..” and lift me up in the air before she said three. The result was cracking, popping relief.
I miss her making me laugh. Kat is funny. I love her little half smile when she knows she’s especially clever. And the crinkles around her eyes when she laughs out loud.
I miss her cleaning out my wallet and organizing it for me. She’d say, “Mom your purse is a gateway to hoarding.”
I miss her walking through the kitchen door after her morning workout asking me to make her eggs. I don’t have anyone to make eggs for right now — except my husband and me — and we rarely eat them.
I miss her cat Olive walking on the skinny end of her four poster bed while she watched Netflix on my laptop.
Baby Olive
I miss when she was very young and called yellow “lallo.” And when we’d go to the beach and she’d strip naked as soon as her suit got wet. I used to bring a bag full of swimsuits for her.
Kat in a dry suit at the beach with big brother Robert.
I miss going to the pool and watching practice, chatting with the other swim parents. That was a luxury that I took for granted.
Yes, I miss her and I hope she knows how much I love her.
Kat making an entrance into the room.
What are the little things you miss the most about your kids who have left home — or friends you no longer see very often?
