Artist: birdfeeder

Today is damp and misty. It is supposed to rain later this afternoon and tomorrow. My landscaper is weeding my garden right now and getting it ready for plants. I'll be buying them on Wednesday and also the herbs and flowers for my deck planters. Today I have a long list of places I need to go but they're all within a mile of each other so I don't have any complaints. I filled all the bird feeders and the bird baths yesterday. I also put out a new oriole feeder for grape jelly, but I don't know [...]

The house was really cold when I woke up this morning, 60° cold. I turned up the heat and nothing happened. I cursed a bit then decided to check the red on/off switch: it was on. I next checked the thermostat, and it was off. Glory be, no repairman needed! I turned the switch to heat and the furnace responded. The house got warmer than outside. I know radiators aren't the most attractive decorations for a house, but when I was a kid, I always took comfort from the hissing of the steam as the water coursed through [...]

The wind is so strong Gracie and I heard a crash and rushed to find the source. My umbrella had been blown down, and it banged as it hit the deck rail. Come to find out there is a wind advisory, and the winds could be as strong as 55 MPH. I decided my umbrella is probably safest where it is. Already it is 56° which is almost tropical for this time of year. The sun is bright and the sky perfectly blue. If there were no wind, it would be a lovely deck [...]

Last night's dusting of snow barely covered the backyard. Under the trees had no snow at all. Now it is melting and all I hear are drops from the roof. When I went to get the papers, I saw paw prints on the driveway. I wondered about them. Might the coyote be back or was it Cody, Gracie's friend, walking to the school bus stop with her family? The birds are swaying and spinning with the feeders, and they remind me of a carnival ride, the sort which always made me sick. I filled the feeders yesterday in [...]

Last night's dusting of snow barely covered the backyard. Under the trees had no snow at all. Now it is melting and all I hear are drops from the roof. When I went to get the papers, I saw paw prints on the driveway. I wondered about them. Might the coyote be back or was it Cody, Gracie's friend, walking to the school bus stop with her family? The birds are swaying and spinning with the feeders, and they remind me of a carnival ride, the sort which always made me sick. I filled the feeders yesterday in [...]

Today is winter. I have no doubt. I woke up to a snow squall, a tiny nor'easter, and a yard covered by the dusting. It is now 13°. I went out for breakfast as I usually do but my car was slow to heat. Gracie was in the back seat wearing her Pendleton coat, and, as I was a bit early, I rode around until the car was warm so Miss Gracie would be comfortable waiting. The snow isn't pretty the way some storms are. The wind is tossing the flakes which keep changing size. Right now they're [...]

A dusting of snow was on the lawn this morning. It was the second dusting of the winter, and both are the only snow we've seen. The day is getting warmer, already up 5° since I first checked, and the warmth has made the dusting a memory. Today will be in the 402s. During previous winters, a day in the 402s was considered almost balmy but not this winter. 40 during the day seems to be the norm. The nights, however, are still cold, even freezing, and they remind us that this is really winter. On our way [...]

Winter is in the wings. The weatherman says single digits by tomorrow night. As soon as I finish here, I'm going to fill my feeders so the birds won't go hungry. The bird man on NPR this morning said the birds would be at the feeders even more when it gets cold. I'm also going to hunt for the heater for the bird bath as that same bird man said birds need water this time of year even more than food. Yesterday I was far busier than usual: the list of those accomplishments is long so today I [...]

Winter is here today. It's mighty cold; it's bundle up to keep warm weather. From my perch inside here at the computer, I can look out the window and see the sunshine, but I know it's not the sort with any warmth. It brings only light. I can also see the bird feeders. The birds seem to be taking turns. Yesterday it was the goldfinches. Today nuthatches are at one feeder and chickadees at another. Three flickers dropped by the other day and ate the suet which I've since replaced, but they haven't been back yet. The bird bath is [...]

Glorious comes to mind in describing today. It is warm and beautiful. Earlier, at 9, I had a library board meeting then came home and went to the deck and filled the bird feeders. I then stayed outside a while in the sunshine and watched Gracie in the yard. She is enjoying the day as much as I am. Lately I have had the urge to bake and have been going through cookbooks. I always used to bake, more during the holidays of course, but I would also spend a Saturday in the kitchen making my favorite chocolate [...]

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The day is beautiful with a cool breeze and no blasted humidity. The pages of the papers waved in the breeze and needed something to hold down them as I sat on the deck to read. I noticed, when I was outside, that the spawns have stripped two feeders of their seeds so I have to pick up some more today. Yesterday I picked up the animals' food and treats, that would for Miss Gracie and the Misses Fern and Maddie, which means one item on my before I go list is crossed off. Being engrossed in a [...]

The weather is the same as yesterday with clouds, but the sun has been playing some peek-a-boo and might just surprise us. It's 56°. I never did go anywhere yesterday despite my good intentions; I just played at being a sloth, but this morning I have already been to a meeting and gone to have my blood drawn. Three more errands are on the list, and I'll leave as soon as I finish here. I never can pass up these bursts of energy. The birds are back. I am forgiven for leaving the feeders empty for so long. [...]

BIRDFEEDER, JEFFERTITTI'S NILE, AND STONE DARLING ON FRIDAY APR. 8TH AT THE SANCTUARY, 235 HILL STREET, SANTA MONICA. 7:00PM/ $5/ ALL AGES

The sky is cloudy and hiding the rain which will start sometime tonight and go into tomorrow. We're getting all rain, but up north, they'll get snow. It's a nor'easter according to the weatherman. That is always the worst storm whether snow or rain. The bird feeders are empty again. I swear there must be a sign which announces the menu and all the birds flock to dine. The goldfinches are getting brighter. I noticed a few the other day with real yellow on their breasts. In the front garden, some of my spring bulbs have flowered. I [...]

All my optimism of yesterday is buried under a couple of inches of snow. I also noticed the bird feeders are empty again so I'll trudge through the snow on the deck to fill them after I finish here. The snow showers have started again. First there were a few wispy flakes, but now the flakes are larger and falling faster as if they have illusions of grandeur. I don't want to go anywhere. I figure I'll shower, put on my cozies and read. I'm thinking an afghan on the couch. I'm typing and reading out loud as [...]

Efter att var och vartannat mail man fått den senaste tiden handlat om SXSW i Austin är NMB nu lite less. Mest på grund av avundsjuka, naturligtvis. Men för att visa tecken på någon slags originalitet tänkte jag prata om ett annat musikevent, som går av stapeln ungefär en vecka senare. Total Bummer är en lo-fi-festival som äger rum i universitetsstaden Gainesville i Florida, och Post Records (hem åt bl.a. Truman Peyote och Attachedhands , de förstnämnda bloggade om här och de senare här ) har därför satt [...]

• birdfeeder - cricket, spider, snake, hawk
• Many Mansions - Big White House

I'd want this clever design for killing two birds with one stone, er, um, well, maybe not the killing two birds thing. Anyway, I'd want it, but then it means I'd have to get a bird.