Nature Watch

The wild life around the house often fascinates and amuses me.

Despite the current news that common birds are dying off at alarming rates in America, there seems to be an abundance of birds living around Little Pottsburg Creek.

I recently cleaned and refilled the bird feeder on the side yard. I can watch from my seat in the den as birds approach, land and nibble. Last Saturday I did some pruning there and left the half full contractor's bag in the yard. This morning I realized I left the bag too close to the bird feeder. I watched with amusement as an industrious squirrel used the half filled bag as a springboard to land on the bird feeder. When he first landed the birds nibbling on the feeder flew off, but in less than a minute they returned, munching seeds side by side with the squirrel. There's something so sweet about watching birds eat from a seed feeder. It's engrossing too. It's like watching a fire in the fire place.

In another part of the yard I put out dried corn on cobs in a special feeder for the squirrels. Last time, I put two cobs in the feeder that usually holds one cob, because the cobs were small and I was able to fit two in. The squirrels love these treats and go through them pretty rapidly.

This morning as I was holding the door open for a very slow Ally B. to jump up into the house a cleanly stripped corn cob fell out of the tree right in front of the door. One of the little squirrels must have pulled out that extra cob and brought it up into the tree. I looked from the kitchen window to see that there was only one cob left in the holder, and that too had been stripped.

I enjoyed a nice quiet evening last night. I watched some TV, retired at 10:30 and read until 11:10. Except for a 2 a.m. wake-up by Allie B. to be released from the bedroom for a sip of water, I slept well. We all arose at 6:15, fresh as daisies. Even Yeshe who has been nursing a bad back of late had a little more zip to his exit from bed this morning.

Hopefully, I will find out today if I will get a new assignment at work. Either way, I just want the decision to be made so I can move on. Not that I've been sitting around idly waiting for them to decide. It's just that having something out there and waiting beyond the date I was told a decision will be made is a little nerve wracking.

Wednesday. Hump day. Almost ready to head off to work. Maybe I'll write more later.

2:00 P.M.
I was informed this morning that I wouldn't be getting the new assignment. And it is ok. Not without disappointment, but ok. So now I am busily preparing my goals for this coming year, in this position. They're due soon.