Jake's Birthday

 You know you are old when your youngest "child" reaches 50. 

Jake is 50 today! 

Since it is Jill's spring break, the two of them have been off adventuring in New Mexico.

Getting the low down at White Sands National Park

Checking out the high ground of the Organ Mountains

Peaking their interest on Guadalupe Peak, which is actully in Texas. 

Going undergound at Carlsbad Caverns

A little other worldly experience at the UFO Museum in Roswell.

And hanging out in Sante Fe.

Happy Birthday, Jake!

Keep on having those cool adventures.

Bird Song

  I have been having fun with a new to me app on my phone. Merlin is a bird song identifier from Cornell Labs of Ornithology that identifies birds by their songs, records the songs, and supplies photos of the birds.

I have been using the app when I walk out my long driveway to get the newspaper in the mornings. The app can hear birds I can't hear, but I know are around here because I have seen them at various times. 

This morning I went out to pick some flowers, and since the sun was shining on the garden deck, I sat there for a while, and turned on my bird song app. 

I haven't figured out a way to copy the photos, but here is what my app heard this morning: Pine Siskin, American Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Anna's Hummingbird, House Finch, Bewick's Wren, and Brown Creeper.

I think I have only seen the Brown Creeper once or twice over the years, but it's nice to know they are still creeping up tree trunks.

I have a few photoo I took a few winters ago of some of my feathered friends.

House Finch or Pulple Finch?

Dark-eyed Junco, which I see here all of the time.

Spotted Towhee, which is often around.

Black-capped Chickadee

Chestnut- backed Chickadee

Internet photos:

Pine Siskin - flocks come to the feeder at certain times of the year.

Song Sparrow

Brown Creeper

Anna' Hummingbird - we have them year round.

Bewick's Wren-currently nesting in our bird bottle

Golden-crowned Kinglet - heard but not often seen

If you haven't discoverd Merlin, and you have a smart phone, look for it in your App Store on your phone. It's fun. 

Finding Joy

Our participation in the Hands Off Rally and Protest on Saturday afternoon was joyful. 

We met up with our teacher friend Jan and were surrounded by other mostly oldsters waving signs and visiting and just enjoying themselves. Most of the people driving by honked and waved and gave up thumbs up. It felt so good to be there with like minded folks. 

We were a small group, probably about 400, on a plaza and sidewalks in Des Moines, WA, a small marina town on the shore of Puget Sound. The weather was sunny and warm. 

We came home feeling so satisfied that we had taken the challenge to "Do Something".

When I got home I set up my coffee and biscotti and laptop on the patio in the sun and posted to FaceBook and read other postings and just enjoyed the rest of a beautiful afternoon.

We went out for a breakfast dinner at IHOP, then watched a disappionting Sounders soccor match on TV. I also found a dishearting comment on my FB post from my sister. She asked what I was protesting and proceeded to tell me all the good things Trump is doing and I should just give him time to complete all these good things. 

My sister is a Trump supporter. I guess it's because she has always been a Republican, and has had the need to support whoever their candidate is, so over the years she has more and more turned to alternative news sources. She buys the whole Trump package now.

Reading her comments was a real killjoy. I work hard to maintain a loving relationship with her. Right now it's hard.

Today, Sunday, it was raining lightly when I finally got outside this morning to do a little walk around in the garden and see what Tom has accomplished.

The Bergenia just sent up flower stalks. 

The tulips are closed under cloudy skies.

Tom got the lawn mowed yesterday. The red leaf maple is beginning to leaf out. 

Tom got the old fronds cut off on the sword ferns, a big job that I used to help with. The new fronds are already beginning to emerge. 

This trillium in more shade is still white, 

While this one in more light is already aging to purple. 

Trillium Lutea has yellow blooms. 

The Oregon Grape, is blooming. Where are the bees?

And right outside my window the Full Moon Maple is leafing out.

Soon these little red flowers will be all over the tree. I love watching it emerge in spring.

The garden brings me joy. 
 

 

Today's Flowers

 Yesterday and today I have been walking in the park. It's a mostly level, safe place to walk, and of course, I had to check back on the cherry trees.

They are in full bloom, and so beautiful!

I walked on the path through the woods too. The new green is also beautiful.

Red Flowering Current hasn't lost it's splendor. Our cool weather prolongs blooms.

I walked a little over a half hour each day,  distancing .82 and .83 miles. That's a slow pace, but that's what I can manage for now. I've had setback, but I'm workig through it. 

With Tom's help on the uneven ground and high reaching, I picked new flowers from the garden for the table. 

The next two days are supposed to warm up. Tomorrow we'll have breakfast with friends and on Saturday we plan to spend an hour in the sun at a Hands Off Rally. 

I wanted to make a small sign but there are too many issues for one small sign, so I just did this.

I can wear it around my neck. It's a hands free sign. :-)