Friends, Relatives and Birds

A Gorgeous day outside today - and we had an appointment to have lunch with a brother-in-law and his wife at Logans. Great food, too much food, then coffee and pleasant conversation. I love being retired because I had no need to rush back to the office. It was a wonderfully leisurely day. Dewain and Debbie live about 30 minutes away so we get this opportunity occasionally. He's retired from being Comptroller of Children's Hospital in New Orleans - right after Katrina.

This Mourning Dove and a mate have been playing in the kitchen
window for the last few days. They will come from the tree to the window, Coo-cooo-coooo, then fly back to the tree. I have seen one of them carrying straw and various items into this tree to build a nest. They are beautiful - but will not hold still for the photo I wanted to get.




I'm not sure - but I think this is a Carolina Wren. Several of them have been hopping about in the grass, picking up worms, then flying to the window of my office. I put out a few crumbled crackers to entice them up close for a picture. Worked like a charm.


Tennessee's state bird, the Mockingbird, also loved the crackers and was more aggressive in coming up close to take them. This one espied the camera right away and split-seconds later flew away. I love watching them. Maybe, just maybe, I'll go out and buy some bird-seed.


This is a side view of the same Mocking-bird. Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, tweedle dee dee dee - oh what a thrill to wake up in the morning on Mocking-bird Hill.




This squirrel has a bobbed tail. Not sure what happened - could have been that black cat that roams the neighborhood - or a dog - or even a "snap trap"...but something definitely got it's tail. This is the third year we've seen the same squirrel feeding around our



Right after we left Logan's Roadhouse, I took my wheelhorse out to have it serviced. Sitting up all winter (yes, out in the open) the steering is "locked". Probably from rust? At any rate it was impossible to steer it, so have to have it repaired soon as the grass is starting to speak to me about needing to be kept trimmed. A friend had asked me to take his weed-eater to the repair shop when I took my mower - but I forgot all about it. Hopefully he'll forgive me.

Below are three snaps of the city of Cleveland's "Green-way", a very nice walking trail of over two miles - along Mouse Creek. We have been blessed and now own the lot between here and the road behind our house so we have this gorgeous view 24/7!