The Hummers Are Coming!

Lisa called to tell me it's time to hang up the hummingbird feeders. She's right. I checked the Migration Map, and they've been sighted in NJ, NY, PA, and even farther north.
I made up some nectar this morning and got a couple of feeders out there. Come on, guys! It's time! I'm anxious to see you back again! The feeders are here waiting for you. Not a whole lot of flowers ready for you yet, but the feeders are waiting. And the blossoms will be following soon.



I tried to get my taxes done this morning too. Gave up. It's just too hard when you have to use a magnifying glass for every line. I made an appointment with the Office of Aging. Nothing like cutting it down to the last minute, is there?

Today the temperature is supposed to go waaaay up! Before Thursday, that is, when it's supposed to come way back down again, with rain. Oh well. We'll enjoy it while it's here. All the more reason to hang the feeders. If it's going to get cold again, the hummers will need their nectar.

And have you seen how BIG the eaglets are now!

The hawk can probably be seen best in the afternoon, when the sun gets around to that side of the building.

Webcams, Change in Weather, Isaac

First, thanks to Michelle for a lead to eagle and owl webcams. They look great. I love watching and waiting for the eggs to hatch and the chicks to grow.
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Really happy to report we had nothing but rain over night. There was a little melting of snow as a result. This morning they are telling us things about "flurries" and "showers", so I'm hoping for the best, and feel much better about it.
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My daughter posted more
pictures of Isaac, taken in California. I guess she's showing them before going on to those of their their New England trip. I'm enjoying the sunny photos at the pool, including his current love - his best friend's little sister.















The pipe cleaner man is his portrait of his dad.







Of course I'm also looking forward to the new ones to come. Especially those of his fifth birthday.



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Oh boy! Here's the first pic.



It's the first time he has ever seen snow actually falling.

Change of Seasons

I guess autumn is really on its way at last.

Before I leave the subject of 9/11 completely, let me mention that my daughter posted and said, on that morning, the three year old woke up and said to her, "Mommy, tell me about some people who died." No preamble. No explanation for it. But it is rather chilling, isn't it?

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As I have mentioned, I have had the first cricket inside the house for the season. And now I have another. This one has not shown himself. He has been residing somewhere in the kitchen for the past two nights. I don't really mind too much, since he is staying in the kitchen - so far. It's far enough from my bedroom that I am not driven crazy by his chirping all night, and I don't think there's anything in there like carpet or paper that he can destroy.

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The best part of autumn in this part of the world is the absence of tourists, at least for a while. I went food shopping on Friday morning, and there was hardly any traffic on the roads, and I could walk down the aisles in the store without being elbowed, and there was only one person ahead of me at check out. Tomorrow I have to go up the Parkway to the doctor's office, and I know I can plan the timing easily to make my appointment. Lots less stress.

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What are your feelings about meteorologists? I know it isn't an exact science, so far as being able to predict with complete accuracy which way a hurricane is going to move, etc. I don't mind when they can't tell us that kind of thing . But it kind of gets to me when they try anyway, and get all worked up about it, making dire predictions as to what might happen. They seem to be on the same wave length as the anchor men and women who tease us with world-shaking news that we can only hear if we tune in at 11: , and we don't want to miss it! Don't get all wide-eyed and fill your voice with unwarranted urgency. Just tell me what you think is going to happen, and own up to the fact that you don't really know for sure. - And what's with sending some poor soul outside in the worst imaginable conditions to tell us it's windy and raining? We know it. We will believe you if you confirm this for us - from inside the studio. Honest. Sure, I'd like to see some pictures of flooding or a dust storm, just so I know how bad it is in another part of the country. But not at the risk of the cameraman's life.

Weather, along with "news", has now become entertainment. I think it's sick.

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May I indulge myself with another Grandma story? Nothing sensational. Just a quiet and amusing little anecdote. First of all, I called him a three year old. He is now three and a half. That is very important to him now.

Isaac gathered all of his stuffed toys of the Winnie the Pooh characters, and then added farm animals and a few others. He announced that he wanted to act out the Pooh stories. His mom asked how all the others fit in. He said, "Dose are the fwens and a-lations."

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He got on the phone with me Sunday, and told me very excitedly (and loudly) that he is three and a half. He goes to a yoga class for little people and their parents. They do positions like the dolphin, the shark, etc. Last week he told the teacher he had made up a new position. It is the octopus, which he demonstrated for her.

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Well, gas is now down to 3.35 here, and considerably lower in some towns. Don't understand the inconsistency. My feeling is that prices should be statewide. The Villas Girl tells me that the Wawa stations are now asking for cash up front. I guess they've been ripped off too often, but how the heck can you know how much you're going to need before they pump it, especially when the prices jump day to day?

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Guess I've rambled on long enough today. What? Another chicken joke?

Random Stuff

"Firefox cannot find a server at my.yahoo.com" - and I couldn't figure it out for myself? Had to call Villas Girl, who asked me if my modem was on. Oh yeah - the modem! I'd turned it off along with the computer last night when thunder started to rumble. - Duh.

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And speaking of storms - How come we get a Weather Bureau ticker on the TV screen at 3:19pm to warn us that there is a severe storm watch in our county "until 3:30pm:? (and the sun shining brightly all afternoon) - Duh, again.

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Kitty and family are home again. She promises to try to blog soon about Cape Cod. Can't wait. Hope she adds pictures - although she's already posted a lot on Flickr. I'm always hungry for more.

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I have a crabby old lady question: Why do parents let their children scream? I don't mean yelling. Children yelling back and forth and laughing at play - that's fine with me. I mean shrill, blood curdling screams, as if they're being killed. If they're allowed to do that constantly, for no good reason, how are we supposed to know if they are really hurt or in danger? It's only certain children who seem to do it, and they're usually all in the same family.

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It's very hot. And they say hotter tomorrow. Good Lord! It's only June!

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Can you tell, it's been a quiet Sunday and I'm a little bored? I don't like being bored. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Glad it doesn't happen often. Maybe I'll just play another game of mah jongg.

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Still 218 more days.