May Day Plus One
I've been gone a while, I know. But what can I say? Life can be boring in and around the White House. Boring to the point that composing my thoughts into words is an exercise in tedium. To be on the outside looking in... well, it would have been just plain excruciating. Cruel almost. So while I've been making the rounds, I've been avoiding my blog.
But just today a friend said, "Hey, where you been? I'm concerned." So I'll blog a bit. And know that hearing those two words brightened by day considerably.
My bluebirds, Fred and Ethel, are back. They started nesting in early April. I've (they've?) got 5 eggs. As of Sunday, none had hatched.
I've seen several movies since my last post: The Aristocrats, A History of Violence, Proof, Remember the Titans, The Squid and the Whale, My Darling Clementine, Everything is Illuminated, Cinderella Man, and Mrs. Henderson Presents. Of these, I give Proof and My Darling Clementine 5 stars. I recommend both highly. The former explores the thin line between erratic behavior and madness, a child's obligations to her father versus what she might accomplish on her own. (Gwyneth Paltrow can't name babies to save her life but she does a good job here.) The latter must be the most beautiful film photographically I've ever seen. Ansel Adams could have been its cinematographer. Netflix is a terrible, wonderful habit.
D- has been visiting colleges. Hard to believe my baby has only one more year of public education.
I'm done painting and wallpapering for a while. What a relief. Looks damn good if I do say so myself.
Katie Couric is heading to CBS news. Good for her. Now I can start watching The Today Show again.
My latest political act? I've already ordered the forthcoming Dixie Chicks album from Amazon.
In the conspicuous consumption department, I bought a pair of these. Hey, at least it wasn't a bass boat.
Sunday I was cleaning up the yard. I grabbed the grill cover, which I had earlier in the week set on the wood pile, only to find a black rat snake curled up underneath it. I imagine this is his. He slithered into the wood pile before I could grab him. (And by "grab" I mean flick him into a bucket using a 3 ft. tent pole.) I don't mind snakes but I like them in an objective-armchair-field-guide sense; not in a surprise!-I'm-in-your-face sense.
See, what did I tell you? Boring. Middle-aged, suburban engineers just aren't the Great Gatsby.
More later.
K-
Thanks for the catch up. I was wondering if there will be any bluebird pictures forthcoming.
Have a nice day.
Cas
Good to have you back. I have two nesting pairs of bluebirds. One has a symphony of little mouths to feed but I am not home at a good time to count how many. The other has four little blue eggs. Clementine is a great movie. Haven't seen it in years. It's in TiVo now.
So glad you're back.
We rarely, if ever, get blue birds around here. We do get owls, though. I saw my first owl of the season swoop from one tree to another just before dusk tonight. Totally silent in flight.
Those are some fine glasses, Kem. Congratulations.
I've seen owls twice: a great horned sitting on a cactus in AZ and a saw-whet here in Maryland. Usually I just hear them.
K-
You might be able to see those owls now even at night, Kem. Binoculars, particularly lightweight high-quality ones, are excellent astronomy instruments so I think they would also lend themselves to night birding. I had an owl cross and completely block my field of view in my telescope one night. I looked up just in time to see him flying from one tree to another. Nearly gave me a heart attack.