Bits and Pieces

A fourth dead humpback whale has washed up on the Virginia shore today - this time on the beach of Assateague Island, on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.  A necropsy team is on the way.  It seems really odd to me that we're having this spate of humpback bodies in a period of less than 35 days.  I hope the scientists can figure out what is causing the deaths of these magnificent creatures.
   Tonight, Cheeto Voldemort will address a joint session of Congress.  I've decided not to watch this live - his almost constant use of incomplete sentences drives me crazy.  But MSNBC is holding a special late-night Hardball episode at midnight on the east coast - 10 pm here - and I'll be watching that.  The comments of Chris Matthews, Rob Reiner, and Bill Maher will be killers, I'm sure.
   Let's see - after the 8 inches of snow last week, some of which is still on the ground, we're expecting more snow this afternoon or evening.  The cats really wanted out on the balcony yesterday - it was bright and sunny - but the lady who lives above us doesn't clear her balcony of snowfall, so there was a constant shower of snow melt out there.  Both Lovey and Nedi went out, but they didn't stay long when they realized their was a cold shower from above.
   I had the weirdest dream the other night:  I was in a large bedroom, and I heard a big thump from the next room.  I looked out into the hall way, and my friend Beatrice came running out of door and into the hall, yelling, "Flitch back board and split green beans!"  I woke up because it was so weird, and the words made no sense.  I actually wrote the words down so I could ask Beatrice about them when we got up.  Of course, they were nonsense to her, also.
   A pigeon just flew past my window with a bunch of dried grasses in its beak.  I guess it's time to start nest-building around here.  There are three eggs in the bald eagles' nest on Assateague Island.  I'm looking forward to watching them hatch and then fledge. (They're on an eagle-cam feed.) Usually two of the three hatchlings will survive, so we will hopefully continue to help regenerate the species.
   I finally had my hair chopped off Sunday.  I had let it grow out for 3 years, since my sister's cancer diagnosis, but my hair is very fine and it seems to tangle instantaneously.  I'd spend 45 minutes getting all the knots out before I went to bed, and then have to do the same thing in the morning when I got up.  I tried putting my hair in one large loose braid, and in two braids, to sleep in, but I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep.  So I donated 15 inches of grey hair to make wigs  for folks with cancer.  And now, my hair is standing up like a cockscomb across the crown of my head...  I just laugh.