Bird Courtship Photos

Almost 14 inches of snow fell this past Thursday and Friday; all roadways and sidewalks that I can see from my apartment are now clear, but there is still a good amount of snow on roof-tops and in grassy areas.  However, it's already in the mid-50s , and the high temperature today is supposed to be 70 degrees F, with Chinook winds blowing down from the mountains.  Chinooks are known as snow-eaters, so the ground might be clear by Wednesday, when it's time for more snow...

  I'm only concerned about it because I have two Jack Russell terriers to walk to day and tomorrow - and,since Emmett is all white, I don't want to lose him in a snow bank.  Nicodemus, at least, is a tri-color, so he'll be easy to spot.  I'm walking the boys in addition to Rosie and Tess while their people are away on vacation.  Their daughter is caring for the boys in all other ways, but can't get home for a late-morning walk.

  I can't believe that it's nearly Easter.  And that Nedi will be 6 years old on 1 April....

Here are some more photos of male birds displaying for their ladies:

Grouse

Hooded Merganser

King bird of paradise

Kori bustard

Lyrebird

Malaysian peacock

Mallard ducks

Ostriches

Views of Colorado State Parks (Final, For a While)

I woke up this morning with both ring fingers and my right thumb stuck in the "trigger finger" position.  Guess I'll need to step up doing the physical therapy exercises for the next few weeks.  It doesn't hurt - it's just a weird feeling when you can't straighten your fingers - and that they pop so oddly back into place...  Oh, well.  I am getting older, and my hands have seen lots of work.

   Here are a few more scenes from some of the Colorado State Parks...  I won't post others for a while.

Paonia S P

Ridgway S P

Ridgway S P

Roxborough S P

State Forest S P  - Lake Agnes

Sylvan Lake S P

Vega S P

More Colorado State Park Views

View of Pikes Peak from Mueller

Mount Elbert S P

Rifle Falls S P in winter

Rifle Falls S P in summer

The Lion's Head in Staunton S P

State Forest S P, north of Thunder Pass

Eleven Inches of Snow And It's Still Falling

The weather forecast for yesterday, Saint Patrick's Day and Saint Gertrude's Day (the patron saint of cats), called for a high of 45 and a low of 31 (degrees F).  It was supposed to be partly cloudy in the morning, with clouds coming in from the northwest in the late afternoon.  There was a 20% chance of rain or snow, with snow predicted for today, Friday.  It was below freezing when Nedi and I were on the balcony yesterday morning just before 7 - and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw several snow flakes float by my nose...  Well, we never got above freezing yesterday - and eleven inches of snow fell.  The last weather forecast I saw said we'd have another 3 to 6 inches of snow fall before this system moves out of the area late this afternoon.  I'm scheduled to be at Rosie's this evening; guess I'll bus there, and take a taxi home...
   The early snow yesterday and last night was a thick, heavy wet snow.  What's falling now looks like powder, so I'm hoping it will be easy to clean the balcony later.  Why bother to clear the balcony?  Both the cats and I like to step out onto it.  The only problem is the young lady who lives above us doesn't clean off her balcony, so when we get warm, my balcony gets all the snow melt from hers, raining down upon us. She also does her plant re-potting out there, and the cats and I have frequently been caught by surprise with a muddy, mulchy shower from above...  Bea and I are thinking of getting a large sun umbrella to protect the area next to our sliding glass door (and us) from things that pour down from her place.
  I filled out all of my University of Florida retirement forms yesterday - but I need to make a copy of Jeff's Death Certificate to send them, along with a copy of my drivers license.  I guess, besides working on cousin Patti's genealogy, I'll be doing my IRS taxes this weekend.  Since I received payment for participating in the County Grand Jury for a year, I just might owe the government this time around - but I don't think I do.
  Tomorrow I'll walk Charlie and Tess, and spend the evening with Rosie.  Sunday, it's just walking Tess and taking Christine to her flight at DIA. (Which reminds me - I need to find out her flight's time and when she wants to leave...)

Happy Snowy Saint Patrick's Day!

From the wife of a proud Irish man - Erin go bragh!

Bird Courtship Displays

Forster's tern

Frigate bird

Golden pheasant

Red-shafted flicker

Great crested grebe

Great egret

Greater bird of paradise - a female looks at two males

At Loose Ends

What do I do with myself? For the first time in seven weeks, I didn't have a dog to walk in the morning, nor a house to visit, nor plants to water.  OK, I admit I'm dog-sitting at this exact moment, but it's only for 90 minutes in the evening.  I was able to stay at home and nap and catch up on projects around the house (apartment, actually) today.  I'm at Rosie's, but she had an acupuncture appointment this morning, so our daily walk was canceled.  I put together a swanky-looking stand with shelves for Beatrice, and I chose eight photos to go into a wall collage, put them in place, and then hung the collage in the hall.  I scrubbed everything in my bathroom, including the kitty litter boxes, and washed the runner-type rug in there.  I colored a little on my agility dogs Celtic knot drawing.  I called and had the apartment handy-man stop by to check on three things - the warp in the floor under the main bathroom's door, the leak from the upstairs neighbor's water tank, and to tighten the nut under the kitchen sink so the faucet base would stop swiveling.  Chris, the handy-man, stopped by, checked and fixed what  he could, and is writing up a ticket for the warrantied objects.  I also took out the trash and recyclables, and made spaghetti and meat sauce for supper, along with garlic-asiago cheese biscuits.  Then I washed the pots and dishes and came over to Rosie's.
  Saint Patrick's Day is tomorrow, and it almost crept up on me with surprise.  I'll have to find a green shirt to wear tomorrow, or I can just wear my green sweater when I go out.  Tomorrow morning I walk Rosie and Tessa, and make a bank deposit, and then I'm back over at Rosie's tomorrow evening. Lovey has not allowed me out of her sight, except when I took the trash and recycling out today.  If she knew how to attach herself to me with Velcro, she'd do it.
   I did get to laugh at Beatrice's face last night.  Usually, whenever I get up from my reading chair in the living room, Lovey is curled up where my bottom has been in less than 30 seconds.  Bea got up from her usual seat to put sheets into the dryer last night, and Lovey jumped off my lap and was curled up in Bea's spot before she was at the edge of the living room.  Bea has laughed frequently at how quickly Lovey gets into my seat - last night, when she turned around, and stepped back into the living room, I got to laugh...  Her expression when she saw Lovey all curled up, and with her eyes tightly closed, was priceless.  Then she thanked lovey for the honor, and very gently tugged the pillow out from under her.  Lovey gave Bea a disgusted look and came back over to my lap.