September 2019

This posting will be short this month, because some of the info has been posted to malloysatlarge.blogspot.com.  Check there for our trip to Wales this month.

Since we had to cut our trip short, much of the last part of the month was getting over jet lag (8 hours) and coping with mountainous piles of laundry.  After a week of feeling really stupid, we have finally adjusted to a more normal state at home.

Fall is a time for some different cleanup chores, and one of mine is to clean out bird boxes on our property.  There are bird boxes throughout the area, because the developer put his carpenters to use building bird boxes.  They seem to be quite successful.

This year, one of ours was occupied by a wren family.  Apparently, the chicks start out tough, because the nest is built of twigs without any padding whatsoever.

Mountain Bluebirds are kinder to their young, using grasses for their nest building.

A number of larger boxes were hung high in trees, ostensibly to attract owls.  I don’t know about that, but a pair of flickers happily use the box on our property, and they are reputed to be steady occupants through their lifetime.

I have to say, the last three days of September degenerated into continual blasphemy.  The four-letter S-word was repeated everywhere, and we were not talking about remains of digestive activity. from human, bird or beast.

The first morning we woke up to some wet snow on the deck.  (Yes, that 4-letter S-word).

New show always attracts the boys outdoors.

Unfortunately, the boys tend to harass photographers.

The next day featured steady light snowfall all day.

After three days of this nonsense, some light appeared.

You can see the snow level at least down 1/3 from the mountain tops—that doesn’t look like it will disappear in a day.  Ski hills are trumpeting how much snow they received, and how good things are going to be.  Sheesh!!$@#)*

Bring on fall in October!  The wine festivals will be starting!