We wondered

This nest has been in this tree for a few years now and the neighbor and myself have been wondering what lives in it. Last year we really got confused when cotton batting was added. We kept watching but never saw a critter near this nest, until yesterday and I must say it was a bit of a letdown.

This is the critter I saw bringing small twigs into the nest. The neighbor and myself both thought of owls, possibly a hawk, or even Mourning doves, but a squirrel never crossed our minds. Unless the squirrel just took over an abandoned nest. At least we know what’s up there now.

We even saw a relative of the one adding to the nest. This one was just running around looking for any missed walnuts in the trees and on the ground. It’s funny how the groundhogs and raccoons are getting fat but the squirrels all look trim as an Olympic swimmer.

Took this picture because the cardinal looked like somebody pissed in his cereal. Not sure what his problem was, but he was even staring down cats!

Finally, this guy gave up on getting a seat in the bird feeder and just ate on the stump. There is enough seed spilled that he wouldn’t go hungry any time soon. Not sure where the mate was. Enjoy our Thursday as now Friday is only a dream away.

New day

Overslept again so am now playing catch up. I’m not sure what happened but do know that as I get older it takes more to wake me up. It used to be that if someone shut a car door out front it would wake me up. Now, if anybody wants me when I’m zonked you better keep calling back or knocking.

Once I got up the feral cats got fed and watered before coming back inside to give the inside cats a treat then take my medicine. We got a hard frost last night and with the fallen leaves the car looked like a parade float. Not thinking, I tried to pull the leaves off the car to get it looking more like a Ford. Some of us know how that turned out.

So after a cup of coffee, I turned on local news to find out we’ll have another shot at another Indian summer in the extended forecast. Lord love a duck! I don’t like it when the temps go up and down like yo-yo every few days. It won’t be long though before it will be cold every day, and I’m ok with that.

Enjoy our Wednesday.

Busy day

We’re having an Indian summer right now on the east coast of Iowa and although the trees are candy colored the highs will be in the 70s and 80s for the next few days. This coincides with the free yard waste pick up which starts Monday. We’re hoping to get a lot done outside this weekend.

We’ll charge up the battery for the chain saw and add bar oil to begin to process and see how things go. There is one small volunteer tree that we have cut back every year and yet it hangs on just to bug me. That tree will be a stump when day is done. And once again, even though we have no trees that drop leaves, we will be raking leaves.

We’re also going to open some windows and get some air in the house. Just hope my allergies don’t get worse working outside. If so, we’ll self-medicate and keep busy. It was a lot easier in my younger days I’d just drink until I didn’t care and get it done. I do have plenty of coffee as I loaded up yesterday in preparation of a couple of warmer days followed by more seasonal weather.

At least that’s the plan. We’ll see how that works out. Enjoy our Saturday as it’s here and it’s going to be great.

Never fails

Was outside watching as night slowly turns to day and after thanking God for giving me another day I got to thinking about how it’s almost cold enough to need a coat. As I watched the sky turn from black to dark blue, then a lighter blue in the east, it looked to be the start of another great day.

Yesterday I went out to the local farm store to pick up some supplies and got asked that popular question at check out lanes everywhere, do you want to donate a dollar to…., pick your charity and insert at the end of the previous sentence. I did donate and after being told to have a nice day went out to put the supplies in the trunk.

I had just gotten the trunk opened when I heard someone yelling “Sir, Sir!” and the sound of someone running. When I turned around I was surprised to see the lady who rang up my purchase running and waving her hands to get my attention. Since I paid with cash, had received my change and receipt, I admit to being confused.

The lady finally got closer and said that I had left my credit card at the register. She looked confused when I told her I had paid in cash and didn’t use any card. So she glanced at the credit card in her hand asked if I was Tom. I told her that I’d been called many things in my lifetime, but Tom was not one of them. That being said, I hope she finds Tom and gets his card back to him.

Enjoy our Wednesday as we’re halfway to the weekend.

Almost

It’s officially fall but there sure is a lot green to be seen. Some years the leaves put on a colorful show and others it’s hit or miss. We’re supposed to have a low right at freezing on Friday night and some are getting ready for the leaves to drop. It almost looks like fall if one looks hard enough.

Leaves have been falling from the trees, but in such small numbers it isn’t even a nuisance yet. Just enough fallen leaves to find the cracks in the concrete and low spots in yards. It hasn’t even bothered the cats yet as they just walk around what’s on the ground.

And although we haven’t checked, we’d bet that Christmas merchandise is probably already on the shelves. From what we’ve heard, people are starting to shop early due to inflation and retailers are predicting a slow Christmas buying season. Time will tell.

Finally, we have an election coming up shortly and the candidates are seeking screen time like children grabbing candy on Halloween. It seems to be the only time they care what we think and make promises they can’t keep. We should be used to it by now but we still like it.

Enjoy our Tuesday since it showed up.

A couple of things

Before we begin we’d like to send our prayers to those affected by the hurricane. That said we have a couple of things that have stuck in our craw lately and we feel the need to address them here. The first being the city council vote last night to turn the one-ways downtown into two-ways. Many of us who now have gray hair have fond memories of the one-way streets downtown.

Most of the reasons for the change just don’t make a whole lot of sense to some of us. Perhaps our local politicians forget what traffic is like down there during rush hour or when there is construction. If one sits through a stop light now, we wonder what it will be like after the change with fewer lanes in each direction.

And saying businesses down there are all for it doesn’t ring true. If a business is on the left side of the street, keep in the left lane. We’re guessing it will go from 4 lanes in one direction to one lane in each direction plus turning lanes and a bicycle lane. Time will tell.

The other thing, also local, is the railroad wanting to more than double the traffic in our downtown. We’re sure that won’t have a positive impact on events held in park on the river. Besides blocking access to the park, the noise drowns out any attempt at entertaining the people. Why go to a concert if you can’t hear the band? And how will train traffic affect our minor league ballpark down there? It’s going to get interesting.

Enjoy our Thursday.

Almost there

I’m feeling better today after self-medicating yesterday and even made some money doing it. I got to thinking that since I fixed my health issue that I should send myself a bill, much like a doctor. It felt good after I paid said bill, and my one account had more money in it to boot.

We got a lot more done on the wifes estate, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and know it isn’t an oncoming train. We’re down to just a couple of things on the to do list and then we can close the book on that chapter of our lives. Even went out and said good morning to the wife.

Got the cat herds fed and will fill the bird feeder after a shower, then have some time to hook up the new printer and start figuring out the new camera. The last part I needed came in the mail yesterday, so I have no excuses not to get it done.

Tomorrow will be the official first day of fall and we look forward to the cooler days and crisp feeling when one walks outside. We broke a record here for highest temperature yesterday and yet the today and the next few days we’ll be much cooler. Let the fun begin. Enjoy our Wednesday as we’re now in the middle of the work week for most.

Another strange one

Yesterday was one of those days you had to be here to really experience it. The day started early with me getting buzzed by a dragonfly every time I went outside. Goofy bug actually hit me in the head a couple times which made me wonder if someone hadn’t painted a target on my head while I slept. I checked when I came back in and there was no target.

Found new road construction on the cruise to get groceries and still can’t find shoestring potatoes. You know, the ones that came in a can that felt empty. At my age I probably shouldn’t have the salt but I like them. While at the store I had somebody ask my where the drain cleaner was so I walked them over and showed them the selection like I worked there.

But the strangest thing happened while outside having my afternoon smoke. I heard an airplane buzzing around that sounded like it going around in circles. Usually when this happens said plane has a banner streaming off the back advertising something, but not this time.

I located the plane in the northern sky and as I watched it approach, something fell out of it! Small, single-engine planes don’t normally throw things out over the city. I don’t know if they do in the countryside, but not here. As I watched something red started to bigger and to my amazement, a parachute opened!

Still not sure if that’s even legal to do, and the plane was a ways out, but it was still within the city limits. As I watched a figure in a black robe was riding the wind and I wished I had my camera as I had never seen anything like it before. The figure, and parachute finally disappeared behind the tree line and I haven’t heard anything about it. If you saw it please let me know.

Enjoy our Saturday.

Getting there

Yes, we know this is late. Even though some had a three-day weekend I kept busy and got a lot done. While I don’t believe settling the wifes estate will ever be done, great progress was made over the holiday and I wore myself out.

The picture above shows that fall is indeed here even though the cross on the steeple is blurry. It’s that way because I focused on the trees in all their glory. And yes, I got a few pictures on a break between the action. If we get them all uploaded we’ll share any worth sharing soon.

Yesterday even the weather co-operated with highs only reaching into the 70s. I had windows open all day and a fan to spread the climate change all through the house. The ragweed count had me wheezing like an old steam engine with a boiler leak or more would have gotten done.

Now is the time to remember that if you drive your car often, now is the time to fill up the tank. We aren’t alone in thinking that after the election prices will be going back up. Enjoy our Tuesday and remember that garbage and recycle will be a day late due to the holiday.

Might get busy

As I was out enjoying nature my thoughts turned to many things while my body went on autopilot. This butterfly had landed on a plant near the logs made when the pine was cut down, but my camera was in the house. I couldn’t believe it when I ran in, and back out with the camera, and it was still there.

Somehow that reminded that there weren’t any ‘No Passing’ zone signs in Iowa before 1959. If you’ve ever driven the two-lane blacktop roads of Iowa, you are familiar with these signs. It’s almost like the DOT placed one sign along the road then they spread like dandelions on a windy day. They do serve a purpose we suppose but that doesn’t mean we have to like them.

For those who forget, fall will officially start in 20 days. With the heat we’re getting now it’s hard to believe with all the climate change drivel out there, but it gets hot during the summer and cold in the winter. Not every year, but most years anyway. We remember back in the 80s when the actual temperature got over 100 for about a week, and we worked outside every day.

We also found the time to search for some new Sunday snickers, and found a few! We thought we had exhausted the supply of jokes and were happy to find more. Enjoy our Friday since it’s here anyway.