Stellar Jay

I wouldn't have thought that getting out of bed and going, coffeeless to the lab for blood tests would ensure a good start to the day, but it did. I don't know why the doctor couldn't just listen to what I have to say a little more, and look at her computer a little less, but that seems to be the way of modern medicine. There was nobody waiting in the lab, the young phlebotomist was a cheerful fellow who bemoaned the amount of paperwork he had,  and It was a treat to go to Peet's for a latte afterward.

OilMan and I set off with the dogs for a walk, but Blake, distracted by barking dogs, sirens from Highway 12, and traffic on the street at the end of our road, was losing his focus, and I was running out of treats, so we turned back. The sun was out and he pottered happily about the garden, lying in the sun or under a rosemary bush, which he seems to favor.

Down to a couple of lettuce leaves and three dried up tangerines, a trip to the grocery store completed my exciting set of outings for the day. I was entertained by what was on offer in the tiny section allocated for British favorites…mushy peas, Heinz tomato soup, digestive biscuits, Kit Kat bars, Sharwoods mango chutney, Marmite, Robertson's lemon curd and Scottish haggis (in a tin), not to mention PG tips, shepherds' pie (in a packet) and yorkshire pudding mix. All I can say is, I would hate to be a British person stranded here and longing for a taste of home….

We have a pair of Stellar jays that have recently found their way to our feeder. I love these birds with their jaunty crests and iridescent blue plumage. They seem to have inserted themselves fairly seamlessly into the pecking order by showing up between ten and eleven in the morning and then disappearing for the day. Today we had dozens of red and yellow finches decorating the branches of the little plum tree like Christmas ornaments. There are also creepers, ground feeders (including a grey squirrel), woodpeckers and doves. The hummingbirds have their own feeders around the corner and look reproachfully at us through the window when we fail to refill them.The doves maintain their place through sheer size and lack of intelligence, sitting in the feeding tray and eating non-stop.

Another eventful day winds down here on Wildwood Trail….