Red Shafted Northern Flicker

Excitement reigned around here today as this beautiful bird visited us not once but twice. We've seen flickers around, but never at our feeders, so I began to understand how birders feel when they are able to cross another bird off their life list. He's too big for the perches but  has figured out a  way to fold his wings and lift his tail in order to balance himself on the bottom edge. If only we could all adapt to changing conditions like the flicker....

I am so grateful I am not a government employee, held hostage by a power mad POTUS. I'm also glad I don't have to get on an airplane, appear before an immigration judge, take my child to daycare in a Federally owned building, or numerous other people who, through no fault of their own have suddenly found themselves expected to work without being paid.

I think they should build a wall around Trump...one with no gates! I don't think the Republicans anticipated how little control of their candidate they would actually have when they got him elected.

As for Brexit...I don't really understand all the details (does anybody? are there any?) but there do seem to be certain parallels of stubbornness, partisanship and intractability in both the US and Britain...and a total lack of civility...

The long awaited storm seems to have struck here, albeit with less ferocity than predicted. It is raining but not yet pouring. It is windy but hardly a hurricane. It does not, however, make either of us eager to go outside for any reason. Flooding and downed trees have been mentioned....Unfortunately, Ozzie doesn't see things that way. He doesn't mind the rain but seems unable to perform any natural bodily functions without one of us along. We understood this better when we lived in a house with a tiny yard that he was reluctant to despoil, but here where he has two acres to roam around, he still won't step off the porch alone....
It's definitely a good night to 'courie in' (as my Scottish friends might say) by the fire and watch a movie.