Acorn Woodpecker

OilMan went off to work at the crack of dawn. I had a quiet day. Following a walk with Dana and the dogs, and coffee on the upper terrace, we decided to make a path to the compost pile. Who needs Pilates when you can carry stepping stones up forty two steps and then dig a flat place for them out of ground that is full of more stones? We were quite pleased with our results.

I cleaned the kitchen, oiled the huge butcher block countertop and polished the stainless steel--all of which gave me a chance to mull over a knotty problem and come to a conclusion. Most housework is so boring that it becomes contemplative. My conclusions aren't particularly zen-like, but I can live with them....

Our "pond" which seems to have no apparent purpose--too shallow for a swim, not heated for a hot tub--is still leaking, although at least not down the neighbors driveway. We have no idea where the water is going now, since it isn't going down the drain. I'd just as soon get rid of it, since the ozone cleaner and drain were installed incorrectly and don't work, which doesn't bode well for any of the other working parts. Taking it out, however, is not really an option either. Fill it with dirt and plant flowers in it? Put fish and water plants in it? Not likely that we'll be putting our feet in it which is apparently what the previous owners did with it....

The oak trees around us are filled with woodpeckers, and some of them are nesting in the telephone pole on the corner of our lot. They are busy at the bird feeders most of the day. They must have babies inside the little holes. Are telephone poles hollow?

The Comcast people have come twice now, leaving two rows of little flags from the house to the street. I've seen a suspicious number of these little lines of flags around the neighborhood, so I'm not expecting our cable, which is lying on the ground, to be buried anytime soon. At least that will give the woodpeckers a chance to raise their families and move on....