No Cause For Alarm

The first time you see a bird doing this, the immediate reaction is that something is horribly wrong.  In this case, the Tufted Titmouse was draped limply over a log, wings outstretched, feathers all raised, beak open.  However, this isn't my first "sunbathing rodeo" so I quickly tried to get a camera angle through our deck railing.  Thirty seconds later, he jumped up and flew off.  Birds, lacking sweat glands, have to regulate their temperature by expelling air through their beak and raising all their feathers to allow air flow.  Being able to drape oneself over something while doing so is just the added bonus.  The first time I saw a titmouse doing this, I was certain it was headed for its maker as the bird was laying spread out in a tray feeder on the patio looking for all the world as if it had died.  Since then, I've seen cardinals, jays, wrens and sparrows all do this on warm days.  It's adorable!

I neglected to mention yesterday that I did battle with the poison ivy that seems to have sprung up all over the place.  I put on elbow-length rubber gloves (disposed of later), long sleeves, long pants and a mask and went to work.  Once done, I carefully disposed of the gloves and the ivy trimmings in a sealed plastic bag to go out with the trash.  So far, I don't seem to have any rash so maybe it worked.  Unfortunately, I spotted a big patch this morning that I somehow missed so I will be repeating the whole thing soon.  Poison ivy has long root systems so it can be extremely hard to get rid of.

Hubs went to look at a used truck this morning and it met all of his requirements so we are headed back tonight to pay for it and pick it up.  Unfortunately, it's over an hour away and we'll be hitting it in rush hour.  We'll probably take Jax with us as he enjoys car rides and he'll give me some company on the long drive home since Hubs will be driving the truck.  

I'm still battling allergies but the pollen forecast for tomorrow is going to be much better so I should get a break.  This has been my worst spring ever for seasonal allergies and apparently I'm not alone in this.  Milder winters contributing to more tree and grass pollen.

We watched a very good movie last night, "Coach Carter" loosely based on real-life high school basketball coach Ken Carter.  A very heartwarming and inspirational story and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I think dark with orange today.

xo
Debbi