Babies, Babies, Everywhere

The blue jay fledglings and one beleaguered parent have been hanging around the garden today.  It is impossible to miss them just based on the noise alone.  They appear to be learning how to feed themselves although they are happy to sit next to the suet feeder screaming to be fed - a miracle the parents don't start flying and never look back!  Anyway, here you have a youngster - fairly easy to see the remains of the gape around its beak as well as the juvenile feather pattern on the head.  

It's been very nice out today - warm but not too warm, sunny, and low humidity.  Consequently, I've spent a fair amount of time pottering around outside with Jax keeping me company from various shady spots.  I saw two very interesting flies but had the wrong lens to get pics.  Next time, I'll be sure to have two cameras with me - one for bugs and one for birds.  As one does.

We watched most of the Presidential Debate last night - what a shitshow.  I don't know how we, as a country, have ended up here.  We should have far better candidates than the two we have.  I'd rip my fingernails off every finger before I would ever vote for DJT, but, damn, I wish we had a better alternative.  Kept me awake far longer than I'd care to admit last night.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment - a symptom of depression creeping in. My best way to deal with it is to make a written list of small tasks I can complete, so that is what I did this morning.  And I've gotten some things ticked off the list, so yay, me.  One of the things I tackled was to remove some plants from a huge container on the patio and prep the soil for some new plants.  Digging out the roots of the existing plants was sweaty work, but it's done.  Then, off to the local farm to buy two more pots of Shasta daisies to go in the pot (3 in total).  I may even get ambitious and plant them today - if not, then tomorrow morning for sure.

Dark with dried cherries today.

xo
Debbi