Snoozing in the Summertime

The last week we’ve been on Guard Duty with the cats and birds.  I make sure the cats are inside whenever no people are at home, and when we are here, everybody will tend to keep a listening ear and a watchful eye to make sure the critters keep their distance.

The daddy cardinal is getting braver.  Oscar was in Sphinx position on the seat of the picnic table, and so the bird-brain male comes a-hopping down off the clothesline a-cheeping away, right under the bench.  I’d say there was less than two feet of vertical space between them.

Well, Oscar, having already snacked on a half a mouse (the bloody other half was left at the bottom of the porch steps) literally looked down his nose at the noisy red bird and left him to sputter out.
When that fella flew to the handle of the lawnmower, the lady cardinal flew over and landed on the top of the picnic table, perched on the edge, then looked down at the now snoozing cat.
She glanced around, but made not a sound, almost as if to say “Sshh, he’s sleeping”.

We haven’t heard much cheeps from the baby’s nest today, but the mother keeps flying up to the same branch of the maple tree and calling, all the while looking back at the bush.
I think there are two littluns in there, and momma is giving all kinds of encouragement.  Just about the time they find use of their wings, Oscar will resume his station near the bush.
This could be a page from the book Charlotte’s Web.

Last evening I watched my “new” video Two for the Road starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney.  I remember the actor as an old guy lawyer boss in the movie Erin Brockovich, so to see him young and muscular on a Mediterranean beach was real easy for the eyes.  A great purchase from the Previously Viewed shelf at the video store.

A storm blustered through this morning, with gusts of wind which swayed the branches of the maple tree about 6 feet in both directions.  The electricity flickered, then went completely off (for more than 3 hours).
Since we had just finished breakfast, and it was an eery twilight indoors with rain pelting the outsides of the windows, it seemed best to just go back to bed.
In fact, I had two naps today, that’s how relaxed and quiet the time passes.

Husband is using up some vacation hours left on his schedule, so he went off to the home supply store and came back with a box of tiles to patch the kitchen floor.
They were on sale for 10cents apiece in a box of 12.
Chris got some sore knees doing those replacements.
The pattern squares don’t quite match the ones already in place, so the floor is beginning to resemble a crazy quilt.
Mahalia went walking across and hesitated before putting her foot onto the new color.

There was a Sub for the Edu Psyche class both sessions this week.  We kept up right with the syllabus.
Speaking freely here, but I think the Sub gives a better lecture, and asked more probing questions, than the regular Instructor.
However, this means that the Quiz and research paper won’t be due until the normal routine is resumed Monday afternoon.
Which is why I got to have naps and watch birds.

Also accomplished today were 3 count’em Three, crocheted bookmarks done for graduation gifts.  My list has grown to 13, and I hope to have them all finished by the end of this month.  Then the envelopes can be stuffed and the mailing done before the kids all leave for college!

You’ve read enough rambling here this evening.
There are eggs getting fried for sandwiches for supper, and a non-chick flick video is being pushed into the VCR.
It would seem Family Time is now.
~~love and Huggs, Diane