...Batton down the (nut)hatches!

(title courtesy of MichiganMan)

Just ahead of Hurricane Sandy, a red-breasted nuthatch showed up at the feeders this morning and has been eating steadily all day. They are not a species that is resident here although they migrate through our area spring and fall. It is only the second one I have ever seen. Hopefully he will stay stay a few days until the storm blows through. While I was standing on our deck taking pictures of him with Big Daddy, a tiny pine siskin flew up and landed on the barrel of my lens! It would have been such a funny shot had someone else been there with a camera.

The nuthatch is worth a look in Nutty LARGE

My MIL had a long day yesterday, visiting some family, dead and alive, in NY. Sadly, she remembered none of it this morning. This disease is just heartbreaking on every level. My heart goes out to everyone who has a loved one with any type of dementia. I keep telling her that we, her family, will be the keepers of her memories for her.

We spent some time this morning taking down the gazebo canopy and tying down all the deck and patio furniture and trying to make sure we are "hurricane-proof". We are 60 miles from the coast, so we don't have to worry about storm surges or tidal flooding, but we are expecting high winds and 4-6 inches of rain. I've got a big pot of beans and farro on, and some home made bread. And hubs picked up a nice bottle of cabernet savignon ... so we are ready for anything. They've called off my husband's work tomorrow, in anticipation of the storm - he works for a large company, so closure is a rare thing. I am glad he is able to stay home - we will all be here safe and together to weather the storm.

Hoping my blipmates on the east coast are ready for Sandy - and in the rest of the world, hope you are ready for Monday! And thank you all very much for sending my fighting siskins to the spotlight page today. I will be back later to check in when everyone is tucked in for the night.

And Happy Blipday to my friend LBorla on her 500th!

xx0o
Debbi