Goldfinches

OilMan got up and went to work today at zero-dark-thirty. He hates the thought of getting stuck in commute traffic, gets more work done when nobody is there to bother him, and gets home relatively early. I occurs to me that he could really get a lot of work done if he just stayed home and did it, but he seems to think he should show up once a week or so. I think he just finds many more interesting things to do around home than sit at his computer, and doesn't actually get any work done if he stays home.

It has been a beautiful day today--more than a hint of spring in the air. I spent a pleasant hour eating my lunch outside (without my sweater!) and watching the birds at the bird feeder. The goldfinches have been looking a bit drab, but the males are now starting to sport their bright yellow feathers. The down side of the bird feeders, and their proximity to our big windows, is that the birds fly full tilt into them and don't always survive. I hate picking their broken little bodies out of the bushes. The Wild Birds Unlimited store has stickers that look clear to us but purple to the birds. I plastered the windows with them today.

We frequently see skunks waddling down the road at night, and yesterday our olfactory senses told us that one had been right outside quite recently. Dana found the hole where he comes under the fence and blocked it with rocks. He very likely has another hole at the top of the hill behind us where he exits. We'll have to look for it.

Everyone loves to talk about all the "microclimates" around here. It is clearly demonstrated to us every time we walk Ozzie down to the creek. Perched on top of the hill, our house gets the sun earlier and it stays later than for many of the houses on the street. It's still relatively warm at the bottom of our driveway, but as soon as we turn left and head down the road, the temperature plunges dramatically. I never remember that I need a jacket to walk down the street.

It is 5:30pm and the sun is just starting set--noticeably later than a month ago. OilMan disappeared down the driveway with our trash bins some time ago and has yet to return. I suspect he has run into a neighbor down there and gone off on some kind of mission....