Father and Son

I've been waiting to get the "right" shot of this for my yardbird record.  And today it occured to me that I may not have much time left for the right shot, so I set about getting "a" shot.  I like this one because it shows the adult male (right) with his little scarlet swatch on the back of his head and the fledgling male with his full reddish cap.  You can also see the size difference - the adult woodpeckers are all very depleted by now having been tending chicks for well over a month.  But in a few months, they will fatten up again, molt into fresh feathers, and look just fine.  

Radiation boost started today.  It took longer because they needed to do  new scans to accommodate the new position on the table.  Melissa and Antonio are my regular radiation team and I feel in very good hands with them both.  Melissa said I can expect the bumpy rash on my chest to get a little worse for the next few days before it starts healing.  I can live with that.  The targeted dosage of the boost may cause some further skin issues in the small area being targeted, but should not be on a level with my chest.  And, FOUR more treatments before I am done!!!  Next Tuesday will be my last day and I am already planning to hoist a martini that night.  Feel free to mark your calendar and join me with whatever your beverage of choice is.  My last treatment should be over by 10 AM Eastern Daylight Time, if you'd care to time it.  

I took the kayak out for a nice, easy paddle on my way home.  It was windy, so not many odes around but it was still good for my soul to be out on the water.

Stay safe.  Eat something chocolate.  Give someone you love a big hug, too.

xo
Debbi