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I posted a male of this species (Common Grackle) earlier this year (HERE) but when I saw this beautifully bronzed female, I had to take some shots.  I don't usually see this color variation on grackles and I think she's really lovely.  Strangely the light was perfect - I use the word "strangely" because we are covered in a thick pall of smoke from the wildfires up in Canada.  The smoke rolled in yesterday afternoon, making it look like dusk by 5 in the afternoon.

This morning the smoke was still thick but tolerable for about an hour before it became completely disagreeable.  In all the years I've lived here in this house, I've never seen smoke like this.  I know this is yet one more sign of the climate changing all over the world.  The Eastern US and Canada have been abnormally dry this past winter and spring, culminating in over 100 wildfires currently burning in Quebec and Ontario, just across the border from the US.  Winds from the north are blowing the noxious cloud directly over us causing dangerously high particulates in the air.  At noon today, there was a yellow pall over everything and I actually had to turn some lights on inside the house.  It seems to be marginally better right now although the smell of smoke is still thick.

A shot in Extra taken mid day when the sky was ghastly

Because of the air quality, I've kept Jax mostly inside today.  I took him out a short while ago for a quick game of chase, but kept it short as the smoky air isn't good for either of us.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Jax's Brain Games class last night was fun - it was just the instructor, her two dogs and us.  Jax loves her pitbull, Rocky, and the feeling seems to be mutual.  The instructor also has a 14 week old Malinois who is a brindle with color and markings just like Jax - and also very sharp little puppy teeth so we kept their time together brief.  We worked on backing up, yellow and blue, spin and a few other fun things.  Jax came home predictably tired.  Job done.

I stopped by a local farm today where I got freshly picked strawberries from their fields - the season for the strawberries is short but worth the wait as they are sweet and delicious.  If only I could dip them in dark chocolate...

xo
Debbi