Almost Alpenglow

The evening light on the hill was especially nice tonight. It was cloudy and chilly most of the day but the clouds .briefly cleared and  the golden light clothed the stands of dead trees . Dorie had all the weeds cleared from her lot, across from us so it's a little barren looking, but makes a nice contrast with the lighted hill.

We had the neighbors over last night for a very informal dinner of tacos. John barbecued some skirt steak (not quite enough) and I 'refreshed' some  stale tortillas and made a salsa out of the last of the tomatoes and peppers from our garden We didn't have as many of those as I thought we had either, but our guests were quite gracious and we had a good evening which was not enhanced by Spike depositing his dinner on the rug just as we were sitting down with our drinks.

Things went downhill after they left and we went to bed. We were 'awakened'...I'm pretty sure I never really fell asleep... every half hour or so by Spike throwing up. I suppose he ate something bad, but we don't really know what it could have been. He was pretty jaunty about it each time I herded him outside but I most certainly wasn't. We finally all fell asleep at about 5am and I was up at 8 cooking rice and scrambled egg for him. We've both been watching him carefully all day and he seems just fine, so we're just grateful that he seems to have recovered with no ill effects.. I did hear coyotes howling and an owl gently hooting as I stood outside in my bare feet.

John dragged out the ladder and investigated the rain gutter which we suspected harbored a yellowjacket nest. It turns out that it wasn't a yellowjacket nest but a total blockage caused by a mass of rotting acorns. The acorn woodpeckers stash them in every available nook and cranny, but the drainpipe is covered by a leaf guard. Perhaps the acorns went in before the leaf guard was added although I'd think someone would have noticed. We'll probably have to check all the gutters before the rains start. Another warm wet El Niño winter is being predicted

I do think that this year's bumper crop of acorns may have been responsible for Spike's 'indisposition' but we'll probably never know what it was.

Jim came back from Las Vegas with Covid, so he is confined to quarters and Dana is staying away in case she gets it. She was saying just last week that she was planning to get her shots today, but I don't know if she did it.

Tonight is comfort food...macaroni and cheese...and an early night