The nursery

A nice day today. I went out to mow the lawns so I wouldn't have to do it on my recouperation day when we get back. Here is what greeted me when I went out the patio door:


This is what I saw when I looked for the source of the mess....


There are three baby robins in that nest. They appear to be getting fairly big, about time to test out their wings. Momma was keeping a sharp eye on me as I was taking these pictures...

Had to get up on a stool to get this one: eye to eye

Beer and Brats

Woo Hoo!

On vacation until next Wednesday! Going back to Milwaukee for a family reunion. Catch up on all the happenings since the last one, see how the nieces and nephews have grown, what they're up to now. Even the cousins will be in attendence! A good time will be had, guarenteed!

I took today off even though we don't travel until tomorrow. Figured it would be nice to have a day to do nothing before the hub-bub of traveling, partying and generally carrying on for four days. We will be coming back late on the Fourth so I scheduled a vacation day to recuperate before heading back to work. I'll need it! That will make for a very short week as I'm scheduled to give platelets at the Red Cross Friday afternoon. I'm working on my 22nd gallon of donated fluids: whole blood and platelets. I've got the scars on my arms to prove it too.

The other big deal coming up is the Portland Pen Show, 15-17 July. We went last year and drooled over the beautiful pens, new and vintage. It was kind of overwhelming: too many choices. I kind of know what to expect this time so I've been trying to do my homework, scoping out the pen catalogs recently received. Eye candy! Still too many to choose from. And then there will be all those vintage pens! What a delightful dilemma!

Road Trip

Brother H. et. al. will be traveling west after the reunion in Milwaukee, and will swing through the Northwest. Time will be limited (isn't it always?) so we need to point out the highlights, the "Must See's" as opposed to the Should See and the Nice to See. To that end, we figured we'd better get off out butts and see some of the stuff people had been telling us that we should see. Well, this is what we saw yesterday:



This is called the Vista House. It has been closed for four years for renovations. It reopened two days ago. This is why it is called Vista House:

The view looking east, up the Columbia River Gorge, and

the view looking west, towards Portland.

We proceeded east, up the Gorge to the town of Hood River, known around the world for the quality of it's apples and the fact that the geological configuration of the area creates a natural wind tunnel. It provides excellent wind surfing conditions almost year round. We stopped and watched some of the "Dudes" practice their moves


You can't see it very well, but there are a bunch of guys kite surfing out there.

We've got a nursery under our deck. Not one, not two but three birds nests.
I guess the word got around from the birds that used the ledge outside our computer room last year.

These are robins nests, this year. They get up very early to sing. Like 4:30 am! With open windows and the calm of the morning they are LOUD!