Empty Nests

Tyfini graduated from Washougal High School last night, received her diploma, survived all the whistles and woo hoo’s from her family and friends in the audience and got to move the tassel from right to left on her mortarboard. That portion of her life is history.

She leaves for a week in Mexico on Tuesday with other members of her senior class, her mom’s going too as one of the chaperones. Tyf will be working for her dad this summer before going to Easter Washington University in the fall. Yup, it was a major milestone for her last night. Tabetha has the rest of the summer to get ready for her baby leaving the nest. A nest that she will be proud to tell you, that she (and the bank) now owns! They’ve had a lease with an option to buy for the past year plus. Tab has been struggling with scraping together a down payment, all the details of getting a loan, and dealing with all the paperwork. She was able to qualify for some sort of a grant program to help single mothers purchase their own homes. So, she is the proud owner of her own home now and up to her eyeballs in debt.

Friday and yesterday were beautiful, weather-wise. We finally got some sunshine and temperatures in the 70’s for the first time this month. We worked around the house and garage, cleaning and tossing stuff. I made two trips to the Goodwill with the back of the truck full of the past 23 years accumulations cleverly disguised as next years tax deductions. I was able to get after the out of control bush next to the drive way that tries to get in the car every time we go anywhere. I had to get the stepladder out to trim the top of it. It was taller than the garage roof! I was wearing a hat and a long sleeved shirt but I got plenty of sun on my face, neck and ears. I seem to be radiating heat this morning, especially from my ears. I’m sure I won’t be the only one with a sunburn at work tomorrow. It didn’t help that Tyfini’s graduation ceremony was out doors and we were facing the sun the whole time. I got an extra dose of vitamin D just for good measure. This morning it’s kind of overcast but it’s suppose to burn off and be another sunny, 70 degree day. The forecast calls for the temperature to drop down to the 60’s again by Tuesday with clouds and possible showers. That’s Oregon weather for ya!

It will be a short work week for me. R and I will be leaving on Friday for southern Oregon and a couple of days fishing on the Rogue River. Last year we caught three salmon. R called the guide late last week to make sure everything was in order. He was told that the spring run was making it’s way up the river, the fishing was fine. We hope the conditions are just as good when we get there next weekend.

The mama robin has been busy this week. This is how you know something’s going on:
I got up on the stool to see if I could find the culprets

I went around the other side and got this picture. It looks like there are four beaks poking out of the nest.

The chicks seem to have lost their baby feathers already. This nest should be empty in a week or so too.