Beautiful blue sky today which turned into beautiful cloudy sky by afternoon. When the sun peeked out of the clouds at different times it was really hot. I noticed my face and feet have a sun tan from sitting in the swing. I call it my bird watching tan. The clouds are beginning to fill in all the blue places in the sky and now we’re completely overcast.

Plenty of birds puttering around in the yard. I bought some bird seed snacks this morning. I call them bird cakes. They use a special feeder. The seed cake has a hole in the middle and the cake slides down a bar and sits in an open basket. They look like giant granola bars. Lots of nuts and berries. The birds love them, specially the woodpeckers and nuthatches. The big wood thrush occasionally visits the cake feeders, too.

Just hope the raccoons don’t find them. I’m hoping the raccoons are gone and not just off having more raccoons to eat my birds’ seed. Haven’t seen Grandpaw raccoon and his harem in several weeks. I’m thinking they moved on after I quit putting bird feeders on the back deck. I started putting feeders back on the desk Tuesday and so far no critters have disturbed them. Penelope caught Fatty the squirrel on the deck about sunset yesterday and was so ferocious with her barking he jumped off the deck onto a bamboo and never came back.

Well, Grandpaw is back. Went to get a bottle of water before I went to bed tonight, and he was on the back deck railing eating from my new feeder. I scared him off and brought the feeder in the kitchen.

Two gray catbirds decided to make my yard their home today. I thought they were mocking birds till I got a better look at them. They’re called catbirds because their chirping sounds like a cat’s meow, really more like a kitten. A flock of them is called a mewing. I love that! They’re slate gray and have black pointed beaks. Their tail feathers are black and they wear a little black cap. They are fast and frisky, flittering through the bushes and trees. They’re a wonderful addition to my bird symphony because they have 100 songs in their song book and can sing for up to ten minutes. They’ll be great soloists in my bird choir.

Had an adventure on the front porch this afternoon. I have a big wooden chicken that stands on the porch near the steps. Always been there. I had pulled P’s pen close to the steps so she could be in the sun and she starts barking, an excited bark. I thought she was barking at the chicken so I was lecturing her that she’d seen that chicken for two years. I leaned over to put my hand on the bannister so I could move the chicken over, and Stew laughingly says, “Probably a snake under the chicken.”

I laugh knowing that’s absurd but as I reach to rest my hand on the bannister sure enough a big, broom handle size, six foot long king snake is taking his siesta on the bannister. I holler for Stew to get the shovel, not realizing I hollered loud enough for a neighbor to come see what was the matter. I know he’s a good snake but to me he’s a rabid rattlesnake. I know he eats mice and small critters and kills poisonous snakes but I did not want him to end up taking his night nap in my house. Been there and done that…four snakes in the house in Alex City and one snake in the house here. I’ve had enough of that business! Going to high tail it tomorrow morning to Awbrey’s for some “snake away” if there’s such a thing.

Course I missed his head with the shovel and he slid off into the holly bushes by the steps. I chopped the bushes for 30 minutes wishing for Chief. He would have found it. Oldest brother stopped by right after the ordeal and said, “Quit worrying, he’s long gone by now.” Yeah, in everybody’s yard but mine. No more going barefoot to the trash cart. If you drive by and get a whiff of cinnamon, it’s just the perimeter of cinnamon we shook out around the porch and bannisters to deter the King.

I’m going to Alex City in tomorrow and spend the night with my dearest friend to celebrate my birthday. We’ll do some thrift store shopping and some delicious snacking. We always wear matching pajamas at night and keep our oxygen masks close by in case we need them when we start laughing crazily and lose our breath. We both have spoiled heathen dogs, mine is staying home with the Stew, the dog warden. Hers will force me to play fetch for an hour or two. I’ve got him a new doggy toy to try and distract him. I bought us the cutest pajamas that say, “Dogs are my favorite people.” She’ll love them.

If we get carted off to Shady Oaks or need bail money, I’ll let y’all know.

Happy day!