The Baby is now almost as big as the family pet, Bentley. His Mama sent us this nice photo of the two of them on a quilt with ABC’s all over it. Click on the image to enlarge.
We will be going out to California again around Valentine’s Day to visit with the other grandparents, the parents, Baby G and Bentley plus our dogs. This time, we’re inviting everybody to the RV Resort to have dinner with us – we’re cooking!
Bob carried Cabela and Bay Bay out into the courtyard this evening to watch the setting sun and the colors of the clouds. I took this picture while the dogs were interested in some cottontails or jackrabbits feeding across the road. Click on the image to enlarge.
When the Daddy walked Bay Bay and me this morning, we noticed something about the water in the rain bucket that the Mama keeps under the drain spout. The water was very hard and cold! I sniffed at it and tried to take a drink but I couldn’t.
The Daddy said the water was frozen and then took us into the warm house where I could get a a cookie and a drink. Click on us to make us big.
While we were walking the dogs this morning, Verna spotted this Phainopepla perched atop a dead mesquite branch near the road. She did not have her camera at the time and all I had was my little Canon pocket Elph 140. Regardless, I got a fair photo of the little guy watching us.
From Wikipedia:
The phainopepla or northern phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) is the most northerly representative of the mainly tropical Central American family Ptiliogonatidae, the silky flycatchers. Its name is from the Greek phain pepla meaning “shining robe” in reference to the male’s plumage.
The phainopepla is a striking bird, 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in) long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male.
Despite cooler temperatures and some of our summer birds migrating south, our little hummers are still coming around to sample from Verna’s feeders by the back patio. This little guy paused to sip several times before flitting away. I was out the back patio door taking pictures of other birds at the other feeders out back when the hummer showed up. Click on the image to enlarge.
After more than a week away from home, the birds that usually gathered beneath and on the bird feeders were mostly shopping elsewhere. It took a day or so for them to gradually start coming back to the (now replenished) feeders.
This is a shot of a woodpecker that snatched a tidbit from the seed bell and is (apparently) headed somewhere to either eat it or to share it with a mate or offspring. I’m not sure which.
The birds (quail, woodpeckers, curve billed thrashers, etc.) have returned, but not yet in the droves as before we left on our trip. I am sure that the numbers of birds will return to their previous state in a few days. Click on the image to enlarge.
