CHIRP, CHIRP

The other night I didn't top off the bird bath/drinking fountain before I went to bed.

The next morning there was a fringe of very light icing on which an early morning visitor could perch to get his drink.

After I added water and the sun came up, I think he was happier.

I thought at first he was a Goldfinch, though he looks stockier than those I identified during the summer months and he doesn't appear to have as much yellow as the ones in my bird books.

This guy I spotted this morning most resembles a White-Crowned Sparrow, notable for the vertical black and white stripes atop his head, not very visible in my photo.

He's got big feet for the size of him, useful for perching.

As for the new banner photo, it seems like a good way to begin (seriously, now) a new collection of days, weeks and months.

It could be a view in a Mexican restaurant but it's actually another photo from Pappadeaux in Phoenix, a Cajun restaurant chain's house.

The last time I was there a guy in the next booth was sampling alligator for the first time. 

He enthusiastically told me it was delicious.

I may try it some time.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

OMG! It's 2016. And only 312 more days of fretting over who our next President will be!

Can you believe people are actually beginning to say it could be Donald Trump?

But there are other more serious things to consider on this first day of the new year.

And there's that threat to our national security. (Don't try to deal with it if you've been drinking.)

Some people say our protection is not what it used to be.

Of course we still have our K-9 cops.

And our technology-challenged senior citizens.

If you begin to feel over-stressed in the new year there is one other solution.

But enough worrying about the new year.

Here, kitty-kitty.

I hope the year ahead is wonderful for you . . healthy, prosperous, and above all - - - full of laughs!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR THE BIRDIES

After reading my post about the ice in the birdbath the other day, SWMBO said "I think I can fix that."

She said her dad had rigged up a small light bulb underneath the basin in his wife's birdbath which kept the water warm enough that it didn't freeze.

So she found a small bulb and jammed it up inside the pedestal under the water dish with some aluminum* foil.

She added some duct tape to keep everything in place, ran the wire out the bottom of the pedestal, connected it to an extension cord which was connected to another extension cord which was plugged into an outdoor socket.

The Weather Gods tell me it got down to 15.8 degrees F. (-9 C.) here last night.

So I was mightily curious when I rose early this morning.

I couldn't tell from my window spy position until a bird finally showed up and took the first sip.

Not a bit of ice!

For the first time in days!

My early morning ice-chipping days are over!

SWMBO (and her dad) are brilliant and she is reigning triumphant today.

The birds seem as grateful as I am.

They've been swarming it for a couple of hours, having their morning drinks.

*Have you noticed some of the cooks on the Food Network saying they used some "tin" foil in a recipe. I think it's all aluminum these days.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

How we used to ring in the New Year.

How I ring in the New Year in more recent times.

Whichever it is for you, my Loyal Gentle Readers, may your New Year's Eve be a safe and happy one.

DRINKS ON THE ROCKS

It was only about 17 degrees F (-8 C) this morning as I tried to break up the ice in the bird bath/drinking fountain.

Obviously I didn't do too good of a job.

Still, the finches and their friends found dribs and drabs here and there as they arrived for their morning drinks.

Yesterday must have been warmer or at least I did a better job as the water was ice-free, much to the birdies satisfaction.

Sometimes I wish I'd never started this but having been praised for my efforts, now I figure I can't stop.

You may call me Bird Brain.

TUESDAY TRAVELS

What did I say???

Mugging in Salzburg, Austria. 1985.

THE STATE OF OUR UNION

SWMBO and I have toned down our Christmas celebrating over the years.

It's almost a non-event anymore.

This year it involved a visit to the BRD's house for a couple of Bloody Mary's and a champagne brunch.

Only a few hours and then we were back home for naps and resting.

With a tiny exception for the BRD, we don't gift anymore.

We have decided we have everything we need. More than, actually, as we've begun divesting ourselves of old photographs and letters and other family documents that we've held onto and moved and moved and moved over the years.

We have become Senior Citizens.

How did that happen?

Back in a previous century when we lived in Mexico we would get together with our friends on the holiday for way too many drinks and a feast.

One year I wrote limericks for each of the participants. I think I still have copies of them around somewhere.

A number of those friends have died since that great party.

This is a picture taken at our going away party when we had decided to return to the United States, back in 1991.

Three nations are represented there: Germany, the U.S., and Mexico. Our ex-pat friends were an international group.

This is also a time for traveling among some of our blogger friends.

Tom and Lucy (who live in Brittany) made a several day trip to Iceland for the steaming pools and the Northern Lights and a ride on and a visit with some beautiful horses.

Dr. M and Dana Bug have just returned from a Caribbean cruise that took them to tours on several islands.

We don't do that kind of traveling any more although SWMBO has just left for a two-day visit with our friend, Diane, in the Big Valley.

(As I was writing this, I just had a telephone call from her. The car's tire pressure was low and I had told her to stop and have them pumped up. She called to tell me she now had the tires filled and to ask if I knew the horn honked when the proper pressure was reached. I did not and said "I'll bet you scared the hell out of the guy filling the tires."

She said he was startled and she told him "I'll bet you thought I did that," but another worker said that this car horn honks automatically when the proper pressure is attained.

You learn something every day.)

So I am batching with the cats for a couple of days.

Since I don't have a car I will probably stay in my snuggy new reindeer pants that I got for Christmas for the duration.

I know, I know, TMI.