A sudden gust of wind forced one of the warblers to make an emergency landing on the fence this morning. He stayed there a while, fluffing his feathers and preening. His behavior reminded me of our cats, who cover any awkward step or fall with a bout of elaborate grooming, as if to say, “I meant to do that. Now, a little privacy? As you can see, I’m bathing…”
He might have wandered in to escape the weather, or he might have simply been exploring. Either way, our coffee table is not the proper habitat for a jumping spider.
After taking these photos, I used the All-Purpose Bug Relocation System (a glass and a postcard) to move him into one of the flower beds.
The yard seems eerily still this afternoon. Nothing stirs, other than the occasional flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers foraging in the wax myrtle.
They chirp softly to each other as they feed, and their muffled voices make me feel as if I should speak in a whisper.
It’s a perfect afternoon to crawl under a warm blanket, call the cats to join me, and lose myself in a new book.
It appears that Hurricane Sandy might delay my return plans, which means I might have a few more days to visit family and chase birds…
The weather turned cold, cloudy, and windy today, just in time for the Jack Daniel’s 2012 World Championship Invitational Barbeque. I enjoyed wandering through the tents and shops with one of my dearest friends, who didn’t mind waiting while I photographed some of the 4-H club’s petting zoo animals and a bluebird foraging in a nearby field.
Our return trip wandered through the center of Fayetteville and along many of the back roads I knew by heart when I was younger.
Rae Spencer 