Operation BBR

   Yesterday evening we had a very severe thunderstorm.  Charlie did a wonderful beep beep roadrunner impression when I opened the back door so he could go potty during one of the breaks in the storm, but he refused to go out and was quite disappointed when I informed him that "looking" outside was not the same as "going" outside and actually "going" potty so there were no treat rewards for a job well done.

  The storm knocked me offline for about an hour of work, and there was a lightning strike in one of the neighboring yards.  I hate when they are that close.

  This morning I realized that there was a flowering tree in the yard next door, and so wandered over to take a few pictures.  I think, but am not positive, that it is a dogwood tree, which if it is I'm quite excited about.  When taking the close-up of one of the blossoms, I had not realized there was a large bug of some kind on it, and probably would have chosen a different blossom to focus on if I had.

  Walking back, I discovered a nest and baby bird that had been blown out of a tree during the storm, and so Operation Baby Bird Rescue began.  I first moved it to the top of an old post to get it off the ground and away from the neighborhood cats that roam (and had already killed a cardinal fledgling in my yard).   It was close to where it had originally fallen.  But that left it exposed to the elements, including the hot sun, and the risk of drowning if the forecast storms the rest of the week held true and the bottom of the nest washed out since the post is hollow and already almost full of water.  Plus I was not able to see if one of the parents returned to feed it.

  I purchased a hanging fern and put it in the top of that where it would be secure, and hung it in one of the trees off the patio where the parents could see and hear it.  I can also see it from the kitchen door window to see if they come back for it.

  There were some very noisy common grackles that dive-bombed Charlie at one point yesterday evening and were fussing at me when I moved it to the tree so I suspect they are the parents.   Baby becomes active and vocal when they are near, so I am leaving it there and keeping my fingers crossed.

  UPDATE:  Yay!  Parents are feeding it now where it is hanging in the trees, and they are common grackles!  I don't have to cut up worms!

  While watching to see if the parents came back, I was also watching a very funny little squirrel that was stealing seeds and burying them in the yard.  She would dig a small hole, put the seeds in, then pat the dirt back over it again as if she was patting a bowl of bread dough to see if it had risen properly.

  I need to stop procrastinating and get down to the business of moving my office upstairs.  I start training for a new project next week, and while I will have weekends off, I don't want to do it next Sunday.  I could wait a few more months, but the clutter right now is impacting my mental state.  I was awake at 4a this morning thinking about it, and not for the first time in the past few months.  Once I get it upstairs, I can close that door when I am done working and don't have to walk "through" my office on my off days.  Plus, I've been dealing with consistent fevers in the late afternoons and evenings, and don't want to be lugging boxes, tubs, and my desk upstairs when they start today.