A bit of rain, then a rainbow

 We had a short but heavy downpour this morning.  By our 3:00 walk the puddles had dried but Storm was still not impressed with wet grass on her tootsies.  She wanted to sit and watch the bugs...or maybe smell the flowers.

We went to the Philipsburg Wine Walk and Brewhaha.  yawn, but Dead Canary Brewery was there (the reason we went).  The brewer is a home brew club member. We sampled a peach IPA and his chocolate coffee stout.  Both excellent, so I became a Founder, #5. Ah, the joys of online marketplaces and credit cards. 

On the way home we saw a rainbow ahead of us and dark clouds to the north.  

True to form Remington moped when he realized we were going out without him.  His clue is Paul showering about 4:00. By the time we arrived home he was over his mope and bounded around the house to greet us.  Storm, on the other hand, wouldn't leave the wood stove.  She sat in front; she jumped on top, something we've never seen her do.  A clue. I looked inside and sure enough, a blue bird was scrambling around.  Paul scooped her out with a t-shirt.  She hadn't been in there long since she was still very blue.  It took Storm another 30 minutes to understand that her stove-TV was finished.  

Neighbors a few doors down from R&D have scooped out a sub substantial part of their hillside.   There used to be a trailer there.  I wonder if they are building a house.  

Groundhogs must not talk to bluebirds and robins

Somebody didn't tell the bluebirds and robins that we have 18" snow on the ground and we'll have single digits tonight.  We watched as a couple of them snagged holly and mountain ash berries.  There's lots of singing on the morning walk, too.

Blue birds

Reminder:  Put netting on tree tubes in the meadow.  Paul released 2 today that had fallen down the largest tubes.  We bought some netting and rubber bands so no more bluebirds should be in danger...except from Buddy who flushes fledglings, races after them, then jumps to gobble them.  Smack, smack, they're tasty.
Reading: 40North Slope ***Michael Parker;  Not to be read in the winter.  Murders on a north slope oil rig that is about to hit oil and run out of time.
39Schmetterling Effect*** Ivan Cotter; Iran produces suitcase nukes and plans to detonate a number of them simultaneously to cripple Israel, thus allowing a mass attack on Israel by its neighbor states. Due to a software glitch, the plan goes wrong. A nuclear holocaust and a 50% reduction in the world's oil supply result. World trade collapses due to the resulting energy shortage. Ireland's situation gets even worse but is saved by becoming the 51st state and drilling for shale oil.
38A Bitter Veil***Libby Fischer Hellman; the life of a US woman as an Iranian bride at the time of the Revolution.  

Bluebird

Paul rescued a bluebird from our wood stove.  It was drier in there than outside.
We have the Thymus praecox 'Albiflorus' White Creeping Thyme from Stepables.com planted between the flagstones.  The chickens approve.
Cranberry and arrowwood viburnum are doing well under the bedroom west window.  Landscaping is a slow business.