Birdies On My Sill

"A birdie with a yellow bill sat upon my windowsill, cocked his shining eye and said, 'Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepyhead!'"  My mother woke me with this ditty countless times in my childhood; she had others, as well.  It seems appropriate today as I've finally woken from my days-long sleep and there have been birdies on my sill.  The stellar jays have arrived in great numbers, flashing brilliant sapphire blue in the sun.  In the afternoon, I was amazed to see a red-tail hawk sitting in the young, bare oak just at the edge of the back yard, really quite close to the house.  I so wanted to take his picture, but couldn't get out on the deck without scaring him off, so it's only my word that this bird was simply awesome.  Gorgeous in flight, they are even more beautiful up close.

Feeling more like Rip Van Winkle than Sleeping Beauty, I did get to the feed store yesterday.  Dave and Joanie, the owners, each made it a point to tell me that a couple of my Kids had made "anonymous" Christmas donations of money on the books for me.  We all agreed that I've got the best Kids ever.  The grin on Joanie's face said it all when she told me that one of the Kids had also given her a box of See's chocolates.  She was happy, happy, happy!  In case those Kids wonder, I save that money for a delivery of (expensive) alfalfa when needed, and it is so, so appreciated.

While I'm still croaking like a bullfrog, it's great not to feel so muzzy-headed this morning.  Inga took a page from Sheila's game book and chose to lie in the sun instead of coming to the milking room yesterday, and I left her there.  That's not going to happen today!  It's back to business as usual at Farview.