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Our Cooper’s hawk was back on the deck railing yesterday and this time he was in full hunting mode.
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The dreaded red squirrel pair were spotted and my fingers were crossed.
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If anyone can rid me of that menace, it’s the hawk.
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On high alert, scouting the bushes where they were hiding.
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The hawk sat there, patiently waiting for movement.
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And then, a strike!
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That sadly came up empty.
Hawk – 0.
Red squirrel demons – 1.
🥺
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Because it will make me happy, and I know you live for that.
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My morning starts like this:
Up between 5:00 and 5:30am.
Feed cat. Feed birds. Feed woodchuck.
Cup of tea.
Quick check of online news, email and social media.
Then, my new obsession. The New York Times game app.
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I used to do Wordle when it first came out, but not with any regularity. But since I discovered the free app?
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These brain teasers are how I start my day.
(Except for the Sudoku. I’ve always hated math.)
More games are available if you purchase the full version, but these are enough for me.
So…
How do you start your day?
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Woodpeckers that is.
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There was a nice pileated at our suet nugget feeder out back …
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And another on our choke cherry tree out front at the same time.
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It’s rare enough to see one of these large beauties on the property… no less two.
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Like I say..
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It was a banner day for peckers.
😉
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In case you’ve been wondering how our stone veneer is installed…
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Each piece has a metal flange with holes for screws attached to the top. You stagger the seams and there’s a little cutaway groove in each so they fit snuggly. Which is great…
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Until you reach the top and can’t fit an entire piece.
The flange and a portion of the stone has to be cut away, so how do you attach it?
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Serious thinking and strategizing was required because like most men, my spouse refused to follow the manufacturer’s directions… which called for industrial adhesive.
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I suggested masonry screws and was shot down.
See that piece on the top left?
It’s just wedged in there tightly. No screws, no adhesive. Just a hope and a prayer it doesn’t come loose and whack me on the head.
Wish us luck.
🥴
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Because you need more useless crap in your life.
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I’ve been to some bad weddings, but they never started with the invitation.
Ouch!
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Hope the kids don’t find those on daddy’s nightstand and start nibbling.
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A little clarity here, she calls her padded bra gel inserts chicken cutlets. Which is disturbing in itself…
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Sure.
What could go wrong there?
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Because the other fish are making fun of how ugly it is?
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The stone veneer installation is coming along nicely…
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Rising up the wall and around the windows.
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But at this point I need to take a moment and complain about the namby pamby fortitude of this product.
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It cracks easily.
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It chips even easier.
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For something that weighs a ton and costs a fortune?
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I expected better resiliency.
Cutting the “easy to install” stone is a nightmare all its own and everything is covered in dust.
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So much so it has to be brushed off every piece before and after installation.
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Thankfully you can’t see the cracks and chips unless you’re right on top of them.
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And I think it’s going to make a huge difference to our home’s curbside appeal when (if!) it’s completed.
😊
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Our Coopers Hawk returned yesterday and hung out for almost an hour, which is quite unusual.
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His Lordship was fascinated and kept a close eye on the visitor this time.
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I’m not sure what held this beautiful guy’s attention for so long… but I’m not complaining.
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I enjoyed watching him almost as much as Dudley.
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💕
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Because you’re not too busy right now.
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I know I was born in the wrong era, but I always wished I had learned to swing dance.
Back when I had a fully functional knee that is, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight now.
The Big Bands, the Lindy Hop, the energy… it just looks like fun.
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How about you?
What do you always wish you had learned…
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Remember the large, oh so heavy batch of stone my husband piled on the barn porch?
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The one I told him was too heavy to put in one place and might damage the frame?
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Yeah.
Serious sagging that had to be propped up.
Why do men never listen? Why…
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Work continues… and the more stone that’s affixed to the house, the less weight and possibility of caving in the barn porch.
I call that a win.
Progress is slow but steady.
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Question… what do we think of the color combination of stone and composite decking?
When this remodel started, I chose decking that would blend with the vinyl siding. It looks very grey in photos but is actually striated with beige-y clay.
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It had already been delivered by the time the husband decided to replace the siding with stone. Special order, no return…. so I’m talking myself into it blending.
What say you?
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Color coordinated or not, it’s what we’ve got.
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And standing on the lawn I’m beginning to get an idea of what it will look like when complete.
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While choking on masonry dust that is.
😉
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I spied someone on the deck railing recently, and as you can see… the royal feline was clueless.
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The someone was a juvenile Coopers Hawk.
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There’s good hunting under our bird feeders and this beauty was seriously interested.
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After ten minutes of me taking pictures and saying hey, there’s a big bird outside…
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His Lordship caught on.
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Hullo gawgeous!
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Raptors are fascinating creatures.
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And seeing one this close is a special experience.
❤️
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River's world..... 