Bird Feeder Down

Out of seed at last. Feeder in for cleaning and repair. I’m guessing that over 200 pounds of seed passed through it this season. (Why don’t I keep better records?)

Chippy might be the most disappointed, but quite sure he has a storehouse full.

Believe I saw two Ruby Crowned Kinglets yesterday, on their way north. Sunny and warm today.

Eclipsed…

…though not totally.

Only about 80% here in SE Wisconsin, but perfect conditions—no clouds, warmish temps. Mimi made a pinhole camera obscura, while I went for a slotted spoon. Very strange and eerie half-light for about an hour.
Cosmologically, a total eclipse is sure to be a rarity in the universe; having the right size moon positioned at the precise distance to block the sun’s disk can’t be too common, even among the billions of billions.

Really Bad…

…weather. Wind-driven drizzle-snow. All day.

We are sitting at the center of a vast low pressure vortex. Glass down to 29.5.

Most yards along Whitewater Creek are navigable, not mowable.

And on top of that, we had to pull up a couple dozen slush-clad yard signs, and return them to HQ.

Thirteen Tortuous Miles

Ferociously fearsome and bone chillingly cold wind, mostly on the nose, while circling clockwise on my regular rural route. Occasionally, pedaling hard in low gear, I found myself going backward (or so it seemed). About halfway home it became clear that a mistake had been made. But…

Persistent perseverance seemed better than turning tail, and so, as a result, at the end of an hour, the bike and I closed the loop—and none too soon, in fact, since we pulled into the garage just as the first fat, frigid drops came splattering sideways.

A Fine Little Flood

Moisture is good, especially if it makes it into the Great Lakes. Also good for the Mississippi, which pretty near ran dry last fall.

Speaking of the Mississippi, I am currently reading Percival Everett’s new novel JAMES, which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. What a great read, what great fun. At my current point in the book we are dealing with the Duke of Bilgewater, and the “Dough Fan,” heir to the French throne.