Feathered, Furred, and Potted

My wee finches are very happy in their new home ... the cage and their home here with me, too. Know how I can tell?

This is one of them sitting in the seed dish!!




Why does that tell me that they are happy?



Look carefully in this next picture. I could not make it any more clear. Taking a pic through the wires and trying to get close enough to see the object was a task. I also couldn't edit it to be any better, sorry. Can you tell what it is?

Yep, the little goofballs laid an egg in the food dish!! Clearly they are happy since they would rather make eggs than eat!!

So I put another food dish in the cage, and I shredded some yard and thread and made it available to them for nesting material. I can't believe they have done this. Usually finches don't lay eggs unless they have a nesting box or materials. I don't really want baby finches, at least not yet. But I guess I'm not making the choices here, am I?

It is possible that this egg will be an infertile one and not hatch. I had that happen when I had finches before. Time will tell.

The rest of my menagerie got groomed last week. So I wanted cute little pictures of them to post here. Ali, as usual, avoided the camera.....


China did well, however!


What a sweet doll she is!


It was only later when I looked at the pictures in the computer, that I saw how much the tumor shows at certain angles.

Damn, I hate that thing.

She is still doing very well. She scampers around like a puppy, but I have to watch so she doesn't over-do it. She tires more easily now. But she is still happy and prances around, shows no signs of pain, so we are enjoying life every possible moment.

Both the dogs are enjoying being out on the deck these days. I prop the door open and they come and go at will. This beautiful weather is making a lot of good times for them and for me, too.

Last night I had a couple friends over. I actually invited some others, but people had plans. There is a lot going on in the are this weekend, art shows and fairs, etc. The three of us really enjoyed the afternoon and evening. We sat on the deck for a couple hours, visiting and relaxing. After that I cooked hamburgers and hotdogs, Polish sausage and brats. Gail brought potato salad, and Linda brought watermelon. Everything was very good, and we were so stuffed when we got through. I sent food home with Linda for her boyfriend. He decided to stay home since "it looked like a chick evening" to him!! Smart man!

I'm not doing much today. I had thought I would drive to Alamogordo and clean up Glenn's family plot, but I decided that I don't want to be on the road on the holiday. I will probably go down this week and take care of it. Today, I will kick back and take it easy. I might plant five potted plants I bought last week. Three red blooming yuccas and two Mexican brooms. In this rocky terrain, it could be a full days job!

I actually have a plan to plant them in a "raised" bed, of sorts. I don't want a raised bed in the traditional sense, because I want a natural look, so I will dig down as far as possible without having to move big rocks, then put the plants, still in their containers, sans the bottoms, in the holes,build up around the outside of the container with soil. This will hold them in place until they take root. Plant roots do an amazing job of finding their way through the maze of rocks, and next summer I will simply cut away the container, and the plants will (hopefully!!) look as if they grew there for the past several years.

OK, I'm going to go read a few blogs and then assist mother nature. Hope y'all have a great holiday!!

Life is beautiful!!!!