In which there are announcements among the raindrops

[rolanni]

I am remiss in announcing that Chaz Brenchley's guest story, "2 Pi to Live" is now available for your reading pleasure on Splinter Universe.  Here's your link.  Remember that the donation button at the bottom of the story goes direct to the author, if you wish to show your appreciation for their work.

Also, the three newest Liaden stories on Splinter Universe will be coming down sooner rather than later, as they will be among the sweet fruits collected in A Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 3.  See this, in case you missed that.  So!  Read 'em while they're free.

Regarding Splinter Universe in general, and those stories in particular, I want to thank everyone for their generosity.  Very much appreciated.

In other news, it's raining (boo!  hiss!), so we have canceled the trip to Portland to tour the ferry, window-shop and generally goof off, and you know what that means, right?

Right.  It means today is a working day.

Also?  There was a Cooper's Hawk perched in the ravaged pine tree nearest the deck yesterday afternoon (and me without a camera!), obviously shopping the bird feeder for lunch.  He flew off when he encountered my ill-bred stare, but I fear he will be back.   Sigh.  It's a jungle out there.

So, what're you doing today that's fun?

Comments

[catlinye-maker.livejournal.com]

Heading over to a friend's house to jump-start my moribund quilting habit by resuming the "current" (year-old) project with her. She's digging out a wall hanging quilted by her grandmother which just needs binding, so good for both of us!

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

We found a dense swathe of pigeon feathers in the next block, a week or two back. Another probable Cooper's -- peregrines will usually leave the wings behind, and pigeons are a bit large for sharp-shins.

[catherine kelleher (from livejournal.com)]

Cleaning off the back patio in preparation for summer lunching. Unfortunately Monday and Tuesday nights are supposed to get down into the 30's again so I can't put out my patio planters and house plants just yet.....it's been one of those running hot and cold springs this year. The timing is bad, since I could use some help with heavier plants and planters and my husband leaves Monday for the week. And my poor tomatoes are just sitting inside waiting to be planted too.

doings this weekend

[nocal-kathyf.livejournal.com]

We are trying to finish our bocce court this weekend. We were in the ER on Wed, hubby is better but can't do any of the work. I've hired two gentlemen from our local hiring hall and been practicing my Spanish. Didn't know the words for "We want to mix gravel and dirt here" but demonstrations helped. A good reminder of what it is like to be in a country where you don't speak the language well. Our son is now helping, and his Spanish is a bit more current than mine so that is all good. I am off to pick up lunch for the gang, then finish my final paper for my last official class for my Masters. There are another five weeks to go to finish my project and submit it, but classwork, as such is done. Hurray!

Great! Coopers Hawks are wonderful

[dragonet2.livejournal.com]

We have several of them around here, and farther south in town, so does my friend Jeff. They favor open woodlands, they're built for zooming among tree branches - their wings are a bit stubbier than Redtail Hawks. Plus they hunt birds more than Redtails do.

I fell a bit bad for the other birds, in your neighborhood. Here i have a feeling half their diet is either pigeons (tree rats) or squirrels (rats with a PR department). No loss on our part.

Re: Great! Coopers Hawks are wonderful

[doccolt.livejournal.com]

I think you owe rats an apology. I sometimes work on roofs with pigeons.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Not so much something I did today--though I did--but something I've been doing since April 29th is taking photos every day of a nest of sparrows on our front porch. On April 29th there was at least one egg hatched and two unhatched out of the five eggs total (I didn't get a very good or complete shot). In the last twelve days the hatchlings have visibly changed each day, going from scrawny, featherless, naked things to recognizable baby birds with the beginnings of wing feathers. They have at most another week before they fledge and fly off, from what I've read.

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

I've finally managed to get the money set aside to buy Carousel Sun so now I'm diving into it.

Hawks gotta eat, too

[aska-kettlingur.livejournal.com]

Local TV station covered release of rehabilitated hawk this week. Camera followed hawk to tree, while newsman commented that a blue jay was 'welcoming him.' Hah! Hawk grabbed a bite to go from the blue jay's nest and continued on his way.