Another snowy morning and I, of course, broke down and filled seventeen bird feeders last evening and true to form I have a yard full of blassckbirds this morning. I'll be glad when the snow is gone and these guys all get back to the fields. But, with two more rounds of snow predicted -- that won't be any time soon. However, I have a friend in the sky too; a red-tailed hawk. It just came swooping in and sixty or so blackbirds took to the air all at once with the hawk hot on their tail. I need to get my bird book out and do a little research. Most of these black birds are simply black while many of them are what we have always called red-winged black birds; and I wonder if maybe that is the distinction between the male and female. It is interesting watching them. I've tried to take pictures of them several times en masse and everytime I step out side they all fly off. And, they will stay up in the trees until I walk back inside. Then they just seem to "float" to the ground like leaves in the fall. Very interesting. I have one out there that I really wish I could get a picture of. Part of the top and all of the underside of its wings is totally white. I've never seen that before.

But --- black birds are not my only guests this morning, thank goodness. There are at least a dozen cardinals and lots of junkos out there as well as a few downy woodpeckers. So in between the hordes of uninvited -- the regular customers are getting plenty to eat too. I also hut out a new food. It is a block cylinder that hangs just about fifteen inches from a branch. I did have a seed cake hanging there but a squirrel figured out that it could stretch out and pull it over to himself and just have a private meal. Well, this new cylinder is a tempting peanut blend that the birds love but it is also a hot pepper blend. Birds have no taste buds; the squirrel on the other hand may not either after it takes a chunk off of this. Ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do!

Ms. Kate and I got all of our running around done yesterday that we had to do. One of the things we had to do was pick up her new "computer glasses". She has been having trouble lining up her bifocals  when she sits at her computer. As a result she ends up with a sore neck and a headache. So, we had our optometrist fix her up with a pair just for using at the computer and they are working great for her.  We also went grocery shopping yesterday at our new Neighborhood Walmart. It has only been open for about a week so we thought we would check it out. Honestly, --- I am not impressed. I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't what I saw.

It is time to get my Friday started although I don't have a plan for the day. There is always something to be done, or a book to be read, or maybe even plan my day a round a nap later in the day. Life is good, and God is great! Have a blessed day!