The Sky is Falling! in New Immigrant

Smile: Well, not exactly, but birds of all sizes and colors are descending from the sky to grace us with their presence. This has been that one priceless spring week when almost every turn to the windows brings a surprise.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks started the show. Then the flaming orange and black Baltimore Orioles stole the action, with eight males and gradually countless females eating grape jelly faster than I could find it on the shelves!

Not to neglect our less showy favorites - the melodic catbirds and brown thrashers. Far from it.

But those bold eye-catchers, the intense Indigo (blue) Buntings and glittering male Goldfinches by the dozens, do dazzle.

Perhaps as a Prize after that dreadful winter, there was a first-ever gift! For two days now an intensely red Scarlet Tanager (with black wings and tail) has joined the myriad of others feasting on sunflower and thistle seed. Normally we consider ourselves fortunate to see a fleeting Scarlet Tanager in the trees, but having one come to our "buffet," well that was something!

Smile: Tom was here for several days. Because of leaving on his Southwestern trip shortly, we did have to work, not play. Two days he chain sawed the fallen trees and two days he perched in our crab apple tree hand-sawing branches. When he got back to CF and slowed down he called sounding like a man on his death bed, his weak voice barely audible whispering "I can't move!" But later that day he ran on the treadmill!

That damn clock is TickTocking away, though, and Tom laments that he will turn 70 in six more days. He thinks he looks old. I reminded him of his amazing manual labor accomplishments but what helped most to bolster his morale was news that his book was a finalist as a book of excellence among books published independently in 2014!! Although he didn't win, being one of five finalists in two categories is impressive. Go Tom! As you know, this couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Smile: On Facebook there was a post that Stanford University students exerted enough pressure on Stanford that they will reject over a billion dollars in funds from the oil companies. I need to read the entire article but they said the best account of how the students achieved this is explained in "Democracy Now."

Smile: President Obama (who I'd given up on) was talking green, saying the right things about needing to reduce carbon emissions! We need to keep this front and center in the public eye, don't we.

Frown: It took only one humid day for me to think the Polar Vortex wasn't so bad after all. Humidity paralyzes me.

Frown: To reward ourselves for our labors Tom and I overate. We both gained weight.

Frown: One day on our steep slopes and my joints were screaming. It has me depressed. I am ever more limited by my joints. Do okay on flat places. Now losing my thirty pounds would help, wouldn't it!

Smile: Tom received a royal welcome from the cats. For any skeptics, please note that Tom takes pleasure in all these cats too. NO, I do not want another one! (Yes, we will keep Yakitti.) NO, I'm not heading to thirty cats or something absurd (as my Sister fears).

Smile: One night when Tom and I were having tuna or something, we had to stand up to eat because Yak wouldn't let us alone. Boing! She likes people food! I bought us a broasted chicken and she LOVED it. Sometimes she gets fussy with her cat food and I am grateful for this discovery.

Smile: Today was the first day we've had the windows and doors open most of the day. All of us loved hearing the birds. Plus there was some serious kitty bird-watching going on!

Smile: We continue to support the economy. Tree removal was a big ticket item, then this week our communal well (nine households) at the river had a leak requiring a new tank, pump and several upgrades to bring it to code. Can't complain, the pump was installed in 1979! Even divided our chunk will be significant.

There have been well repairs before but this was a different company and I have to say they were terrific - extremely customer friendly as far as working into the dark so they could turn the water on overnight. On the second day it wasn't too many hours before they were done and had it on permanently. Impressive.

Smile: We were fortunate with the insurance company as far as the truck repairs. Our $500 deductible took care of it and no fuss and bother about the damage the tow truck caused. Whew, that was a relief!

Smile: On Thursday Tuco was spayed and Willow had a tooth pulled. Both act like nothing ever happened, which is a relief.

Smile: Perhaps smile is not the right word, but I am engrossed by "Wave," the true story told by the woman who lost her two little boys, her husband and her parents in the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka. Sago started my thinking on loss and that is why I chose this book. I feel very thankful for my life, as well as better understanding the power of grief.

Truth: The Mississippi River is now at flood stage. The road to our place is still open but not the road through my beloved marsh. Still, I visit and watch what's there, inhale the watery aromas and thrill in "learning a marsh" one visit at a time.

Smile: Have I mentioned that our niece, Jen, who had that devastating brain surgery in October, learned recently that there is more (benign) meningioma. Her neurologist says he will remove it noninvasively.

Because she's had some tingling in her cheek she saw a neurologist who specializes in Bell's Palsy. He told her to tape her mouth into a smile each night so that's what she and her sister do. They giggle the whole time. I can hear them.

Jen is applying for disability because her fatigue remains. She will have to quit her job.

I miss you. I am grateful for you. I hope you are well and each of your days has more Smiles than Frowns.

Carpe Diem!