Our Front Door Is Temporarily Off Limits

The Wife went out to water the petunias on the front door entryway and discovered this in one of the planters:

A dove in the oven.

The nest and egg is a mourning dove egg.  We have seen her sitting on the nest and we have declared the front door closed for use until it hatches.

Mourning doves are not new to our house but this is the first nest in a potted plant.

Weekly Ephemera #135

• I got back the prostate biopsy that was taken during my kidney stone removal.  Unlike my first biopsy, performed in 2022, which found no evidence of prostate cancer, this biopsy showed Gleason score 6 prostate cancer in two of the twelve samples.  The Gleason score goes from 6 to 10 with 6 meaning low/very low risk of growth/spreading of the cancer.  The suggested treatment for this is watchful waiting.  I will likely get biopsies annually from now on and my PSA will be monitored.  If the Gleason score goes up, further treatment will likely be necessary.  That said, it could take years for the cancer to progress, so I consider this just another sign of aging.
• Spring is quickly approaching and some of the first signs are making an appearance.  This week several Robins, Redwing Blackbirds, and Mourning Doves made their first appearance in our backyard.
• Pre March madness madness has arrived at the Homer's Travel's household and the Wife will be spending some quality time in the She-Shed until all this basketball craziness is over.
• I went for a walk this week.  I kept it short since only a week had passed since my kidney stone procedure.  Due to some very mild discomfort (probably because of the temporary stent inserted during the kidney stone removal) I decided to hold off on walking until I get the stent removed later this week.  I still managed to walk 5.6 miles (9.0 km).
• I hope everyone has a happy and safe Saint Patrick's Day tomorrow.

Weekly Ephemera #100

This probably shouldn't be an ephemera post as it's pretty significant but I'm afraid if I dedicate a whole post to it, it would become a rambling 'poor me' screed.  Anyway, here is the week that was:

• My mom's back and sciatic leg pain is progressively getting worse and it is getting harder for her to get around.  She is scheduled for surgery on the 8th of July but tomorrow we are going to contact the neurosurgeon to see if it can be moved up.  The surgery may help ... or it may not.  The only way to know is to have it done.
• Due to Mom's worsening condition, I decided that I would not be going on the Wife's Camino.  After consideration she too decided to cancel the Camino for this year.  We are both, to say it mildly, a bit bummed but neither of us would have enjoyed it if we were continuously worrying about how Mom was.  I also think me being close by gives Mom a sense of comfort.  The Camino has been around over one thousand two hundred years.  It will still be around next year.  We just need to hold our aging bodies at bay a little longer.
• Before we postponed the Wife's Camino we deep cleaned the house.  The Wife's Aunt and Cousins were/are going to use our house while we were away but now we will be hosting them.  They will be going to the College World Series and visiting old friends in Omaha next week.  I have never seen the Wife clean so deeply.  Three plus hours for just one room.  I did my part but my piddly attempts at deep cleaning paled in comparison.
• One of the things I did was clean the windows.  A day or so afterwards a robin flew into the window so hard it left a splat of ... something disgusting ... before dropping dead to the patio. When I removed the carcass it left a bloodstain on the concrete.  I will have to rewash that window.
• Between cleanings I watch some more "Doctor Who" which, after a very sloppy start, has gotten better.
  
  In the evening the Wife and I have started watching "Alone".  There are ten seasons (the eleventh season starts this week).  I'm pretty sure I would tap out before I even got on the boat.

Waves And Waves Of Cranes

Time to recap what we did last weekend.

Our British friends, NH and JH, arrived Thursday morning.  We met on our amazon cruise back in 2016.  The Wife and JH have been playing WordFeud ever since and JH has talked to the Wife's students when they were covering "Lord of the Flies".  NH and JH are also bird nerdy so we invited them to visit us to witness the sandhill crane migration that passes through Nebraska every March.

On Friday afternoon we drove to Kearney, NE.  As we got closer we noticed large groups of cranes in the farm fields eating castoff corn from the previous harvest.  The Wife and I had traveled to see the cranes twice before but I noticed, as we got closer to Kearney, that the cranes were more numerous than when we were there.

Our first stop was the Rowe Sanctuary to learn a bit about the cranes and shop for some souvenirs (We already had a magnet but I added a crane bobblehead to my sugar skull and Alice Cooper bobblehead collection).

The converted railroad bridge over the Platte river.

We then checked into our hotel and I had a short nap before we headed out for our first observation.  During the day the cranes eat in the fields but as the sun goes down they return to roost on the banks of the Platte river.  We went to where we had first viewed them back in 2009, the Fort Kearney State Recreation Area.  This park has a converted railway bridge crossing the Platte river.  We arrived two hours before sunset and claimed a spot on the bridge. (The bridge filled up over the next hour.)

A large flock of cranes moving over the Platte river.

It took a while before the cranes began to arrive.  I was hoping for more cranes near the bridge like they were in 2009 but they never came very close but, unlike in 2009, the number of cranes were orders of magnitude larger than we saw before.  The sights and sounds were spectacular.  JH tweeted a video that shows the birds and you can hear what it sounded like.  We stayed on the bridge until there was not enough light to see the birds anymore.

The gorgeous sunset over the Platte river.

We finished the day with a late dinner at a sports bar so the Wife could watch the Creighton basketball game.

Cranes thinking about the coming day.

On Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the Plautz Crane Viewing Deck south of Gibbon, NE.  When we got there it was already noisy.  The sound of the waking cranes was building.  As the sun rose large flocks of cranes took off and headed to the nearby fields to feed.  We watched some cranes in the nearby fields.  Some were hopping and spreading their wings.  My understanding is this is a mating dance performed by the male cranes.

Cranes in the field ... a couple of them danced the mating dance.

We returned to our hotel for some breakfast where we experienced the marvel of the pancake machine.  The pancakes were surprisingly good.

We drove back to Omaha and spent the afternoon showing NH and JH the city.  Among other things, we walked the pedestrian bridge, saw the pioneer sculpture that runs for several blocks downtown, and saw the marker where the Japanese had bombed Omaha by balloon.

Our weekend full of birds and conversation ended on Sunday.  It snowed overnight and gave our guests a white goodbye.  We ate breakfast at Louie M's Burger Lust before dropping our guests at the airport.

Sometime next year, depending on the Wrexham schedule, we will be visiting NH and JH.  The Wife's list of places to visit in Great Britain is quite long and NH and JH were a bit dubious about us being able to do it all within any reasonable length of time.  Challenge accepted!

Pictures have been added to my 2009-2023 Sandhill Cranes Google Photos album.

Weekly Ephemera #47

• On Monday the Wife and I went shopping for Camino gear.  We started at Cabellas and were very disappointed.  Their selection was okay but during our visit no one ever asked us if we needed help. 
  
  After eating some lunch we went to the 'new' REI outlet (not sure how new it is but I didn't realize it was here) and had an incredible experience.  As we approached the backpack section a representative came up and asked if he could help.  The Wife tried on four backpacks that the rep had filled with our desired weight so she could easily compare how they felt.  She ended up with a Osprey EJA 58L which should work well on the Camino.
  
  While she walked around the store with a pack on to get the feel, we looked at socks.  Once again a rep asked if he could help and he helped us find some non-wool socks the Wife could wear.
  
  On the way out we purchased a sleeping bag liner (we will not be carrying sleeping bags on the Camino but the liners are good sheets/covers for the hostel beds and can be treated with permethrin to keep the bugs off).
  
  Our experience was so good that I bought an REI lifetime membership for $30 and was pleasantly surprised to get a $30 gift card so ... free membership.
• Continuing on the Camino gear topic, I purchased a set of trekking poles for the Wife.  She's never walked with poles and I hope she finds them as helpful as I do.  They came this week and they looked so nice and shiny that I ordered a new set for myself.  I feel a bit guilty since my old poles are still working but they are all scratched up and there is some corrosion and cracking on some of the quick locks - the Appalachian Trail was tough on them.  When they arrive I'm sure the guilt will quickly evaporate.
• After the Robins returned over the last few weeks, the Red Wing Blackbirds (along with other types of blackbirds) started to show up.  When they get here in force they will empty our bird feeder double speed.  Of course, that's what the bird feeder is for ... to feed the birds.
• I contacted the Government Office of Personnel Management this week to confirm my eligibility for my retirement annuity.  I remember thinking when I chose a deferred retirement annuity back in 2008 how far my sixtieth birthday was.  Now it's just a few months away and I wonder where the time went.  The form I need to fill out is pretty straight forward but I had questions on when I could submit it.  The ideal time will come while we are on the Camino but it looks like sending it in a few weeks early is no big deal.  I'm not sure exactly how much this annuity will be but it should cover some of our travel expenses and help extend our savings.
• I walked two times this week for a total of 21.6 miles (34.8 km).  I am now easily covering ten plus miles per hike and I feel surprisingly well.  This is making me feel optimistic (is that what this feeling is?  I think so) that my third Camino will go well for me.

Weekly Ephemera #45

• On Monday the roofers came in and swapped out our box/turtle vents with turbine vents.  This was done to increase the ventilation in our attic (to reduce condensation) and to prevent the sucking of snow into the attic.  The snow and condensation was staining our ceiling in several rooms.  The roofers also vented the bathroom fans to the outside as they should have been from the beginning.  The builder had just vented the bathrooms into the attic.
  
  While doing the work the roofers pointed out that the baffles that ensure proper airflow from the soffit vents into the attic were not installed correctly.  They will be back in April (when workers return after taking off the winter season) to evaluate/fix these air flow issues.  This will result in a bill between $2K and $4K depending on what they find when they tear off part of the roof.  *sigh*
• Geek Talk Warning:  For years I've been using GoDaddy as my domain registrar for Homers Travels.  This week I learned that GoDaddy had discovered a multi-year hack of their system.  While this only seems to affect websites hosted by GoDaddy and I only use their Domain Name registration, I decided to play it safe and moved my registration over to Google Domains instead.  I suspect you, the consumer of Homer's Travels, will not notice anything.  Carry on.
• Walking was a bit chaotic this week.  Due to several factors beyond my control I only managed two hikes this week - one short and one long.  I ended up walking 15 miles (24 km).  The longer hike, over 10 miles (16 km) felt very good so I think I can push longer miles.  I don't expect any interruptions to my walking schedule this coming week so it will be interesting how my body handles longer miles.
  
  

  

  A pair of signs that made me smile.

• Saw my first Robin last week.  This, and the more spring-like temperatures in the forecast, seem to be hinting at an early Spring.  Our snow is almost all gone (we didn't get anything more than a trace from the storm that came through Wednesday night).  We only have rain coming this week.  Yay.

Weekly Ephemera #9

"Looking Up"
by Tom Friedman
Hanafin Park (2015)

• This week gave us a taste of spring like temperatures and the return of seasonal visitors.
  
  I saw my first Robin this week, a sure sign of the approaching season.  It was followed by the vanguard of the blackbird hoard that storms through our backyard every Spring gluttonously emptying out the bird feeders.  I guess it's fair since they are birds and those are bird feeders.
• I managed to walk three times this week.  Two were around Omaha and Council Bluffs, the other was at Hitchcock Nature Center.  I met my weekly goal and hiked 24.3 miles (39.1 km).
  
  When I go to Hitchcock I carry a 25 pound (11.3 kg) pack.  To get that weight, and to insure the weight is distributed properly (high and close to the back), I use taped together concrete pavers resting on an empty bear canister and cushioned with old towels.  It rides in my car between hikes and I always wonder what people would think if they ever tried to steal the pack.  They would definitely be disappointed.
  
• We had a contractor come by to give us an estimate for painting the exterior of our house.  More information to come later I expect.
• Worked on our taxes.  Uploaded the numbers.  All I have to do is verify everything and file.  We appear to owe $75 (state and federal tax combined).  I prefer owing the government money than giving them an interest free loan, especially when it's such a small amount.
• At the end of the week I went to see the Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts.  I was originally going to see the Live Action Shorts as well but a morning hike and one movie kind of wore me out.  I may go see the Live Action Shorts next week.
  
  The Animated Shorts were an odd mix of G-rated kid oriented shows and R-rated stuff aimed at adults.  A warning was put up on the screen before the adult oriented shorts warning of violence, disturbing scenes, and sexual activity and paused to let people leave the theater (the first time I've seen this).  I think the theater has received complaints in the past from irate parents thinking they were taking their kids to see 'cartoons'.
  
  One of my favorites, "Boxballet", was a Russian submission.  I had mixed feelings about that but we need to separate the Russian artists and their corrupt government.  The strangest was the Chilean submission, "Bestia".

Trash Panda Bandits

Every Saturday I fill the birdfeeders.  The main feeder holds six pounds of bird seed that I mix by hand to attract the biggest variety of birds.  The feeder is attached to a cord that I can raise or lower for easy filling.  I did it this way to prevent squirrels from eating the seed.

Despite my efforts, inevitably the feeder is empty by Monday morning.  I have always thought this was weird since the small birds in our yard could not possibly eat that much food in two days.  The only time this would be believable would be in the Spring when the blackbirds migrate through and swarm the feeders.  Another strange fact was that the feeders were being emptied out at night … hmmmm.

Birds visiting the feeder.

So I decided to solve the mystery once and for all and I purchased a hunting camera.  The camera is made to be attached to a tree or post and is triggered by motion.  It works at day or night.  I filled up the feeder, placed the camera where it had a good view of the feeder, and waited a week.

Two racoons burgling the feeder.

It really didn't take long.  I was expecting to see a racoon, sometimes referred to a trash panda since they like trash and they are related to pandas, but I was a bit surprised to see two.  I also learned it takes two visits to totally empty the feeder (Note the top picture with the birds - the feeder is half full after the racoon's first visit).

A Trash Panda taking a selfie.

I am considering adding another section of pipe to raise the feed out of the racoon's reach.  I would rather feed the birds instead of the racoons and the food would last a lot longer if only the birds are visiting.

Another New Bird In Our Backyard

I noticed a new visitor to our backyard last week and he seems to be staying. He is a Brown Thrasher.

 

My first view taken with my cell phone and zoomed in too much.

Here he is a few days later eating some munchies.

A Visitor To Our New Feeder

I recently replaced my old Finch feeder that was slowly falling apart.  The first bird to visit was a Dark-eyed Junco.

A Dark-eyed Junco visiting my new feeder.

Today it is very cold and I'm sure this Junco is huddling with all the other small birds that live in our fir tree.

Some Blue In The Backyard

I have been trying to attract Blue Jays to my backyard for a while now.   My latest attempt has been to add peanuts to the seed mix in my feeder.  Over the last six months or so I have begun to see them in the backyard.  They are still rare and are a bit skittish but I finally managed to get a picture of one.

A Blue Jay sitting on our neighbor's tree.

 I hope this is one of many to visit our neck of the woods.

P.S.  Happy forty-fifth birthday to my friend G_v.

Best Photos Of 2020

Time to continue the tradition of posting my best photograph of the year.  Like last year I will be stretching the window slightly to include photos taken during our Chilean Patagonia trip at the end of 2019.  If I didn't do this I'm not sure if I would have a picture to post this year.

2020 was not a good year for me or for many of us frankly.  Despite always having my camera with me when I went on my walks last year, most of the pictures I took were either mediocre or were pictures of other people's art.  In fact, I was surprised that, despite walking over six hundred miles around Omaha, I took so few pictures worth sharing.  Add on to that the fact we didn't go on vacation in 2020 and I ended with fewer pictures than normal.

I did find one picture that I really liked.  It was taken on our last day in Santiago, Chile.  We were visiting a market that had some animals and birds on display.  This is where I captured this image:

"Showoff"
by Bruce H.
(Taken on the 3^rd of January, 2020)

It figures that the only good pictures I would take in 2020 were taken before the pandemic hit.  Here is an honorable mention that would have been my favorite except for the photobomber standing in the way:

"Reward at the End of the Water Path"
by Bruce H.
(Taken on the 30^th of December, 2019)

I hope you all had a safe and fun socially distant New Year's Eve.  Onward into the new year, 2021.  Let's hope the light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming train.

May The Fourth ... And All That

I couldn't find a Star Wars related picture to post to celebrate May the Fourth day so I decided to post a totally unrelated picture of a cardinal sitting on a light pole.  May the Fourth be with you.

A non Star Wars related picture of a cardinal.

P.S.  Happy first anniversary to B & E !!!

For Easter ... A Goldfinch

Happy Easter to all today.  To celebrate, here is a picture of a Goldfinch.  Goldfinches aren't that common in our backyard but they are occasionally attracted to our thistle feeder.

A Goldfinch checking out the backyard.

Blackbirds ... Everywhere.

While some people mark the coming of Spring by the sighting of the first Robin, in our backyard it's the return of the flocks of Blackbirds and Red Wing Blackbirds.  They swoop in and empty our birdfeeders several times before moving on.

Blackbirds in and near the suet feeder.

While they are visiting, our backyard is full of the trill of birdsong.

A Red Wing Blackbird.

A Bird ...And Not A Bird

Here is another visitor to our backyard feeders.  A Downy Woodpecker at our suet feeder.

A Downy Woodpecker on our Suet feeder.

A new visitor to our backyard was not a bird.  It was a squirrel but not just any squirrel - a black squirrel.  I've seen them in other parts of Omaha and Council Bluffs but this was the first in our backyard.  It's not the best picture but it's the best I could do before he scurried off.

A black squirrel looking for fallen bird seed at the bottom of a fence.

If I get a better picture I'll share it.