The Working Man

 The Department Of Public Works has this cute guy sitting out front. Made from barrels and other things they had. Or maybe it is a girl, looks like a little skirt there.

They need workers very badly. Even for the truck that comes around from time to time to collect tree limbs and large trash. It does not come out anymore, because they have no drivers. We are only one on a huge list of people who need it. We finally had to pay someone to take our pile away.

A toast today to all the invisible people doing jobs mysteriously getting done.

~Robert Brault

Sunday Sunset

 In order.

Yes, this is still the same sunset.

Storm clouds on the distant horizon.

Our little sunset friend, taking his evening stroll on the hill.

Side By Side

 These two were walking in front of our car this week. We slowed way down, but enjoyed watching them waddle down the road.

Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money

Maybe we're ragged and funny

But we'll travel along singing a song

Side by side

We don't know what's coming tomorrow

Maybe it's trouble and sorrow

But we'll travel the road sharing our load

Side by side

Through all kinds of weather

What if the sky should fall

As long as we're together

It doesn't matter at all

Harry M. Woods

Again With The Fence!

 You may remember that our two youngest granddaughters have been taking tennis lessons. So this week they had a tournament! Mixed doubles.

Phil, our son Mike and his wife were all there to cheer them on.

They played very well. In my head I had visions of them becoming the new Venus & Serena Williams.

Of course the stupid fence got in the way of my snapping!

About halfway through the match, Anne Marie joined us. She is 16 now, and drove over after work. She is now a coach for gymnastics.

Uh-oh, a dispute has broken out!

The sun was setting now, and they never turned on the outside lights!

Not only that, but this was youngest's first day wearing glasses! Melissa showed me a pic on her phone.

Despite all that, the girls played very well. They came over to see us after the match. The pic looks blue because by now it was quite dark.

Driving home with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.

“Life is like a game of tennis; the player who serves well seldom loses.”
Unknown

Blackbird

 From my birding drive this evening, up in a very tall and old dead tree.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly.

All your life

You have just been waiting for this moment to arrive."

Sir Paul McCartney

Sunday Sunset

 

Mouth Breathing

 We are in the middle of a heatwave here. The next two days are supposed to be about 100 degrees. Even the birds are suffering! They are so hot that they are having to breathe with their beaks open! Here is the Great Blue Heron. He was also vibrating his chin pouch to cool off as well.

Uh-Oh, busted!

On to our next hot bird, the Belted Kingfisher. His feathers are all wet and slicked back from diving for fish. Nevertheless, he is still hot enough to need open beaked breathing.

      "It's so hot that the birds are picking up worms with potholders."

Through A Fence Darkly

 On the edge of this parking lot, behind a chain link fence, lives a groundhog. He lives behind this large crack in a cement wall, and comes out often in the evening to eat. The other evening, we saw him again. He ran and hid in his home.

And then I noticed that He must have been a She, because there was a baby out there.

The baby stayed out, because he had not learned to be afraid of people yet. So the mom kept encouraging him to come inside.

Baby got the message, and in he scooted!

And Mom gave me a look as if to say "So THERE!" We left to let them come back out and eat in peace.

Horny

 I love this porch decoration on a house a few blocks away! It is a horn with music notes and sunflowers.

“The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. God descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. God called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up.”

Exodus 19