Happy Independence Day!

It is just a picture perfect day outside, yesterday showed some promise of it, but today, is gorgeous.  Look at the blue sky. breeze blowing, lower dew points and much cooler temps.  58 overnight according to my thermometer.  I had a little struggle getting the flag mounted in that the wind was trying to whip it away from me.   That and I am a little afraid of heights (or falling?), like even as small as getting my own height off the ground.  Silly,  I know.  There is nothing really to hold on to other than to brace my hand on the facing board.  I was not able to use the step stool that DJ used to get up there but we still have my old painting ladder from years ago so I drug it out.  So Happy Birthday, America and happy birthday to my dear friend, Cindy.  In years past I visited her on her bday as they had a little quilt show in the town they were living in at the time, outside Knoxville, TN.  The whole town would get into it with all day activities planned.


Oscar and I went into the park to walk fairly early this morning.  The Ladiga Trail looked to be hopping but we had the park all to ourselves.  Quiet and peaceful, listening to the birds sing, enjoying the great weather.  Then some idiot begins to endear himself to his neighbors by either using his chain saw or weed whacker at 6:30 in the morning.  By 7:30 here in the nearby subdivision someone is bush hogging the vacant lot about 4 houses down and there went the serenity in MY neck of the woods.  Beep, beep, beep and then joined by the lawnmowers and weed whackers at various households.

As we were getting out of the car, Kit Kit came running up to greet us.  She is not at all afraid of the dog, while Oscar is a little afraid of her.  I wish I had had my camera for what came next.  Oscar and I headed to the back yard so he could have his "good boy" biscuit.  Kit Kit again turned her nose up at the dry food but was still hanging around wanting some pets or to play.  The two of the them were having a little standoff near the fence.  Up hops the cat doing a tightrope dance on the horizontal fence post walking almost the length of the shed--about 14 feet.  (I think those extra toes she has are a plus for that.)  Oscar was going nuts, so were the bird parents,  and in the house, Skyler is meowing his fool head off because he knows I am home but not back in the house and he can hear me talking to the critters.  Then down into the yard went the cat, Oscar giving chase.  The bird parents are REALLY squawking at that point as they are both too close to the gardenia bush..  All I could think was please do not go up in there.  Kit Kit jumped back over the fence but continued to taunt Oscar by running under the shed, around the shed and he is running those little legs off and jumping like he is on a pogo stick.  Eventually she tired of the game and the next thing we both knew she was off climbing the large tree between the houses.  That got Oscar to barking at her.  Skyler continues crying and the birds are still not happy.  Oscar and I get back to my tossing that little purple floppy cat toy and him sort of playing fetch with it.  That dogger is going to sleep well tonight!  I thought briefly about loading Skyler up in the carrier and bringing him outside but he might panic more from being in there then he would being in the house all alone.  Don't know, may try it just to see what he does.

Speaking of birds, this one is looking more like one instead of a scrawny fuzzy gaping mouth with legs.  Not like that awful looking thing I had to pick up with the shovel the other day.  I don't know how many more of them remain in the nest but this one looks more robust than a few days ago.  Obviously I was wrong about the nest being abandoned with the protective mocking bird pair this morning.  Oscar is kind of balking about going out in the back yard lately and I have to wonder if he had gotten swooped down on again.  OR he just wants to stay in the house where it is cooler.  Could be either one.

Think I am going to go out and read a bit, enjoy this wonderful weather because it will not last.  Mid 80 is fine if there is shade, a breeze, low humidity.  Give that overworked a/c a break too.   No housework and no yardwork today if I can help it though I might sew a bit later.

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday weekend and thx for stopping by.