I set up my little bistro table on the porch a few days ago so I could eat outside and have coffee with nature. We have had some really warm weather lately, and with the weather being really nice this morning I was finally able to have my coffee on the front porch to start my day.

I used to sit outside at my table and drink wine, but I cannot drink now due to a medication I am on. It absolutely sucks because I was really starting to get into wines. But, I can still sit outside at the table or in the porch swing and enjoy the birds and the patches of poppies, peonies and irises.

The picture above is right in front of the front porch. In the past I have just mowed it down, but before I could this year things started growing and the poppies are everywhere. Then the rest started to come up.

I had actually threw a bunch of grass seed in this patch to fill in and choke out the weeds, but then when the poppies showed up I realized my mistake. I then went and got some packets of wildflower seeds and scattered them around, with a little to fill in the poppies and the rest scattered heavier in the grassy areas. The new flowers are not coming up yet so I will get the trimmer in there and take the tops of the grass off and leave any new flower sprouts alone.

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Since I was Caretaker and lived on two wildlife refuges I got into birds. No, I am not a fanatic that will be selling my organs on the black market to chase down a rare-bird sighting in the Arctic, but I do like to hear and see them. I usee the Cornell app Merlin Bird ID for identifying birds.

Cornell keeps track of all things bird-related and they look at everything like migration patterns and changes, rare sightings and such. They have another app that you can use in conjunction with Merlin called eBird, and that app tracks bird sightings and records. Both are free and it’s a fun hobby to pass the time.

A really cool Merlin app feature is you can let the phone listen to what is happening and it identifies birds by their song. Yesterday morning the birds were getting after it and at one point I had 14 birds recorded in one pass. Four of those I did not have in my Life List. I used the app in Europe (especially in Killarney National Park in Ireland) and I added some birds to my life list over there.

You can also have Merlin look at a picture to ID a bird, or you can go old-school and ID them by size, color, etc. If you create an account it shares your sightings with Cornell to update records and that updates your eBird app as well.

It’s a fun thing to do to pass the time and learn more about the birds around you.

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I took a break from working on the house for the last few days. I had been pretty busy doing things but needed to take a breather from 14 days of non-stop busyness. The house really needs updating plus I am sick of looking at it like it is. Doing a little spackling, sanding and painting is a cheap fix that is looking nice and does so much.

The basement is a huge project. I have old tools and things on shelves & in boxes to sort through down there. I have made good progress but there is so much left to do. I got most of the water-ruined things out and hauled off so it’s mostly sorting whether or not to keep things myself, pass it along to family or donate.

I do get to where I just want to get things done and get really motivated. Last night that happened around 11 PM; I decided to work on filling nail holes in the walls with spackle and trying to think about some paint colors to liven things up. Yeah it was just a little bit of work, but the holes have to be filled to I got that out of the way. Getting this stuff done has been going well and it has been going pretty quickly. I should have most of it done within a few weeks…unless I go camping someplace!

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Speaking of camping, Meghan has been using my trailer at dog shows so I have not had it here for a while. But, it has been able to be stored inside their shop which is always good.

However, last month she discovered a small leak in the roof. I climbed up and found that the sealant they glob all over the screws, seams and such and heated up in the sun and moved around, leaving a few screws unsealed. It was a small leak and from what I could see it should not have been too bad. I got everything resealed and it should be fine now.

I ordered a new filter cartridge for the water filter housing and picked up a new water hose that actually stores flat and doesn’t kink like most RV drinking water hoses.

I need to bring the trailer home and do some things to it before I go someplace. Mostly I need to put some things away inside, but I am ready for a camping trip! I know the dogs are loving this weather and they do love to camp as well. Except for the tie-out cable part.

My two closest Missouri State Parks have been working on their campgrounds so they will be packed given the limited space they have. I will still have to see about a reservation in them. I don’t go to Kansas state parks because, well…they suck. They charge a fee to just enter to see IF you want to stay there and they are mostly about fishing which I don’t do. Missouri state parks sometimes have history tied in and they usually have great hiking and are clean and safe.

I can always find someplace to go so I am not too worried about that. I do like to do things when I go somewhere since I go by myself. Now that my friend Dave is gone it is looking like I am back to solo camping. It will be weird going without him but it’s just how things are.

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I guess I should get this day underway and do something productive. Or not!

Toodles!

Shawn