Textures and tones

Recently I have blipped quite a few downy woodpecker, so maybe I'm reaching the point of exhausting them as blip subjects, but they have been so willing to pose, it is hard to resist. Mostly I blip them because of the humor of their actions or the expressions on their faces, but what drew me today was the textures and tones of this image. I hope you like it too.

Yesterday was a challenging day around here. Our furnace broke, and we had to wait till this morning for a repairman to come because we didn't discover it before closing time yesterday. Bob shut off the gas line into the house, so we had no heat or hot water, but fortunately it wasn't very cold last night and the warm spell seems to be continuing into the rest of this week. Then in the middle of the night we had a very loud thunderstorm that kept Gulliver on edge and Bob and me awake.

But the hardest and saddest thing that happened yesterday was that our daughter's family, on the recommendation of their vet, had to put their lovable English sheepdog Milly to sleep. We are all sorrowing because Milly was a wonderful girl and only nine years old. She was a great watch dog and lovingly watched over Michael and Emmy for all the years they had her. She will be missed by all of us.

The texture and tone of yesterday was rough, ragged, and dreary. Maybe that's why I was drawn to this picture of the downy for today's blip. Now it is Tuesday evening, my evening to watch my little two-year-old friend. I will be busy and ready for bed when I get home, which is why I am blipping early. See you tomorrow.