Who's the pretty boy now?

I'm lacking mojo today - which probably sounds completely ungrateful to those of you who don't have cardinals hanging around your yard all year. Fact is, I am very grateful to have such a beautiful bird to blip - even when I am lacking blip mojo. It's just been a crazy busy day, on top of a short night of sleep (the curse of middle age - disruptive sleep).

Had to take Phoebe (my darling calico gal) to the vet today for shots and a blood panel. She's lost quite a bit of weight recently and although she seems to feel fine, I am concerned that something may be amiss. So, now we wait for the results, hopefully tomorrow. And since returning from the vet, Feline Jihad has broken out in the house. Rocket took one whiff of Phoebe (who apparently reeks of the Scary Place) and immediately decided that she was Satan. Lots of hissing, growling, puffy tails and bad behavior.

And Hubs awoke with the sniffles. Let us offer up prayers that this is not the onset of the dreaded Man Cold.

Other than that, things are peachy. The snow is starting to melt and the sun even peeked out for a bit. And the Bistro was filled with lovely birds, including the beautiful Northern Cardinals (cardinalis cardinalis). The cardinals are resplendent at this time of year a far cry from last summer when they were all molting and looking like vagrants or in September when beleagured papa was feeding the young 'uns.. Nope, now he is at his finest, ready to charm the feathers off his mate this spring. This is his actual color, by the way, no enhancements necessary. You can't beat Mother Nature's palette sometimes.

Thanks for sending yesterday's tree sparrow to the Spotlight. I didn't realize how many more types of sparrows we have here than in most parts of the world.

Happy Thursday...

xxoo
Deb