Hummingbird

A deep depression descended over me when I read the paper this morning.I do feel like we have entered into some endgame of civilized society. The dystopian life in a pandemic combined with a Hitleresque leader have triggered all the racism, division and hate that have festered for so long in this country and have finally boiled over. 

I put the newspaper in the trash, cleaned the bathrooms and went outside with my camera to concentrate for awhile on what I can find that is unchanging and spirit lifting. The squirrel vies with an acorn woodpecker and a stellar jay for access to the bird feeder, and a mockingbird bathes vigorously in the fountain made from a big pot. They are fairly big birds, at least compared to the goldfinches who also favor that particular water feature, and this one is perched on the edge of the deep pot repeatedly dipping its  body, fluttering its wings and preening. Then it turns around and dips its tail in the water! It made me laugh out loud!

The grosbeaks are eye-catching and colorful in their rust black and white  feathers but are rather restrained and determined in their trips to the feeders. For some reason they remind me of bulldozers. The quail have all retreated to their nests in the bushes. We probably won't see much of them until they reappear followed by lots of little fluff balls....

The Matilija (fried egg) poppies are blooming and fluttering in the wind, and the stand of streletzias in the back of the house are enormous and feisty looking. There appear to be bats occupying the bat house we put up years ago. We've seen them a couple of times at dusk as they descend to the patio where we like to  sit. A bumper crop of fence lizards scamper everywhere. I hope they are eating lots of bugs because I think we are going to have a bumper crop this year. 

Shield bugs, connected tail to tail run everywhere without uncoupling and there have been a few butterflies, but still not enough. There are tadpoles in the water feature by the front steps.  A wild turkey peers nearsightedly through the front door, rousing Ozzie from his nap barking hysterically. The ground squirrels thumb their little noses at me as they amble across the front fence or dig in the pot with the lemon tree.

Outside the kitchen window on the  grevillea, Olivier, our resident hummingbird sips nectar, totally unconcerned by my presence just a few inches away. He has a mate, distinguished by a brilliant fuschia colored bib, but she is far more circumspect and camera shy. At this time of year when the hummingbirds and the goldfinches chase and whirl around each other in elaborate sky dances,  it can be difficult to tell if they are birds or butterflies.

We got a check from the United States Treasury which says at the bottom next to a picture of the statue of liberty:
    ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENT
    PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
He just had to get his name on that check
We've decided to give it to the local food bank.
The envelope has a little box on it and the words, If recipient deceased, check here and drop in mailbox....