A Long Talk With Nora, and Tea Toast & Trivia

Nora Owl deciding what to think about the chatty paparazzo.

After I got home from work, I left the laundry for tomorrow, gathered up all the energy I could, and walked the mile north to check on Nora. I ran into Leslie who was also checking on Nora. Leslie said Nora was hunkered down in her nest so she could hardly see her. When I got Nora’s tree she was pretty hunkered down in the light of the setting sun. I started talking to her and asking her if she had any owlets yet. After about ten minutes she started responding and sat up a little. Then she sat up more and look different directions. Her breast feathers looked pushed up as if she had something under them. At one point she tilted her head back and pushed her chest out, but I couldn’t really see any owlets yet. After 30 minutes of pestering poor Nora Owl with my pesky paparazzo chattiness, I left so she could sit in peace. I think the owlets have hatched, but they are still too small to poke their heads out. I think Nora Owl made her best attempt to show them to me. Osric Owl started hooting behind me. When I found him he gave me “mad dogs”.

Rebecca at Tea Toast & Trivia interviewed me on the subject of Blogging, Photography, and Connecting. You can listen to my attempts to impart words of wisdom about blogging, photography, and connecting at https://wp.me/paMWWK-Cs. I really had a great time with the interview. Rebecca and Don, who does the recording, are two of the loveliest people I have ever met.

Still giving me steal eyes while starting to sit up more.

I think this was Nora’s best attempt to expose the owlets.

Osric Owl giving me “mad dogs”.

The pTerodactyl watching the sunset.

It was quite a sunset the pTer was watching.

Paint the Light Dramatic

We did get rain, snow, and high winds last night and most of the day. We got rain in the valley, but the Sandias and foothills got snow with really high winds.

The afternoon light from the sun peeking through the clouds was intense on the cottonwoods.

Looking SE to SW after sunset.

The Sandias with clouds at sunset.

Cottonwoods, dry irrigation ditch, and gate.

Looking west.

Dramatic light on the Sandias.

Eye Eye Nora

Nora Owl is still sitting. Either her owlets have hatched and they are not showing their cute faces or they will be hatching very soon.

Nora Owl in side-view.

Crane gliding above the Sandias. We saw a handful of cranes tonight.

A cute bunny greeted me when I got home. He was still hanging out when I left to check on Nora Owl.

Moon intermission.

The Sandias from the Beach at sunset.

Daddy Owl was hooting when I walked up to the tree he was in. Mama Owls was answering him.

When I walked over to Mama Owl’s hole in the tree, she stopped answering Daddy Owl and ducked into the hole. If you look carefully you can see the tipity tips of her ear tufts.

The painter was working on a soft sunset for Marina.

Sunset for Leo

Leo was a cat everyone would like to have had, and he was a cat for everyone. Sadly, Leo passed on today at the age of 14. The last couple of years he had to deal with a hyperthyroid, and Tristan did a very good job of diagnosing his condition and treating him with drugs prescribed by our vet. But like our Najar and Lola before him, Leo finally succumbed to his chronic condition. But his first 12 years were full of fun and vitality. Not only was Leo a super-loving kitty, he always had something to say about most everything. You can check out this post from 2012 called Leo Sez: https://wp.me/p1yQyy-102. We all loved Leo so much. We miss him greatly.

Leo puzzled over why on earth Tristan would take a shower and get all wet. Doesn’t she know to go outside, roll in the dirt and then lick herself clean?

Leo tested out the security of the door into the common area between the bedrooms.

Leo the lover boy.

Leo would listen…

Give you cute eyes…

…and then tell you what he thought about it.

Leo loved to play. Even when he was not feeling well he would not turn down a good round of play.