Let the dog in!

Just wanted to show you guys that the Swainson’s thrushes definitely have feathers and that one on the left was looking at me, eyes wide open! (his little black eye is partially behind a twig)

Hey, lady, no nest shots!

I can’t imagine them flying off in a day or two, but that’s what I calculate. *sniff*

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Today we picked strawberries ($8 for half a flat) in the HOT sun. If you’re on or near the island, check out the Manzanita Farm. They’re open this week and weekend, they said, from 11 to 5.

Kid said, “Mommy, I never picked strawberries BEfore! I picked blackberries and blueberries, but never strawberries…..”

Lucky Kid, I think to myself, growing up where berries grow up.

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OK, there’s not much to update you on (great update, Wendy!).

We still have two baby Swainson thrushes and a mama who flits in and out with snacks (what she’s feeding them I don’t know). Feathers are coming in, but unless they have their beaks up it’s near impossible to see where one baby ends and the other begins.

Here’s what they look like:
A mash-up of bird. Hard to believe they could fly in 3 or 4 days.

All of which means our first baby is still not allowed in the front yard.
*sigh*

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I swear, these birds are going to be the death of me. I am CONSTANTLY worried about those tiny thrushes.

Must stop worrying. Where IS my medication?!

I don’t know if mama thrush has ever laid eggs before, but her nest building skills leave something to be desired. I now see why they build them close to the ground.

The nest has fallen out of the bush TWICE. Which also goes to show my nest-securing skills leave something to be desired.

I scooped up the three babies both times and put them back in the nest, but as of yesterday, one of them, the littlest one, just wasn’t making it. Now we are down to two. WHEN are those feathers coming in?!

The hubs decided this nest needed a SAFETY STRING. So here’s what he did.
There! That’ll fix it!!

Then the hubs saw a CAT prowling around the front area of the yard near the nest. Neighbor Phil, was that YOU? It’s a jungle out there! Where is my medication?!

And I saw some other, larger bird hopping around the bush twice. Definitely NOT a thrush. Mama thrush hopped off the nest and did a STARE DOWN. What else can she do? Flap her wings? Ooooooh, scary.

The odds just seem stacked against her. Where’s an RPG launcher in the shape of a branch when you need one?

Every morning I brace myself for the worst, and the hubs and I have this conversation:

Him: Do we have babies today?

Me: Yes, so far. (sigh)

So in an effort to RELAX, tell I myself these mantras:

Let it go, and let God.
This too shall pass.
I release this attachment.
It’s all part of nature. They’re all God’s creatures.
They have their own path. I cannot control it.

Yes, I’m telling myself all these bits, and I’m singing that song from the Lion King about the circle of life, but I’m left with one conclusion:

Mother Nature is not nice.

Oh, yeah. Happy 4th. I hope YOU’RE enjoying yourselves. Even with all these dangers.

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And now, I shall revisit high school English class with my compare and contrast of

Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E.

COMPARE:
1. Both are cartoons.

2. Neither is rated R.

3. Both are less than 100 minutes long.

CONTRAST:
1. Panda is clearly made for kids with colorful, rollicking fun; Wall-E is made for….well, I can only guess, depressed environmentalists who just got divorced, lost their jobs, and were evicted from their green-built yurt.

2. Panda has an uplifting message — persevere and follow your dreams, no matter how unlikely; Wall-E has a bleak message — humans are pigs.

3. Panda is full of loud, kung fu motions; Wall-E is full of bittersweet pantomime by a robot.

I’m not sayin’ Wall-E is bad, just improperly marketed. It’s more like the illegitimate love child of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lost in Space.

(hey, just had a thought: maybe they could hand out dope instead of that blue plastic Wall-E watch (why the watch, anyway? did someone use a watch in the movie?))

I doubt my husband any kid under 10 would understand the entire storyline of Wall-E (hi hubs! luv ya!).

And if you want to watch melancholy pantomime, rent Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Miss Lonelyhearts does an excellent job.

In conclusion, for a good time with your kid, see KUNG FU PANDA.

Agree? Disagree? Discuss.

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adjective:

1. Generating or shedding tears; given to shedding tears; suffused with tears; tearful.
2. Causing or tending to cause tears.

Lachrymose is from Latin lacrimosus, from lacrima.

As parents, we learn new lachrymose things all the time from our kids.

No clean Hello Kitty shirt? WAAAAAAHHHH!

No RED popsicle? WAHHHHHH!

No watermelon gum? WAHHHHH!

Yesterday, I learned about a grown-up lachrymose activity: BIKRAM YOGA.

Also known as Hot Yoga, this workout involves a sauna-like room and more towels than a Seahawks locker room. And no towel-snappies, either. You don’t want anyone’s towel to touch you, believe me.

Everyone is dripping. Honestly.

It looks kinda like this:

Luckily for me, an hour into the class my tears resembled sweat, like this:

I’ll be crying for awhile, too. Until I can raise my arms above my head again.

What’s making you cry lately?

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For Make Me Laugh Monday, now hosted by Storm at All Things Cherished:

Some days, I feel I am climbing uphill everywhere I go, even on a flat street.

This was another memorable skit from those brilliant Brits, Monty Python! Are YOU climbing an ascent today?

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Remember these? One more was laid after I took this picture.

Remember her? She’s a Swainson’s Thrush (I think).

As of yesterday, she has these.

We’re positively giddy here at the Let the dog in! household.

Stay tuned for feathers.

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