Been Busy
We have been busy with around-the-house projects. We had the deck steam cleaned a week or so ago and have been waiting for dry weather to put on a weather proof seal. Finally it had dried out yesterday and no rain in the forecast, so we spent 4 hours rolling and spraying. It looks great - but it did get a little rain on it this morning. We think it is probably OK, since it had lots of time to dry yesterday.
In the sunroom there was a huddled and somewhat bedraggled looking female zebra finch. Not that I can do anything about a sick finch, but it was on the floor and I was staring at it and said to Tom that I wasn't sure that really was the hen finch and that there was a least a chance it was a fledgling. Sure enough, I spotted all the known zebra finches and this one is an extra. It must be a couple of week old and can fly, more or less, but I don't think can feed itself yet.
On other young bird fronts, the baby chicks are learning the joys of dustbaths and how to eat strange treats like an occasional strawberry (they'd much rather have leftover pasta).
Donaroma's Nursery had it 30 year anniversary today. The flower house and green house were full of spring, bouquets, hanging leis and designer-decorated cupcakes and champagne. Mariko was handing out roses to all the female visitors, Janice was making sure all present and past employees had crowns of daisys and orchid butoneers (sp?) to wear, and Dave was the DJ, playing music from the 70s. (He promised that he would play Meatloaf, though we left early to go worry about the baby zebra finch.) I won the first door prize - a lovely 15" maidenhair fern.
Tom is doing fine here in the here and now, no word from Boston yet on experimental protocols, which is worrying. My Mom and little sister arrive mid-week and ought to hit the Vineyard at one of its nicest times of the year. (Though we are supposed to go well below freezing tonight - one of the thing we are worried about withe the zebraling if it hasn't made its way back to its nest).
Though the Vineyard is going through a major geographical and economic (and political, but we don't pay much attention to that part) shakeup. The last big storm breached Norton Point, which connected the island to Chappy at low tide. So, at the right time of day, you could get to Chappy by driving on the beach rather than taking the On Time ferry. But the storm changed the landscape and is truly "flushing" the area. Rip tides are widening the gap with each high and low tide. The On Time ferrry is having problems - but managing - to make the crossing. However there are lots of legit concerns about casual boaters capsizing this summer and how dangerous it is to fish from the shore (you know, with water up to your knees) with how fast the tide moves and how strong the rips are. Fishing folk are saying this gap will take 20 years to fill back up. (A local politico has asked for disaster relief funds to fix it, and there by started a political firestorm.) The fishermen also say that the fishing here ought to be spectacular this fall (hope you are reading this, Pete) and already the boats that go out can go through the gap rather than around the island to get where they are going. Lines to Chappy are predicted to be hours long.
And our copy of the Hogfather DVD arrived. It is very very well done. We will keep it just long enough to see if my sister wants to see it while she is here and then start it on its rounds of lending. LAK - you better just line up region free player since you now have two Pratchetts to watch on it!
