Good Friday

I have work to do, but I don't feel like working. It's far more fun to play with photos and write new text for my blog.

Here are a couple of photos of a cardinal that was singing in my hedge on Wednesday. I thought I could capture him through the window, but the flash went off and showed me that my windows need some serious scrubbing on the outside. If it wasn't fogged by the flash, it would have been a terrific picture.

After trying a couple from inside, I went out. Unfortunately, the cardinal didn't want to be on the same side of the hedge as I was, so there are branches in the way. The children were making lots of noise as they left the school across the street, so the cardinal didn't stick around for more pictures.

Sometimes we have several pairs nesting around the area over the summer - they're always a pleasant surprise when you see them at the feeder or in the hedge.

My Christmas cactus bloomed again in March. This picture was taken on March 31, 2007. The flash didn't go off, so the light is really yellow as it's reflecting from the yellow lamp and its yellow shade. I am really pleased with the blooms - until this one, I hadn't had any success with flowers on them. I had a bloom at Christmas, too.

This Christmas cactus was a gift from a friend who has since moved far away. He rooted a number of bits from his original plant and gave them away before he left for Halifax. Plants in my house survive on benign neglect - sometimes I don't water them until they look limp, and then I dump leftover tea in their pots. The African violets seem to like that treatment, as does my spider plant, but I wasn't sure it would work for a Christmas cactus.

Today is Good Friday - a paid day off for me. Yay!

It's cold and gloomy out, though, so I stayed home and did chores. It would have been a perfect day to spend in lounging and playing in bed with a significant other, but it's just not as much fun with the dog. On the other hand, the laundry is all done, the sheets changed, and my living room and guest bathroom tidied. For this evening's excitement, I think I'll run the dishwasher.

Tomorrow, I'm heading out to the farm for an Easter egg hunt. I think it'll be in the house - the forecast isn't any better for tomorrow than it was for today. Sunday will be a family dinner at my parents' place - dinner starts at 5 pm.

My horses all got their annual shots and Coggins test done on Wednesday. The vet says Sheba looks really well for this stage of her pregnancy. Only 40 days or so left before we find out if its a filly (girl) or a colt (boy). I really don't care either way as long as it's healthy. This foal belongs to my daughter, not me, so I'll have to try really hard not to get too attached.

Tinkerbelle (aka Tink) is recovering nicely from her surgery. Her stitches are starting to dissolve now and she's almost ready to start running around in the mud again. For a very active dog, she's been very good about the restrictions my daughter imposed. I'm sure that having an older, calmer dog around (Daisy) helped. Tink is very good about going in her crate and settles right down.

Someday she may be able to be loose in the house when there's no one home, but not right now. She is still testing all the limits of "house dog" behaviour. She sure does love to cuddle on the couch!