The birds are back in town

Here it is - the first really wonderful Saturday morning at home. The sun came up through a river fog and the first birds I saw were a couple of swallows on the top of their new home. My Uncle Clifton made a stone-covered multi-family dwelling reminiscent of the German homestead houses.

The birds were merely silhouettes against the foggy bottom sky. The sun a golden puff.

Good thing there wasn't anyone around to witness our cat Johnny when he decided to assist me with my photography. I was holding my nine-pound zoom lens and aiming for a bunting out the window when Johnny decided to jump on my shoulders from behind. He made it with the help of the seat in front of the vanity. He then proceeded to crawl beneath my chin and nestle himself in my arms. Of course, it made it really difficult to keep the camera focused on the birds, but we did manage to do a few shots before the bird flew off. The cat's ability to jump into our arms has earned him the name "Johnny Jump Up."

Later I watched Johnny as he sat on the table in the screened porch and watched the finches and sparrows feeding. It must have been hard for the cat to be a window screen away from a bird.

Wow. What resolve, to sit patiently watching the birds feed and fly away.

The dirt for my garden boxes has arrived. My son and JC went shopping for parts to create a sprinkling system to drip irrigate the beds from a small river channel.

Although my tomato plants are not nearly as big as I would have liked them to be, I will plant them. I also have some peppers off to a good start and put some cucumbers, pumpkins and beans in some peat pots to give them a week to sprout.

I'm so excited to be gardening. I have a community plot that will be planted with potatoes and onions. Yummmm. Vegetables are on the way.