AUGUST 22 - Bye Bye Dust, Birds 'n' Berries, and Here, Puss Puss Puss

What a beautiful day for a bike ride! I did sleep in a bit, until after 7 o'clock (well, 8:55 is after 7:00), and the sun was shining in a pretty sky, the temp was perfect, and there was a slight breeze. A few minutes on the computer had me picking out some touring routes, but alas, the ones I checked out were all about 20km away - which would have been okay if I didn't have to come back home again. Finally I found a really good destination - but by then it was after 11 o'clock, and I had lost all interest in biking. So I stayed home and did housework instead. Exciting, huh?

I cleaned the living room, which is once more a living room -

- and not a workshop. 

The mold for the Radar Arch is now up in Steve's garage. However, when I opened the blinds today to let the sun shine in, I realized Howard had forgotten to bring the sawdust up with it. Everything had a slight cast of tan, and not from being out in the sun. I washed everything - the couches, chairs, blinds, TV - you name it. It was hard getting the couch in the washing machine. (Only kidding.) However, now everything is spic'n'span again, and hopefully it will stay that way for a long long time. At least until Christmas is over.

After my two hours of dusting, vacuuming (it was only after I had finished vacuuming the rug with the old wet/dry vac that I realized I had Nikkie's Dirt Devil vacuum upstairs), and other various cleaning stuff, I had lunch (scrambled eggs with cheese) and only then did I take Breehy outdoors. We had a Walmart trip to make.

On the way, I was lucky enough to see two hawks circling overhead, so of course I had to stop and take some pictures. Good think I brought my camera, as it has a zoom lens. 

 Oops. Missed it. But the sky is pretty. It's hard to take a picture of a flying bird, actually, by the time you click the button, the bugger has buggered off.

Gone again. I thought I had it this time, when I downloaded the pic on the computer, but it was only a speck of something on the screen.

 Damn it.

Ah! One of them landed on a hdyro thing. It waited until I rode my bike as near as I dared, and I got this! But this wasn't quite close enough, so I tried again.

I'm really close to swearing now. It flew away again - oops. It had already flown away, it seems.

But then, it landed again, and between the camera and the fix/crop ability of my Windows Pictures, I got it! Yeah!

I had a lovely bike ride, even though no part of me was used to riding any more, and Breehy's parts made my parts sore for a while. Two weeks managed to take away everything that I had working good. By the time I got to Walmart I had wobbly legs, a sore butt, and I was pretty winded. The way home was better though - I stopped and picked a cup of blackberries (always go prepared with that plastic cup!)

And I had the wind at my back, and a mostly downhill ride home. Nice.

While I was preparing dinner (Pork Chops, Macaroni Salad, and Oven Fries) a small stray cat came up to the sliding doors in the kitchen. This little 'un is really nervous with people, and won't let me get close at all, but she/he is starting to realize I am more than just a Monster. I also am a Feeder. She just stepped back a few feet while I opened the door and put some food out for her, and she had a feast. Somewhere along the way, she lost more than half of her tail, and she has dirty black/brown long hair. I hope by the time cold weather sets in I'll be able to get her trust so she'll come inside.

Howard said, 'Don't you be trying to lure that cat to hang around here.' I assured him I was not, only that I was feeding her whenever she came by. I think he bought it.

The day after Howard informed me there was a really tall rose bush growing underneath the tall tall trees that separate the house from 134th Street, Steve came down and said, 'Wow, you guys have a hibiscus there!'

So we have a hibiscus, which was planted in a shady spot, never pruned or taken care off, and grew into a hibiscus tree. It's very pretty, though.