The Stare Down

The Proud Papa!!!

I can eat this bird. Maybe?

Time to feed the babies.

"The Stare Down" The cat cannot see inside my nest today.

Nibbles and the bird who I have named Gloria had a stare down this morning. I really thought it was odd that she was not flitting around in the branches like she usually does, but I figured she was just trying to aggravate the cat. Later in the morning Meghan and I noticed that she was perched at the edge of the nest with something in her beak. As we watched something moved in the nest. There are at least two babies in the nest that were not there yesterday. We watched throughout the day and also managed to see the proud papa guarding the area in the afternoon. So now folks we need a name for two babies and the proud papa. Nibbles spent the afternoon playing with his toy bird.

The Bird

The bird is getting use to us and appears to becoming more comfortable. She does not go flying everytime we come out the door. She was in her nest when I left for work this morning and she was there when we came home this afternoon. We have bought bird feeders and bird seed, but we still do not have a name. So again please help provide suggestions for her name.

Name the Bird

Just a little while ago, I posted about a bird that built her nest just outside our front octagon window. Since we will begin "providing" for her, I feel we should have a name. So Internet, please help us find a name. Pictures are in the previous post. Meghan will choose from the suggestions. The choosen name will be posted in a week.

Have fun and be creative!!!

Bird Moves In & Cat Goes Nuts

The "bird in the bush".

Bird watching!!!! I just want a "nibble".

Camera shy!! Catch me if you can!!

Bird watching!!!! Please just a taste!!!

I'll build my nest so I can aggravate the cat. He can't catch me!!!!

The bird's nest with a "Birdseye" view of the world. Keeping the cat close to home.

Our house has this octagon window at the front which we thought was neat when we bought our house. However, the reality of living with that window far outweighs it's neatness. Our cats on the other hand have loved to sit in that window and watch outside. Nibbles tends to be very quite when sitting in that window, but lately he has been very vocal and agitated when in the window. Yesterday I found out why. A bird has built a nest in the Hibiscus that is just outside the window. The bird was actually quite smart about the placement of the nest because it places her just under the eaves of the house and is located in the back of the bush. Plus she is driving the cat nuts. I spent part if yesterday and this morning trying to take her picture. She has proven to be camera shy making it difficult to snap that shot, but she did cooperate this morning.

Enjoy the pictures. Watch Meghan's blog in the coming weeks too. Tomorrow we are buying a bird feeder and bird seed. I guess this means we will have to name her. Help with name suggestions.

STS - 125 Atlantis Lifts Off

Here in our part of Florida, we are counting down the remaining Shuttle missions. Today Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off for the final Hubble Telescope mission. As these missions wind down for the shuttle program's scheduled retirement, each shuttle launch brings the end of an era a little closer in our world. I remember being in grade school and televisions being rolled in for us to watch the first launches of the new shuttle program. Living in this area has provided me the opportunity to experience the thrill of these massive vehicles lumbering into space up close and personal and share awe inspiring event with my daughter. Today because the launch time was so close to the time to pick Meghan up from school, I experienced the shuttle's race to space from my front yard. How incredibly lucky we are to live where we can have this experience in our backyard (or in our front yard since our house faces east). For those of you unfamiliar with were we live, we live south and a little west of the Kennedy Space Center. So to see the shuttle we must look north and east. One of our new neighbors came rushing out of her house to watch. I had to tell her to turn around and look the other way.

People are unbelievable

Alan has been having problems with his shoulder for about 2 weeks now; and I have been going to bed at night with the ben gay aroma strong enough to clear my sinuses and make my eyes water. As we leaving Cracker Barrel after breakfast this morning, the pain spread down into his arm so he agreed to go see a doctor. We went to this new urgent care/walk in clinic near for him to see a doctor. Alan was taken back fairly quickly so he did not get to finish watching Bolt in the waiting room. Alan was back there quite awhile so I was sitting in the waiting room quite awhile where sniffling, coughing and sneezing people were coming and going. I hope no one had the Swine Flu :) Oh yes I was able to finish watching Bolt but I won't tell him how it ends. :)

Perhaps its because I minored in Sociology in college, but I enjoy watching people and how they interact with the environment around them. I found this to be more entertaining than watching Bolt. People watching can be such fun especially you are not a participant. First there was the guy who came in wanting the doctor to write something that said he was well. When the girl explained that he would have to have a physical he said he did not want a physical that all he needed was for the doctor to fill out this form saying he was well. The girl at the desk tried to explain it was not possible to do without a physical. Once this was explained he pulled out an insurance card. This made her explain that his insurance would not pay for a physical from an urgent care facility and he would have to pay out of pocket for it. This "gentleman" grabbed his card mumbling that he would make some phone calls and be back.

The next guy to draw my attention was a bigoted buffoon that wanted to know if they accepted his insurance. when they confirmed that they did he wanted to know how much he would have to pay. The girl at the desk replied she did not know and but would find out when she contacted them. He wanted to know how she would be able to do that and why just looking at his card would not tell her. She explained she would either call them or find out on the Internet. The guy then asked who the doctors were and the girl at the desk told him which doctor was in today. Then get this, the buffoon leans over the counter and whispers (still loud enough to be heard in the waiting room) and asks if the doctors there were Americans. The girl at counter was obviously at a loss as to what to say as she stared at this man so the guy leans forward and says "you know are they Americans". After several minutes of silence the girl told him that the doctors at the clinic will all board certified physicians. The man nodded and said okay and left.

If you are going to be picky about the doctor you see, then you probably should go to somewhere besides an urgent care/walk in clinic. Since we have been here, I have encountered many foreign born doctors that have been excellent. One of the surgeons that operated on me in 2007, was foreign born but had been in the United States long enough that he had been a surgeon in the hospital in New York that my grandfather had been treated in for cancer. In fact it is possible that he may have been involved with some of my grandfather's surgeries. Keep in mind that my grandfather's last cancer surgery was the day I was born. Besides last I knew, at some point everyone here was not an American. By the way for those that may be concerned, Alan is fine, he simply has a pinched nerve.