Misc.

Well, yesterday did _not_ erase the last vestiges of snow from our yard. Still two small patches on the north sides of the low spruces out back. One house in the neighborhood still has two feet of snow along the north wall -- must be residue from plowing or snowblowing.

Have (maybe) new neighbors in the house to our north, vacant since owner's death last fall. Met them yesterday. Six kids and a dog, seventh kid on the way. So much for quiet neighbors.... The "maybe" is that the sale hasn't closed yet, but they are moving junk over here anyway. The plethora of kids represents combined spawn -- second marriage for both of them. More gossip later, as it develops.

Last day of the garden show, annual bane of Wife's existence. The "Volunteer Moment" yesterday was another credit card slip, amounts filled in and telephone number and such, but the !@##$% booth staffer never ran the card through the printer, so that section's blank.

Probably will do a bike ride this morning, stretch out to the full fifteen miles of my regular local route. Still haven't decided whether to go across town, which involves several major hills, or north and back, which involves a run through the bog and probable water over the road, not to mention rough paving at this time of year.

Apparently threats at the local mourning dove population had some effect -- no serenade in the dark wolf hours before the dawn.

Sixty degrees

That's degrees F, of course. But we have met and surpassed that level. Did the bike ride, went across town including those hills. Not much wildlife to report, though the Fish and Game people have had to snag and relocate a beaver and an otter in the last week, removing them from excessively urban locations and dumping them in the stream. Did see a Cooper's hawk at the end of the next block, not a good view but a brown bird harassed by crows, same size as the crows but rather faster and with pointy wings. Ms. Hawk (brown would mean female or immature, and it's rather late for immature plumage) is welcome to all the mourning doves she can eat. And then some starlings, for dessert.

15 miles, 1:12 -- still using the mountain bike rather than the road bike. Fat tires, lower gears, less aero riding position = slower. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Speaking of Banes

The ice-cream truck has emerged from hibernation, cruising our quaint narrow streets with canned renditions of Joplin's "The Entertainer" on an electronic sound system that you can hear for a measured mile. We'll get _them_ with the Skunk Launcher (TM) some day, and their little dog, too.