A rather frightening event just happened. I was sitting outside, knitting under our three sided gazebo on the deck when a flock of about 40 - 50 starlings landed in my back yard. As I watched, something must have startled them because the entire flock suddenly flew up, in unison, and landed on my deck. They were sitting on the deck railings, perched on the top of my deck furniture and crapping on the roof of my gazebo. It was like a scene from the movie, The Birds. I sat perfectly still as every, beady little eye turned on me. I was terrified they would decide to fly into my little shelter. I mentally willed them to take wing in the other direction and after what seemed an eternity most of them returned to my grassy yard. Only a few remained to continue to sully the roof over my head.




As I sat writing this article I was drinking the coffee I had poured before going out to knit. I swallowed the last delicious drop and spied this revolting thing at the bottom of my mug.




What a way to start the day.