Usually I have all sorts of new photos to post, but not so much this time.

I was in Oklahoma for a few days visiting our Elderjane. We have a lot in common, and good friends you can talk to into the night are rare treasures. It is interesting to find out how people chose their blog names, but I'm not going to get into that here.

While I was away, the painters came and stained the house - it was getting dried out, and painted the gutters and downspouts. Mr. Troutbend bought the leftover stain and used it on the inside of the screened porch and to do touchup. They left a lot of drips on the concrete and paving stones around the edges of the house, but that couldn't be helped. The cat didn't appreciate the activity and stayed under the bed for 2 1/2 days, but now he's back out wandering around the house. It will be awhile before the fishy smell of linseed oil goes away.

The hummingbirds are here in force, and we have maybe 10 females and 8 or so males carrying on around our feeders. We are wishing it would rain, but it looks more like it will be cloudy and dry. It is finally warming up to the high 70s after being in the coolish 60s while I was gone. Every day it's cooler is one less that we have to worry so much about fire danger.

We have renters next door from Edmond, Oklahoma (north side of Oklahoma City) and they were prevented from going over Trail Ridge Road by snow storms. I think they'll make it today, and they are going home tomorrow, but it looks like they have had a nice week here.


Today Mr. Tbend did some work on the irrigation system where beavers (probably) had chewed into the black plastic pipes causing leaks. He wrapped the new section in wire to keep them out, but they will find another place to chew next time. Last summer it rained some every day, and we are hoping to get a similar weather pattern this year.