Email time, there's one from our stockbroker: "Happy Birthday to Mr. Troutbend." The stockbroker doesn't call him that, I'm just protecting his privacy, even though just about everyone here knows his real name already. And I emailed back "Oh me. I totally forgot his damn birthday." This happens just about every year. When he had an aerospace job I could look on the back of his badge for his birthdate until the company figured out that was not politically correct and they all got new badges. By then, after 20 years of marriage I was getting better at remembering.

Last year he was here dropping me off and I remembered to bake a pie for him. This year, he left a day early to go visit his parents, so maybe they sang the song for him.

It's not as if he makes a big deal out of my birthday, so I don't think he expects much. Well, if he's disappointed, he's got Buddy the Cat to cheer him up.

This is a big day here because the first hummingbirds have shown up at the feeder. I had to rush and make some sugar water and get it out there. There will be just a few birds for about a month, and then they'll proliferate, peaking in July.