Weekend went to the birds

Literally!

This weekend was for the birds!

Saturday was spent in Oak Harbor with my in-laws, celebrating "Papa's" birthday. It was a deliciously beautiful day, so wanted, needed and deserved after our wet, dreary spring. Paul's parents have a wonderful home, on some land with chickens at the back of the property. Ryan's first order of business was to feed the chickens - after of course wishing his Papa, a happy birthday.

We had a fabulous day -lunch and dinner with Leonard and Soon.

A trip to an amazing/huge park for Ryan, near their home.

And of course a few laps in the battery powered golf cart - Ryan sized. He giggles and giggles as he powers that thing around the driveway.

I witnessed Ryan completely bite it as he was running down a slight downhill on the driveway. His legs were moving faster than his body and I swear it happened in slow motion. I saw him hit every part of his body that got scraped. As he was coming to a stop, truly during his tumble, he was yelling out, "I'm OK!" What a trooper. It's a right of passage in childhood to take falls like that, but to witness it made me a bit sick to my stomach briefly. It's hard to know that in about 0.5 seconds that's really gonna hurt!

His G.Q. pose? Ribbon compliments of Grandma Soon.

Tooth shot!

You can just barely make out all four of those little teeth peeking through.

Posed to crawl. . . . but not quite there yet!

Ok - and for our Sunday bird installment.

The kids were up at 0530.

WAY.TOO.EARLY.

especially after a long day prior.

We were in the living room watching CBS News Sunday Morning. That show is so nostalgic for me. Dad watched most of my life, growing up.

Anyway about 0730 I hear a loud Blue Jay squawk. I thought to myself that was odd for as loud as it was. I know there is a family of four Blue Jay's taking up residence in a tree very near our house. I see them in our front and back yard daily. In fact I saw one of the Blue Jay youngsters get caught in some netting we have over our vegetable garden. We don't have the netting on the garden to keep the birds out -it's to keep my dog out! It freed itself after a minute or two, thankfully. I was thinking to myself how I would attempt to free it if need be - fortunately not need be.

Back to this morning,

I start to hear rustling in the chimney and am hearing bits of dirt drop into the fireplace. Dread. I ask Paul if he hears it too. Yep. More dread. There is something in the chimney, probably sitting on top of the flue. Not knowing if it was truly a bird - it could be a rat - there was no way I was going to find out. More and more dread - thinking that whatever it is, is going to die there.

I don't know what Paul did to the flue. But whatever he did, it must have moved it enough for Mr. Baby Blue Jay to get himself out of the chimney, down into our fireplace and then into our living room! Yipes! Fortunately none of us were in the living room at the time it made it's entrance. Ryan was outside, and Paul and I were in the process of cleaning Louie's turtle tank in the back yard. We move the tank back inside and there he (or she) is jumping around on our living room window sill! I immediately start jumping around, freaking out and at the same time looking for my camera! Paul - getting irritated at me for wanting a picture - opens the front door and out if flew.

Bye Mr. Baby Blue Jay.

Please, if you again want to land or play around our chimney, don't fall in.

(Bummed I did not get a picture)