yesterday

The new neighbors (correction, not the new neighbors but hired workers either by the new owners or Montreal) were at the house yesterday, not moving in but working on the house scraping the exterior doors and the trim around the windows. It was in the 50s yesterday and sunny so they had the doors open and the curtains on the windows (or shades) drawn. That is the first time since we have been here that I’ve seen the curtains drawn in that house. Many years Montreal was not here, traveling for work or up north visiting his wife and son but even when he has been in residence the curtains were never open. I’ve always been curious about the inside of that house, not that I can see anything now. And today they’re back working inside lots of banging and sanding noises as it’s overcast and not quite as warm.

I started pulling out the dead cosmos, clearing the ones in the day lily bed. I don’t think I’m going to let them grow there again since they’re plentiful in the flower bed on the east side which I haven’t begun to clear. I’ll leave them a little longer since the seeds provide food for birds in the winter.

I found a dead white wing dove in the front yard. It didn’t look damaged as if Cat had gotten it so I figured it must have frozen. You might remember I have a small collection of bird skulls on my buffet. 

l to r: seabird from Scotland, seabird from Galveston (those two found), bluejay, cardinal, mockingbird, wren, house finch, warbler

I don’t have the wren skull anymore. A mouse pushed it off onto the floor and Marc stepped on it when he sat down at the table. (If you are squeamish, you might want to jump to the next paragraph.) When I find a dead bird I cut off its head and nestle it in a fire ant bed for them to clean it up for me. And so I did with the white wing dove and then I disposed of the body by flinging it into the wild space at the back of the property, food for insects and night creatures. When I told Marc he said I hope it didn’t die from bird flu. Erk. Well, I did wash my hands when I came in. When it’s clean I’ll add it to the row.

Also yesterday I had a nose bleed and it would not stop! Took about 3 hours before it finally stopped. Damn blood thinner. I’ll be so glad when I am finally off this one. Today I’m afraid to blow my nose for fear it will start up again.

And I worked on the painting. I think I’m through for now with the stigma part of the pistil (the female parts) of the zucchini flower. Now on to the rest of the pistil and the surrounding petals.

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The following is from Heather Cox Richardson’s Jan. 8 newsletter. The Republican MAGAt representatives are compiling their wish list of bills that implement their Project 2025 and one of them is this gem urging Congress to support a consortium of antiabortion doctors for women because, as the bill says, “health care should emphasize the whole woman, including her physical, mental, and spiritual wellness…health care for women should also address the needs of men, families, and communities.” Emphasis mine. Women’s healthcare shouldn’t be just about women, it should support the needs of men. Hey Christian nationalist MAGAts, you can stick your patriarchy where the sun don't shine. They care so much about women and families that they would rather pregnant women bleed out or die from sepsis leaving their other children motherless than get the life saving abortion they need.

And then there’s this…Where do you think the California republican legislators are? If you said California providing help and leadership you would wrong. They’re in Florida at Mar A Lago kissing Trump’s ass while he lies and casts blame for the fires. 

No solutions offered of course, just lies and blame. You know who we're getting help from? Canada and Mexico, our allies that Trump is threatening with economic disaster.