The view from my deck

I am sitting on my deck on a cool evening while Pat mows the grass. I've been paying bills online - it somehow seems a lot less like bill-paying when you're doing it on the deck with a nice breeze blowing and the pungent-sweet scent of freshly mown grass in your nostrils.

Now for the bird update. So far the past few weeks, we've spotted not only the usual residents (cardinals, sparrows, goldfinches, nuthatches, titmice and chickadees), but also the much rarer blue grosbeaks and indigo buntings. What a sight they make on the feeder alongside the brilliant yellow goldfinches and the vivid red cardinals! All three primary colors, right there. I enjoy them while they're here - last year they didn't seem to stay around much more than a month.

Under the feeder is a field mouse I've named Jerry, because he looks just like Jerry the mouse from the cartoons. He's brown with big ears and bright, dark eyes. He's worn a path from beneath the fence straight to the feeder pole and I like him because he keeps the ground clean.

I highly recommend birdwatching. It's less trouble than an aquarium and infinitely more entertaining than TV.