After a huge rainstorm (5cm in one day - which is an all-time record for this area) we are back to sunny, hot, days. The days are shorter than they were by about one hour. Gari is going to bed at 10:00pm or so and getting up in the dark with me at 5:30am or so... I'm sleeping in :-)

All the forest fires seem to be out. And the rain caused everything to grow at tremendous rates. It is tomato season now...

Gari seems to love this season.

In addition...

No birds are singing this morning...

Rain is coming down and the thirsty ground is soaking up every drop. Everything seems to have stopped. We need the rain. Rain has been 35% of "normal" over the summer. Snowfall in the mountains was below normal - so water has been an issue.

All the wild animals are *basking* in the rain!

Gari is sort-of sleeping in the warm spot on the laptop by my left hand - over the fan where the warm air comes out....

One can tell this is a "birdhouse."

Everywhere you look in my house there are signs of bird... Poop stains on the throw rugs, dried poop on the hardwood floor, moulted downy feathers floating in the air currents, and - most of all - chew marks.

The tops of the doors have chew marks in them. The table top has beak shaped gouges. Shirt collars are all shredded and shower curtains have detached hooks from investigative beaks...

Chewing is the...

This meal takes under 3 minutes to make.
My birds even love it cold!

Come and take a look. Comments welcome!

Quick Kashi Meal

OK - I was out camping again.

This time it was only the two dogs, my son and I... Gari stayed home with my wife.

Gari is fine with other people... usually... She is bonded with me and she doesn't attack my wife at all. My son is a different matter. He is an "invader" in the home. At 15...going on 16... he comes and goes at will. He is also not a "permanent" member of the household since he lives with his mom - that is; elsewhere - most of the...