Morning Report from the Aerie

A dreary morning here at the Aerie with a high overcast sky that threatens rain and temperatures in the upper 50s heading to low 60s...maybe.

Still, that's an improvement over what's to our southeast and east where up to 2 inches of rain are forecast for eastern PA and the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area.

About the only thing bright and cheerful today are the dozens of Goldfinches raiding the feeders. When one bird hops in on the left side of the tray feeder another has to hop out on the right. There''s just not enough room for them all at one time. And when they periodically spook or fly off to the trees to digest their food, it's a wave of yellow and black. They have certainly got the cats' attentions. Shadow and Chester are crouched at the windows making that chattering sound hunting cats (or maybe it's "frustrated cats") emit when they are focused on a target. When a bird happens to flutter a wee bit too close to the glass, Shadow will execute a most impressive standing high jump that lifts here 13+ pounds nearly three feet straight up.

Terry and I dropped the Tundra off at the dealership yesterday afternoon and they have promised to have the windshield replaced this morning by the glass subcontractor so we can pick it up this afternoon before closing time.

I think Terry will be making the sign of the cross as we pass Grace's Chinese Buffet on Rt 220 in Athens. We stopped there on the way home yesterday for dinner and all I can say is WOW! Good food that they didn't try to mask beneath too much spicy sauce at a super price. When was the last time you had dinner for two for less than $20? The soups (egg drop and hot and sour) were superb. There was plenty of variety in the salad line and close to 50(!) choices in hot entrees (and we tried way too many of them). Desserts ranged from the ubiquitous almond cookies and spice cake to fresh fruits and soft and hard ice cream. (The hard ice cream was from Hershey.) All I can say is that old saying about Chinese food is a lie. I wasn't hungry at all last night.

So, tonight we'll eat at home. Not to save money but to try and rein in our belts.

Tomorrow I'll pack up the truck and head up to the Bolt Hole to do some grounds keeping and general repair. The list of things that must be done is growing. I might even get in some lumberjack (mostly on blow downs) work in before returning to the Aerie.