Surprise Visitors

Not much was going on this week, which is why there haven't been any posts. The only thing we did was fill out applications for health insurance as our COBRA insurance is due to run out next month and it doesn't have a portability plan. Considering Hubby's last year health history and my ongoing type 2 diabetes keep your fingers crossed for us. If either of us gets denied we'll probably have to go to the State insurance. The Oregon State insurance available to "otherwise uninsurable" is even more expensive than what we are paying now!

Since we filled the bird feeder and put it on the deck rail we have had more and more birds coming in. You can always tell when all the little birds take off that something "sinister" is in the area.

This red tailed hawk has been hanging around. We've also seen another, with the two of them swooping through the air circling and sparring up above. It's very cool, though I'll bet the little birds aren't happy.

Mr. and Mrs. Mountain Bluebird have found a home, though not in the house I built for them. Shortly after I put the house up we saw the bluebirds and a pair of mountain chickadees checking out the house. They seemed to be squabbling back and forth over which couple would get to be the occupants.

In the end neither pair took the house and it is empty for now. However the bluebirds have taken up residence in one of the vent holes in the shop.

We get a lot of these wild finches.
And we think this is a Wilson's Warbler.

Our true surprise but welcome visitors called Tuesday to see if it would be okay if they swung by to see our new house and stay for a night. They were on their way from their home in Washington State to Wyoming to pick up a tractor and would be on their way back. We checked out Google Maps and figured they would be heading this way by Thursday.

It was good to see Chris and Michelle again. Chris had stopped by the rental in Roseburg a few months ago but it's been many many years since we saw Michelle. We knew them from Bakersfield and my husband was Chris's training officer back about 20 years ago.

Anyway after touring the house Chris actually fixed our central vacuum system. Here he is showing us how to work it! Then he tried to fix the instant hot water faucet but determined that the heating element was broken.

I enjoy having visitors and the ones that fix things and do stuff around here are even more welcome!!!

Next month my friend Vicki and her mom are hoping to swing by on their roadtrip. My daughter is planning another visit (Dad's birthday is next month). And my sister in Bakersfield was going to swing by early in the month after attending a wedding in San Francisco.

Next month will be a great one for visitors for us and I'm looking forward to it.