Thanks to you both, Lazygardens and bluegirl, I believe you are both right and I will continue to enjoy the mockingbirds and blue jays from the yard. I have two hummer feeders, two little bird feeders and one large bird feeder. Ive been spoiled by having the other birds being so close to the window, they have become personal to the cats and myself, being just inches to a few feet on the other side of the window. Right now, I have daily visits from about seventy to eighty mixed birds and hummers. House finches - two females and one male came in early spring, I think they were from last year, but they were new to me, I thought they were some kind of sparrow, I did a goggle search for a red headed sparrow, it came back with pictures and the name house finch, they had seven offspring. They stay at the feeders. Titmice are my favorite. One set of parents and four youngsters have three females and one male, going by the size of the black patches on their forehead. Cardinals mom, dad and five young, three males and two females, all hatched in late spring, mom had a large brood this year, seems like they will stay together, papa and momma is always close. In the early spring we had a good number of blue birds with a pinkish chest, and a yellow finch, haven't seen the blue bird since the middle of spring, any idea where the blue bird went would be helpful. The yellow finch will show up every two or three weeks. The hummers are another story, I have no idea how many females there are from one day to the next, but there have been at least six males from time to time, since they are in a constant chase with the females, I can get a pretty accurate count on the males, I have had as many as six females outside the window at once. Thanks again

zenfoodist - I hear you...I was a mess about my stove, but honestly I think you are looking at well loved products and short of any really ugly feedback about repairs or service on the stoves, I think you will be in good shape (that is without knowing what your priorities are :) I had decided upfront that I didn't want to spend $5 K on my stove (I have a pretty bad tile and stone addiction that I had to feed and it would really be overkill where I live :) and had read about the stoves that were not as standard issue (electronic controls on the back), but were better priced than the Wolf and Viking. I checked out the American Range, the Capitol and the Bluestar, all in one (long) night. After all that research and obsessing I realized they were all good products with their pros and cons and picked the one I thought I would be the most comfortable with. I wanted something simple that I could just turn on and get flame (but also a convection oven :) I got the 30" RCS - I didn't want to pay the extra $ for the additional BTU for the Nova burner (all my past cooking experience had been on standard issue gas stoves so the RCS power burner blew that out of the water.) ebean is right - it is a 'box of fire' and I know people say that a good cook can use any stove, but I really do prefer cooking on this to my previous low end stoves. I cook, alot, and bake no complaints about the results. I am trying to adjust to the "woosh" - power I am not used to but getting there. Honestly as I try to remember the difference between the three products I can't other than the open versus sealed burners (but I think Capitol was coming out with an open burner.) I really have enjoyed the open burner. For me it is easier to keep clean - or maybe the cast iron looks fine when it is not perfect versus stainless. The best is it just doesn't give me a minute of thought - it just works. But that is only my experience and I have only been using it for 3 months. If you love the wolf or the la c (pretty french thing :) get it, but if you don't love them save yourself a few dollars and go with the blue star. Unless you live in a upscale neighborhood and people expect a wolf. I live in an area that is slowly gentrifying and nobody even knows what the blue star is (and I don't care :) Good luck.

I agree that all distracted drivers should be more careful, but I've seen way too many go through red lights, not look when they turn in front of me because they're on their cell phone. I've also seen people driving too slow, swerving, etc...while talking or fighting? with a passenger. Cell phones just annoy me, I guess. People bring them to work and spend half their time on their phones instead of doing their jobs. Lauren and I had to listen to some loud-mouthed woman on her cell phone last week in a doctor's office when Alex was in the back. I was trying to read a magazine but instead I got to listen to her "private" conversation. People blocking aisles at the grocery store and totally oblivious to what they're doing because they're so immersed in their private conversation on their cell phone. Once I was in a restroom stall and a woman next to me was talking on her phone. At first I thought she was talking to me! LOL! It's just getting ridiculous. People texting in movie theaters, the light is really annoying when you're trying to watch the movie. Why did you pay all that money to watch a movie and then turn around and play with your phone? I wish they would outlaw them while driving and maybe in restaurants and movie theaters too. I do have a cell phone but keep it in my car for emergencies only...or to call the kids occationally if I'm out somewhere. Never while I'm driving and I don't take it with me into stores or restaurants. I don't understand why people want to be available 24-7 like that. It would drive me crazy. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Hi Lorna! I don't spend much time over here, just checking out the different forums (though, I'm thinking I should, you guys have some AWESOME pictures!) I typically stay on the "gardening side." Not sure where you are Lorna, but around here (Colorado's Front Range, west of Denver) the Stellar's jays rarely come down out of the foothills and mountains, which are a few miles to the west of me. I saw a couple down here last year , but that was a BIG surprise to me! I had never seen them this low in elevation before, and they haven't been back since. I don't think they live east of the Rockies either, so, if you in that part of the country, they may not be in your area! BEAUTIFUL pictures! How do you get such fine detail and sharpness?!