LOL, schoolhouse, that was the first thing I thought too - how healthy everything looks! My plants have lots of ratty foliage and bug-eaten blooms, lol. I've got to get myself a nice little point-and-shoot. My DH bought me a beautiful digital SLR camera with complete manual over-ride, which I am still trying to learn. For serious photography it's great, but to run out to take a quick pic for ID or something like that, it's a pain. Have fun with your new toy! Of course we now expect lots of pics! :) Dee

Al!!! I can't believe you said that - because I *do* have cataracts! Oh, no big deal, you might think.....except I'm only **40 years old**!!!!! The opthalmologist told me a few years ago I had the beginning of cataracts (when I was in my 30s), and I had a routine exam this year. I'll tell you - I had a hard enough time dealing with turning 40, but when he told me I have CATARACTS to boot....well, now that made me feel old. Especially when he says the cataracts are progressed enough that the insurance will cover removal - they're at the stage that it is an option to have them removed. I asked him if computer monitors are the reason why, since I spend 8-12 hours a day, 5 days a week in front of a computer at my job, plus a lot of hours of personal time for doing school work, personal stuff. He said there has been no conclusive evidence that the computer monitors are causing an increase in cataracts BUT he has seen a definite rise in the number of younger people with cataracts over the last few years, whereas previously cataracts were limited to the elderly for the most part, and he personally feels there may be a connection between the computers and early cataract development. And yes, I wear sunglasses when I go outside, even on cloudy days up here in Michigan, my ugly "old man" sunglasses - since I know sun exposure is a contributing factor to cataracts - so that's not it. My night vision is getting a little tough - halos around any sort of light.

I haven't seen a parent on the nest in the last 2 or 3 days, but it may be that the parents are being extra careful not to reveal the location of the nest. Yesterday I was watching the tree from about 40-50 feet away, and I saw a mourning dove sitting at the top of my neighbor's roof not far from the nest. After about 10 minutes, I thought maybe the dove was waiting for me to go away. So I walked around the far side of my house, and from my back deck, I could see that same place on my neighbor's roof -- and no dove. I got down off the deck and started walking toward the nest on the near side, and I heard that flying-up sound that mourning doves make, from the direction of the nest. And this morning I saw a pair of mourning doves loitering in my driveway in front of the garage, about 35 feet from the nest. That's as close as I have been able to confirm that the parents are still visiting the nest. I would like better assurance, since mourning doves are commonly in the area to visit under my bird feeders. I cringe to think that they are abandoned, cold, hungry, and dehydrated. But I also hestitate to interfere. - Jim

OMG; I think I'll head to the corner and put on my dunce cap now. I'd never seen a Baltimore Oriole until last year, having a pair for an entire weekend, just hanging out in my maple tree. Naturally, they were both orange, so I assumed they were male & female. I'd seen another this year, orange. Should've know how the male is always pretty and female isn't (well, she is, but you know what I mean). I feel like an idiot, lol. I guess seeing 4 now means I need to get my act together and get the grape jelly out there for them ;)