So The Next Day....

We went on down to the Monterey peninsula. Mi esposa is a man obsessed by weather. He has calendars from years past filled with daily notations on local weather conditions. And he loves the sun. That week had been full of fog, clouds, and gloom, so we headed south in search of the sun. Who made a brief appearance around Watsonville, then retreated.

However, the weather was very mild and quite conducive to strolling around Carmel, then heading south to 

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve for a few hours of walking the trails. This park is just up the coast from the famous Seventeen Mile Drive and Pebble Beach.  Unbelievably gorgeous and photogenic coastline, plus lots of harbor seals, sea otters, and shore birds. (My pictures of that day are here, if you want to take a peek.)  As gloomy as it looks (ah, i love the fog!), i spent most of the day without even needing to wear my light cotton jacket.

 

I used a convenient bench to take these pics with a timer. I intended to take a few more, and some detail photos as well (like of that pleather bow at the waist).  But, while i was trotting back and forth between posing and setting the timer, i noticed that someone else had some business to attend to - and i was standing right in her way.

This little white crowned sparrow really wanted to get at some tasty seeds that i was standing on in my poses above. Every time i went to re-set the camera, she scooted on up to the trail, and then had to hurry off into the scrub when i came over to pose. It took me a couple of minutes to notice her, and a minute or two more to put together what she wanted me to do. (We humans can be a little slow on the uptake.)

I had to leave her to her task, and sneak in a couple of pictures of her from afar.  After all, i was in her house.

Honestly, how can a person remain stylish while bothering a tiny little bird (which, in case you are wondering, looks a bruiser next to the tiny junco). A particularly snazzy bird who is one of our renowned songsters.  Really!  It's much cooler to be friends with everyone.  If those friends happen to be amongst 'the beautiful people', 

BREAKING NEWS FLASH: just burned the living hell out of my hand while baking new cookie recipe.  typing a true b&*ch.  Am posting this 'as is' - any queries left in comments will be addressed as soon as my hand calms down or pain pills kick in.......