At home

It's turned out to be a very busy few days off and of course I didn't get half of what I wanted to done, but I'm making progress. I decided I really wanted a quiet vacation so I'm going to forgo Florida in favor of the Outer Banks. Still fussing over which condo to rent. The more expensive one is right on the beach and has wifi. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth the extra expense but I'll probably end up getting it. I can't seem to let go of this vision of sitting on the deck overlooking the sea with my laptop.

I'm moving slow today. I think I'm finally coming down the cold the family has been passing around and my back is out from digging in the garden yesterday. I should be out there right now transplanting the wayward strawberries but it's just not going to happen.

The flora here is moving at a rapid pace. The magnolias and cherries have dropped their flowers but the dogwoods are peaking and there's some kind of tree that looks like a horse chestnut only with pink flowers that seem to have bloomed overnight. My neighbor has a fine specimen that's most cheering on this gray day.

Meanwhile, I have no bird sightings to report myself except a few visits from the cardinal pair outside my office window but bird blogging seems to be catching on. Check out Silflay Hraka's Birds of Iraq.