April 24, 2023

Daily Diary, Day 965: Very routine day. Got my cleaning done, and then walked 30 minutes. Still pretty achey from PT when I first got up, but it feels like muscle pain, which I know will pass. Also had an hour phone call before lunch, and I have done a couple loads of laundry.

I've made good progress on the manuscript I am reading, with only about 50 more pages to go. Hope to get finished and my comments written up by tomorrow morning. We also have HVAC people coming tomorrow sometime between 10-1 to give us a second quote for installation of a Heat pump. Our old gas furnace is over 23 years old and needs to be replaced, the duct work is old and leaky, and given both increasing average temperature, and the fact that we are now generating more solar energy from our updated panels, and the tax incentives, it makes sense for us to replace the furnace with a heat pump, which will also provide some ac for the hottest months. At least, that is our reasoning.

The squirrel became more assertive yesterday, and at one point I found him sitting in the actual tray of the bird feeder, so he did figure out how to do this. Scampered down when I came to the window and ate from the seeds on the ground. Haven't seen it today.

Birds are starting to come in groups or six or more, all vying for a chance at the feeder. At this point I have identified California Towhee-the largest and they tend to dig for the larger seeds and scatter smaller seeds onto the ground. Then there are house finches, often coming and feeding as couples (the males with their vivid orange, females drabber) then song sparrows, with identifying dark stripes on their chests, then the white crowned sparrows, with vivid stripes and a dark spot on their heads, and finally the lesser goldfinch, the smallest, with bright yellow chest. Interestingly, the house finch pairs will often let the much smaller lesser goldfinch perch and feed with them. The photo below was of the lesser goldfinch in branch, and then coming to roost with the house finches.