What the heck is going on?

I am feeling quite out of sorts.... out of touch with my blog (and worse yet, out of touch with the blogs of others) means out of touch with myself. Things ARE happening. It just seems as though new home, new living situation, and trying to work in a new space are taking most of my energy right now.

But I AM doing things. It's time for the annual foray into Audubon Adventures land. I've worked as lead illustrator on this project for some years now, and although the format has changed (read: more photography, less illustration), there's still plenty to keep me busy. There are illustrations to be done, but I'm also learning to do photo research and acquisition for the publication. And there are always a few other contract things going on: a brochure, a 20th Anniversary design for a favorite non-profit, some interp signs (as always). A busy time.

In between all that, the new yard is shaping up to be an interesting place. Among the oddities we inherited (and there are many, just you wait!) was a silk flower wreath of dubious aesthetic value over the front door. It was destined to come down, but not a priority item.

Oops. Too slow.

House finches apparently liked the decor better than we did, and started dragging nest materials up there. Dang. I've had birds nest over my door before. It's not fun. For us or for them. So I climbed up to see how far along they were.

A tidy swirl of grasses, but no soft lining and no eggs. Perhaps it wasn't so far along that I couldn't take it down and encourage them to relocate.

Not 5 seconds after I took down the wreath, the male and female finches appeared. She with nesting softies in her beak, and he with copulation on his mind. (sigh) They were obviously quite agitated to see me there instead of their dream home. So the DM and I searched the front wall of the house and found another nail a few feet to the left of their previous real estate. As far as the aesthetics of OUR home go, the location isn't ideal, but we've already determined that our decor choices differ markedly from those of finches. I put the wreath back up and as soon as I went back inside, she assumed possession again. No hard feelings.

She seems content to sit fairly quietly in the new location when we go in and out the door. (Rather than bolting in alarm every time we approach from inside or outside.) She was sitting quite still when I climbed up to try for a photo, but wouldn't you know it? Simultaneous with the depression of the shutter came a large and rumbling delivery truck. More than she could tolerate. So for now we must be content with an image of construction, and the new location, location, location.

I realize we look like people who were probably really bad at Pin the Tail on the Donkey when we were kids. Or maybe like folks who decorate whilst wearing a blindfold. But what are ya gonna do?