Out in the yard this morning

Ruby and I were just out in the backyard. We got a little rain the night before last, so it's neither excessively dusty nor muddy. It's been kind of grey and cool, but the sun is starting to shine.

She found a very new, very large black corduroy slipper somewhere, and was having quite a big time with it. It was difficult to persuade her to let go of it, but she did not damage it. I suspect it belongs to the guy who lives in my carriage house apartment, who was moving boxes of stuff out last night. No one stays in that apartment for very long; within six months they meet their dream dates and move out into some kind of happily-ever-after scenario. OK, n=2 (so far!), but this has happened to 100% of them. I'm thinking that I should call it the Love Shack, and double the rent.

But after I'd liberated the slipper, and Ruby had gone on to bark wildly at some tree-dwelling mammals in the way back yard, I started to hear a persistent tapping noise. I looked up and saw what I think is a Hairy Woodpecker. About two feet away from me. I think it was too big to be a Downy Woodpecker. He noticed me and moved to another tree about six feet away and up higher than I can reach, but kept on with the tap-tap-tapping, flipping from one tree to another. Not sure he found what he was looking for, though, as he did not hang around very long.