Red-Bellied Woodpecker Couple

It's pretty uncommon to see our woodpecker couple near the bird feeders at the same time. In fact, this is only the second time I've ever observed them on the same branches at the same time. Their normal habit is to take turns throughout the day leaving the trees near our fence line to come up to the feeders.

I was very happy to get the opportunity to capture them together! The female (with the patch of grey on her head) is on the right.

What are the signs of spring in your neighborhood?

Happy Spring, Friends!

Javamom

New Book on my Wish List

Book 12 in the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes out tomorrow, and I am pretty happy about that. I just purchased book 11 online about two weeks ago, because it is the only one that I have not been able to find used at Half Price Bookstore. It was hard to finish the final pages of book 10 and say goodbye to the ladies for who-knew-how-long at the time.

I began reading book 11, The Double Comfort Safari Club, just as soon as it came in. This series has been my choice of story before I fall asleep most nights these past few years. So knowing book 12 is coming out tomorrow helps me to "proceed" with book 11 at whatever pace each night allows, without feeling the need to make it last as long as possible, if you know what I mean.

I've recently gotten back on a kick of reading an author I hadn't read since the mid-nineties, the Anna Pigeon National Park ranger mysteries. Her novels are exciting, though sometimes pretty graphic murder-mysteries than are the stories Mma Ramotswe encounters in the mostly-calm pleasantries found in The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

I'll write more about the Anna Pigeon novels another time (author Nevada Barr). For now, I don't want to spoil the simple joys and love for Africa and humankind that flows around and to the brim in the McCall Smith stories.

Time to go read!

Javamom