Rain and Truck Love and New Birds

Of course it's rained!  Wasn't even supposed to!  I'm beginning to
wonder if it's ever going to stop.  The yard is mush.  The butterfly
blooms are feeling it--some are turning brown and flopping over
as if to say "I give up."

Mr. Natural has left the house 2 nights in a row and slept in his
truck.  Think he likes it?

He has been working downstairs and has found so many structural
mistakes that most of the siding will come off of the back of the house
in order to properly insulate and replace siding with new siding.  I
was unaware that you can get concrete siding--all for it.  Even if
the cost is such that we only do one side at a time, think how
indestructible they will be.  Combined with a steel roof--well,
this house won't need any more of that sort of maintenance in our
lifetimes.

The downstairs porch is at the top of the list.  Especially with all this rain
this year.  The porch is screened in.  There are mildew and mold and rot
problems,  So that is where we are starting.  They had carpet down on that
porch.  That is going.  He is going to redo the concrete floor and stain it
to match the house.  Double paned windows are also going in where
only screen was.

Meanwhile, while dreaming of all the projects completed,  the sky
is gray and threatening rain again.

We have some new birds--members of finch family, at least one of
these are out of place birds.  I thought at first it was a pine
grosbeak--but now I think it is a rose finch.  Neither bird is found
here natively.  This has been an unusual year birdwise.  I have seen
many species here not native to this area.  I think I have identified
the soft gray bird with white front that looks like  a tufted titmouse
minus the tuft.  I believe it is a gray vireo.

All for today.

Kate

Pine Grosbeak

Rose Finch

House Finch

Purple Finch

Grey Vireo

I actually think I am seeing the rose finch, not the pine grosbeak.  I will re-check beak
color today.  These new red birds all showed up together. 

Kate