BooRadBop's photostream  

The house next door is rented out to people in town on a temporary basis... those here on business, looking for a house, etc. The woman who lives there now has been around since Thanksgiving. Just retired and waiting to move to Florida. Nice lady. Quiet. Except for some little yappy dogs. A couple of weeks ago I was looking out my bathroom window and noticed writing on her kitchen window. Hard to see in daytime because it's really dark in there, but it looked like a formula of some sort, or a timeline. The other night the kitchen lights were on and I was able to take this photo (yeah I know... very "Rear Window" creepy of me, but c'mon... wouldn't YOU??)
So I sat at the dining table going through the photos and trying to decipher what it said (words written backwards aren't easy). I noticed names and "old lady", and figured friends had just scribbled birthday greetings, but realized the handwriting was all the same, so... nope, not that. Then I started reading the "timeline" at the bottom. Krissy, Greg, Alexa... when I got to Joan, I started hyperventilating a bit. That's not a timeline, it's a drawing of our street and the names of neighbors. And their dogs. The "floating" names above are people that walk their dogs on our street, with names of their pooches and their breeds. (Much easier to read once I flipped the photo 'round).
Okay, I get the woman is a dog lover. Fair enough. But what on earth would move someone to write all this down on a WINDOW?? In lipstick (or is that grease pencil)?? I could maybe understand if she did it when she first moved in, as a list of everyone she's met so far, to keep track of names. But 5 months after she moved in (which is 2 months after she was supposed to move out)??
The only explanation that doesn't creep me out is she had a stroke or was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and is trying to "remember".
But seriously... WHY???
It's never dull around here.

(seemed appropriate to play with this photo with the new Aviary photo editor... hence the Fez)
Was working at home today, and kept hearing a "new" bird... one I'd never noticed before. It sounded SO close, yet when I looked out the window, I didn't see anything. Then I realized it wasn't out in the garden, but sitting on my porch light. Guess it wanted out of the rain for a while. It sang and sang, completely unperturbed by my presence at the window. So unfazed, in fact, I was going to open the front door and see if he'd let me photograph him up close, but a car sped by and scared him off. Ah well.
Apparently House Finches are as common as dandelions here in the U.S., but I've never noticed one before. Especially not one serenading me, inches from my front door. A little while later I looked up from my computer and not one, but THREE were perched on the rose bush, watching me like T.V.
Sociable little fellows.

Once again, too early. Before the rains come and wash them all away.