Time to post some fun bird photos. First bird up is a beautiful Western Scrub Jay!
Not a bird, but a pesky and photogenic five-toed cat!
Our resident Hairy Woodpecker on a windy day
Here our Hairy is getting a refreshing beverage in the back
Western Scrub Jay
The Northern Flickers never get old. Here's a pretty boy.
White-Crowned Sparrow
Red-Naped Sapsucker
Say's Phoebe
Male House Finch. Ordinary but pretty.
Pine Siskin. Little frisky guys
Another male Northern Flicker
Mountain Chickadees have become regular visitors this winter. Been fun having them!
Blue Jay
Several American Goldfinch in the bath
Black-capped Chickadee
Male House Finch
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Western Wood Peewees
Downy Woodpecker. I think some of these may be repeats, but who cares. Really fun to see them all even if for a second time. Now that Dave is almost over the flu, maybe some new fun stuff will be posted very soon.
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Dave has been busy working in the garage in the man cave. First project on the agenda was a new entryway 'stuff' holder. We'd had a single shelf that wasn't cutting it any longer.
He did all sorts of things to the wood. Plane. Something. Sand. He made a lot of dust. To combat that, he got a nice new vacuum system in place. It is nice to keep the garage and his lungs clean.
Whoa.
Hello?
It took longer than he wanted to get it mounted because he's been down with the flu all week. He's in bed right now even. This is the only time he goes to bed before I do. Happily he's on the mend, but still pretty scrappy.
See project #2 in progress below? A shoe rack. Maybe it'll go up tomorrow.
Sick or not, he did get the new shelving system mounted and filled with stuff. Lots of stuff.
It really does look great - a huge improvement. Looking forward to the shoe rack being installed (not so many shoes to trip over in the entry way.
And he's started planning project #3 - cd rack. Look back to see those finished products and a 100% healthy Dave.
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Dave and I got a new pet today. She is pictured here - a beautiful female parakeet!!!!!!!11111!!!!!
I haven't had a parakeet since Polly in about 1977. Our new pet is a lovely little girl. We haven't named her yet, and are looking for suggestions. I'm hoping to name her THOR, but Dave seems unwilling. :/
aWhen we walk int he room, she greets us with a cheery song while turning her head and bobbing her tail. Pretty sweet, eh?!?!?!
She is so well-behaved we don't have to keep her in a cage even. And the cat doesn't seem to care so that's even better.
I tried to load a video of her, but blogpost is not cooperating. I wanted you to hear her sweet song. This photo is tiny because it's actual a video. I'll see if I can figure out how to make it play...
Okay, we'll fess up. She's not exactly real. I felt we should tell you since the advertisement states, and I quote: "Only you will know it's not real!" She runs on batteries. But she is still a sweet little girl. Bet you want one too!
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Dave has been dealing with chronic tendonosis on his right knee for some time. He's tried everything. Last thing to be done is PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma injections. Here Dr. Glowney at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine is identifying example where he'll do the procedure.
He's no stranger to this procedure. Last joint to get it was his elbow. It worked! Hoping as good an outcome for his knee. But having had it before, he knows it can be "spicy".
First step is for them to draw a bucket of blood. Luckily, he has nice veins so that was pretty easy.
After the blood is drawn, it's put in a centrifuge and spun. The plasma separates from the platelets and those are re-injected into the troubled joint.
14 minutes in the centrifuge...
Dave lounges on the table while the fun begins. Good idea and you never know who will or won't pass out during something like this. Happily, of the five of us in the room, no one keeled over.
The doctor uses an ultrasound to find the problem spot. It was evident on the screen - an area of "change" as Glowney stated. At least there was no calcification as they'd found in Dave's elbow before. That makes for better recovery chances.
The big needle goes in, and the platelets are strategically placed. Glowney went in on both sides of the knee and probed around (guided by ultrasound) to get just the right spots.
At one point they had Dave bend his knee while the needle was in it. That was like fun but different for Dave. You can see on the ultrasound machine the needle pointing right to the trouble spot.
Almost done. Big mess!
We left the doctor's office and had to stop at the bank. We went into the lobby and as we were at the ATM machine, a duck came in the lobby! A male Mallard. It was nasty and cold and snowing outside and people said he'd been in the street which is not good at a busy intersection like Table Mesa and Broadway. So the Chase Bank folks got me a box. I picked up the duck (who didn't even fight or seem concerned), placed him in the box, and covered it.
We drove over to the Tantra Duck Pond to let Chase (seems the right name for a duck at Chase Bank) join some Mallard friends.
Dave pulled him out of the box (he'd sat down comfortably in it) and put him on the ground. Chase looked around a second and then saw other Mallards.
He made a bee-line out to the other ducks. A few walked up to greet him.
And he hopped in the water and was content. We went over there today and one of the Mallards came up next to me and sat down. I think it was Chase as he is happy to be pet. I know his bill markings so I'll head back over there tomorrow and verify. Happy duck.
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