Visiting Madison

Today Anna and Jessica and I went to Madison (Elyse was in school, but Anna was out of school on Spring Break--too bad their breaks didn't line up!) to walk around and take pictures and have lunch. Here are some of the pictures I took:

This picture shows Anna and Jessica in one of the many antique stores/flea markets we went into--I don't remember which one this is--looking at an old Steely Dan record (I think it's Can't Buy a Thrill--the album that had "Reelin' in the Years" on it--but I'm not sure)

Having Breakfast with the Birds

The tufted titmouse
Doesn't flee when I step out--
But she looks my way
And the scolding she gives me
Is quite unmistakable.

After a short while
None of the birds seem to care
That I am out here.
There are no more screeching scolds
Aimed at me. Just the flutter

Of dozens of wings
And the hammering of beaks
On sunflower seeds.

Garage Door Opener Pulley

Over the weekend, one of the extension springs on our garage door opener broke. I decided to replace it myself rather than pay a bunch of money for somebody else to do it; while I was getting ready for the repair, I took a bunch of reference pictures in case I needed them along the way. I ended up not needing any of them; it was a fairly easy and straightforward job which I finished in only about an hour. (I might have done it in fifteen minutes if I hadn't kept dropping things or forgetting where I put something, and also having to go back inside to wam up my hands--I did this last Saturday night, when it was very cold!)

Anyway, I really like this picture, even if I didn't need it to get the garage door working again.