– and other news from last week.
The bird of the week at the neighborhood pond was this Little Blue Heron. Early in the week when it hadn't rained for a few days, the pond was almost completely dry, but then we had a few rainstorms. It would be interesting to follow the birds to see where they go when their feeding spot dries up! They always seem glad to be back.
One of those storms, I think on Wednesday, was a literal eye-opener. Rainstorms are common in late afternoon this time of year, but that one woke us up before dawn with loud claps of thunder and lightning briefly turning our bedroom into broad daylight. There's nothing like starting the day off with a bang!
Earlier last week though the weather was good. And on Sunday (a week ago) we were blessed with a beautiful day and evening without a cloud in the sky. So we stayed up late for the total lunar eclipse. We couldn't have had better seats for the show than we did from the dock area in back of the Canal Cottage.
Lunar Eclipse, May 15, 2022
During a full eclipse, the moon passes through the darkest part of the Earth's shadow (the umbra). According to NASA, the reddish hue happens because orange and red colors remain visible while blue and green light get scattered by dust particles in the atmosphere. Because of the color, lunar eclipses are sometimes called Blood Moons.
Tuesday, May 17
I hardly ever stay up that late these days, so that long night meant no early morning walk happening on Monday. But the next morning, the moon was visible on the street side of our house — and it still looked full. Although certainly not as dramatic, especially with the point-and-shoot camera which is all I carry on my normal walks.
Great Egrets are common around here — this one was standing perfectly still on a corner island in the middle of the supermarket parking lot. For a minute, I thought the store had installed a statue. But he was there hunting for food (just like all the rest of us).
In other news of the week for which I'm exceedingly grateful, we were both able to get our second COVID booster shot. We're still masking up in public places, but the booster provides a nice margin of safety.
And also (TA-DA) the bathroom project which has kept us (uh, half of us) busy all season is finished and it is beautiful. We (both halves of us, for sure) are delighted with the way it turned out. I'm amazed that Bill's talented design and skill incorporated a roomy walk-in shower, corner sink cabinet with storage, a wall-hung toilet, and space to maneuver in an area only 7 by 8.
LINKING this week to the following sharing opportunities: Thank you to the hosts.
MOSAIC MONDAY; NATURE NOTES; THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; FRIDAY BLISS; and SATURDAY CRITTERS
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