I Forced Myself to Go for a Run Today and This Was My Reward

A Close Encounter of the Pileated Kind

I forced myself to get out for a run today. This was my reward! I can’t believe how close he let me get. I may have gotten closer if I didn’t slip at the end of the video.

A Few Pileated Woodpecker Facts

  • They are not migratory.
  • Pairs stay together all year.
  • They are territorial. (Hear territorial drumming in video below.)
  • Their territorial drumming consists of burst of 11 to 30 taps in less than one second.
  • They make rectangular holes and nest in them.
  • They do not reuse nesting holes from year to year, but other animals use the woodpecker’s abandoned holes.

Pileated Woodpecker’s Territorial Drumming

Remember When We Were Allowed to Go to Diners?

menu
“Half Delicious Sandwich?” Might as well call it “Mediocre Sandwich.”

I would LOVE to be able to sit in a diner and eat a sandwich, even a mediocre one. With a bottomless cup of diner coffee. Just to be around people. Smell the diner smells. Maybe have some rice pudding. Give the waitress a larger tip than usual. Because we’ve all been having a hard time.

Covid Head

hair
My hair is out of control and the salons don’t open for three more weeks.

Thanks to the pandemic, I haven’t had a haircut in over 3 months.

I trimmed my beard a few times back in March. But then I gave up. Just letting it all go to hell now.

Some Rat Bastard Ate Our First Strawberry

berry
Chewed

We had been watching the ripening progress of our first strawberry for the past few days. It was ready for picking this morning. But some rat bastard had already eaten part of it.

*** 6/17/2020 – UPDATE: It wasn’t a rat that ate it. I was a squirrel. I saw one of then in the act. ***