Birds

I'm still not feeling very well today. I stayed inside and photographed birds through the window this morning. The wind was blowing and the sky was gray, so I was surprised when the birds in the trees came out relatively clear.  I'm sure people who know birds around here can identify them.

I made green chile stew this afternoon with Anasazi beans, elk sausage, buffalo and lamb. I cooked several sprigs of thyme with the beans and added smoked paprika to the meat while I fried it. Together with the green chile, onion, garlic and herbs de provence, the stew has a really full flavor. The green chile is a little on the hot side, but I like it hot.

Cat herding was my other main activity today. Often one cat wants out while another cat wants in, so when I open the door I get a quick cat switch as they scurry past one another. The cat switch works without incident with all the cats but Mama Manx and Puck. I opened the door to let Mama Manx out and Puck started to run in, but then he stopped face to face with Mama Manx. These two are a bit like matter and anti-matter coming together. Instead of running by one another, as the rest of the cats do, they circled each other on the threshold, hissing, growling and spitting at one another, until they got up enough momentum for one to be flung inside and the other outside. I don't think they ever touched each other, but they looked like a cartoon of a spinning wheel of fighting cats. Puck teases Mama Manx because she reacts so well; therefore, she is conditioned to react to him defensively whenever he comes near her — he often acts surprised when she spits and hisses at him when he's not trying to torment her.

The afternoon was really nice after the clouds cleared away and the wind died down. Laurie sat outside with the cats in the afternoon sun and read math. The weather looked inviting, but I decided it was best to stay inside, take it easy and work on feeling better.