A Dark Day

Horror in South Carolina

There's a backlog of things I want to write about, but that will have to wait for another time. The news this morning is dominated by the story of the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people lost their lives, including the pastor of the congregation. Please keep the victims, as well as their loved ones and anyone affected by this heinous crime, in your thoughts and prayers today.

The weather is gray and dreary today, rain is threatening (again), I feel like crap physically and emotionally, and thus I'm not in the mood to try to write anything "serious." Sorry. I hope tomorrow will be better...

I know, old friend, I know...

Wild Kingdom Bed & Breakfast Update 

"'Sup?"

The peak times for visitors on my patio are currently around 6:00-8:00 AM, and for about the last hour or so before sundown. It is at those times that you see the largest variety of birds at the same time.

So far I have been able to identify three varieties of sparrows and two of finches that show up every day, plus the grackles. They're generally a pleasant bunch, and most of them sing charmingly.

This morning, for the first time in several days, there was a new guest on the buffet line: a northern cardinal. As you can imagine, his size and color make him stick out in a crowd.


The other birds didn't seem to mind his presence, and he seemed content to grab a bite to eat and be on his way. I hope it won't be the last time I see him. Perhaps next time he'll bring a friend or two, which would be nice. After all, red IS my favorite color...

The other interesting thing today happened late in the morning:  A mother sparrow feeding her fledgling. At first I didn't know what was going on, as the small bird kept chirping and fluttering its wings in ways I hadn't seen before. Then I saw the mother putting food into its mouth, and I understood. It was very cool...

"PLEASE tell me you didn't get all weepy over a baby bird."

No comment...

Things That Make Me Happy: Unlikely Heroes Edition

One of the wonderful things about baseball is the many opportunities it provides each season for players who weren't really on anyone's radar at the beginning of the season to become valuable contributors when the opportunity arises. The starting rotation of my beloved Kansas City Royals is a mess right now (one starter on the 15-day DL, one starter on a minor league rehab assignment, and one starter experiencing numbness in his pitching hand), so the team has had to lean on a couple of veterans who didn't figure very prominently in the team's plans back in early April.

"Who SAYS pitchers can't hit?"

On Tuesday night at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Chris Young ran his record to 6-2, 1.98 by pitching seven innings of shutout baseball in a 7-2 Royals win.

Chris also had two hits in three at-bats, and drove in three runs to boot. Nice.

"Starting is just like riding a bicycle, really."

On Wednesday night the series with the Brewers resumed at Kauffman Stadium, and Joe Blanton made his first start since 2013. Joe had pitched well in limited duty out of the bullpen, but with Jason Vargas on the DL Joe did a fine job of stepping in, pitching five solid innings in the Royals' 10-2 win.

The Royals have now won the first three games of this home-and-home series, which concludes tonight in Kansas City. Jeremy Guthrie will take the mound as the Royals try for the sweep...

Stuff Animal Planet Doesn't Want You to See

Until Next Time...

If you listened at all to pop/rock radio during the spring and summer of 1977, Fleetwood Mac's song "Dreams" was inescapable. It was the second single released from the band's phenomenally successful album Rumours. Oddly for such a popular band, it was their only No. 1 single on the U.S. charts. It reached that lofty position 38 years ago today. Enjoy...