Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday Morning.











This getting old business is for the birds. I wonder where that expression came from. It seems that all or most of the expressions we use had a reason for being a long time ago. It was only the other day I heard what the expression "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" meant. Way back on ships they had to find a way to make something to hold the cannon balls. They came up with a brass contraption with indentations to hold the balls. For some unknown reason they called it a monkey and it was made of brass. When the weather got freezing enough, the balls would come off the monkey. It all makes sense.

Anyway, I digress....this getting old business. I find I wake up some mornings now with a few aches and pains. I guess the good thing is that it assures me that I'm still alive, lol. Not that I'm really complaining, there are lots of people my age who suffer greatly.

Not a lot happening lately. I'm hoping to finish "spring cleaning" this week. We're having a bit of freezing rain this morning. The crows came back yesterday and it was a great relief to see them. I think it was the left over macaroni and cheese casserole from the night before that caught their attention. They were flying off with mouths so full you could hardly see their head.

The brown creeper is here every day now. He's so small. About the size of a nuthatch. Very cute.


The downy and hairy woodpeckers are here all the time. Although they are both pretty well identical, one is much smaller than the other.

Male downy.


Male hairy.


Loads of juncos still here along with all the regulars. Well, time to get my day started.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a shame we have to get old, isn't. I find I don't tolerate the colder weather, especially when it's damp too, as well as I used to.

Thanks for that info on the brass monkey. I used to wonder where that came from too.

Your bird photos are wonderful. Its great to hear birdsong early in the morning's now. Reminds me Spring is coming. Eventually.

ShySongbird said...

You are so lucky to have woodpeckers and Treecreepers in the garden. I have only once, fleetingly seen a woodpecker in mine and never a Treecreeper. Lovely photos of them too.

The Crows must have looked so funny flying off with the macaroni cheese :)

Tricia Ryder said...

Cracking pictures OC....and I love your creeper!!

It's amazing how some of our expressions get started eh.... :D

The Quacks of Life said...

nice pics oc!

Cicero Sings said...

"This getting old is for the birds" ... me Mither's favourite expression!

It is interesting to find out where expressions come from ... thanks for the enlightenment regarding the brass monkey.

Victoria said...

OC, you take such wonderful bird photos!

I hear you about getting older. Except for a few gains, it's mostly about losing a lot of the things we took for granted when we were younger.

Thanks for explaining about the brass monkey saying. I've always wondered how the heck that came to be.

Sondra said...

IT really is for the birds! My sister and I realized that sometimes we would groan when we got up or down..so now we have made a conscious decision to NOT give in and moan..lol pain or not. I had no idea the tree creeper would go to suet..COOL--Very WINDY here today..so the yard clean up was a waste of time--will have to do it all over again--