Where's The Circus?

Our area has had a long tradition of knowing when it would snow...just look for the Circus to arrive. Nine times out of ten it would snow shortly after they got here. I always remembered this because it was always near my birthday. Then the Circus started getting smart. They moved their Performance dates to Spring.

Someone forgot to tell the snow! Last night we got our little dab. The wind awoke me about 2:30am. I jumped up around 3:30 after hearing a loud crash. I thought, "Oh no, we've lost another deck umbrella when it fell overboard from the deck!" But no, the umbrella was still standing with it's little bungie cord holding it closed. Later, as dawn approached, Abby needed her morning constitutional. When they (not me) came back in Dan announced that the top of the dead pine was in the yard. So THAT was it!

I took this early, hence the shadows from the house. These are some really big limbs although it doesn't look like it from here.

Earlier yesterday we had the front door open. We heard a knock. Abby didn't bark, but looked at me like "what the hell?" We both got up and found this little finch had banged his head.

You must be told that Birds are on Abby's very short list of vices. She likes to chase them, often zooming off the back deck when she spots a cluster forging on the ground. She never catches them; I think the enjoys the thrill of the hunt more.

With this, it was like her heart understood what she was seeing through the glass. She never once barked, or scratched, and barely moved. Her little face showed such compassion as I quietly crooned, "Poor bird" to her. After a minute or two we moved away; when we returned the bird had recovered enough to fly away.