Cool and fresh

Everything is thoroughly washed and sparkling in the sun.  A brown thrasher made the rounds of the yard.  Then a goldfinch got something from the hummer feeder.  In between, the regulars ate seeds.

A hummer visited briefly - is something wrong with the juice?  A titmouse came to the feeder.  Then I thought I saw a white breasted nuthatch cling to the post, but two photos came up empty.  There is less activity around the birdhouse so the wrens may be all moved in and laying eggs.

Then all the birds got excited about something downhill next door. Crows and songbirds hung around above the whatever-it-was for an hour. They'd rush off and then drift back.  Clouds have been intermittent all morning.

At lunch, I saw an orange butterfly and a tiger swallowtail.  A small skink crossed the steps. 

Toward evening, geese visited with their goslings.  The sentinel goose saw me and wouldn't let the goslings onto the patio.  Perhaps this blog should have been named for geese as I don't see nearly as many mallards as a couple of decades ago.  I think people have stopped feeding the ducks, but I suppose the geese just took over.  The clouds colored up in peach and smoke for sunset.