Random Friday Recap

I don't know if it's because it's been below zero most of the week or if I have winter-fever, but I have been feeling a little scatterbrained lately.

Being cooped up inside and not being able to go play outside without risking frostbite takes it's toll on a person, I tell you what.

A few things that have been on my mind lately:

Matt and I bought a house in October. It's located a few miles outside of town and we have a fully wooded backyard complete with an epic bird feeder the previous owners left us. We have had a whole bunch of birds visit the feeder daily, including a male & female pair of cardinals.

Then, one day a few weeks ago, I walked past the living room window and looked out to the feeder. I saw this guy [from the photo below] sitting on top of the feeder, staring into my living room.
I shrieked and froze.

He looked at me for thirty seconds and then flew away.

In the 2 weeks since, he has come back every few days to sit on the feeder and look for mice on the ground. Then he'll fly and sit in a tree like the photo above, and look around awhile. Then he'll come back to the feeder, and repeat.

One day last week, he sat on the feeder for a long time, looking around, concentrating really hard. I began to make my lunch and just as I was reaching into the fridge to grab something, I heard a super loud 'BANG!' and quickly turned around to look back at the window.

I saw the owl with it's wings stretched out, sitting dizzily on the top of the feeder, and then he flew up onto my roof.

He tried flying into my living room and hit the window!

I worriedly texted Matt, thinking the owl might die, but then I saw him again an hour or so later. He was sitting up in a tree, probably working off a bad headache.

Fast forward a few days and once again, he came to sit on the feeder again. I watched him for awhile.

Once again, he flapped his wings and tried to fly into my living room and smacked the window, this time WHILE I WAS WATCHING! He turned and flew to a tree branch where he waited out his headache again.

I couldn't believe it - it made me so sad to watch him fly into the window and smash his head against the glass!!

I don't know a magic solution to keep birds from flying into windows - do you?

As a hopeful solution, when he came back later that day, I closed my living room curtains so they covered most of the window, with a gap on the side so I could still see out and watch him. I hoped it would cover up whatever he was seeing inside that made him think he could fly through, and keep him from trying again.

So far so good. He's been back twice since, and no window-hitting. Yet.

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On to other topics:

How cute is this dog? [Photo from Katelyn James' blog]

Matt is allergic to most pets, so the reality of us getting a dog is slim. If he wasn't allergic, we'd have a cat, but that's sadly never happening.

The thought crosses my mind every so often of getting a small 'hypoallergenic' dog that maybe he'd be ok with? But what if he wasn't. It's not like you can return a dog...

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The weather this last week has been incredibly brutal. Below zero. Windy. Gross.

Have I mentioned my life goal is to be a Snow Bird ASAP? Now, to find a way to make that happen...

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This week, my dad had a birthday and so this weekend, we're getting together as a family at my sister's house to celebrate. As we get older, these family times get more and more precious.

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I have gone to my Monday night Zumba class at the YMCA for the last 3 mondays in a row. I'm trying to ease into an exercise routine again after not doing anything since ... March?!

I really do feel good after class though. It is worth going for that feeling alone.

My plan is to add another night to my weekly routine in another week or so.

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It's almost February. That makes me excited because maybe we won't have any more sub-zero weeks this winter? A girl can dream, right? Plus, we're one week closer to swimsuits, maxi skirts and TOMS season!

Happy Weekend!!