Saturday, April 26, 2014

Saturday morning stuff

*First, the sad news: I think something got the baby birds. There were a couple crows hanging around when I left the house yesterday morning, and while I tried to chase them, they just moved a little ways away (crows will eat nestlings). The next was empty when I got home and I really don't think the babies were big enough to fledge. (I checked on the ground under the nest in case any just fell out - no.) I'm probably reading too much into it but when I mowed the lawn last evening, both parents were flying around, making that "chip....chip...." call. I interpreted it as they were looking for their babies and that made me all sad.

Hopefully they'll try again and have a successful nest. I get that predation exists and is necessary, but it's not nice when it happens to a nest of birds you've been watching.

* I found the newest (I think) US wave of blindbags at Target. Bought a few. Turns out these are neon, see-through AND glittered. (At least the manes and tails are a different color than the body - that was my complaint on the first glittered wave). I bought a few - got a Trixie, and a Snips (I already had a "plain" Snips so I invented the headcanon that Snips has an identical cousin (shades of Patty Duke Show) called Clips who lives in another town and visits occasionally). And I got a pink and purple pegasus I already had in plain form. (I guess they're running low on background ponies. I will say in my previous purchase - this was the Rainbow Wave - I got a pony called Sprinkle Medley, who is that teal-green-with-darker-teal-hair pegasus you often see in background shots. So now I know her "official" name)

I'd actually be happy to see a "wave" with fewer ponies, but more ponies using unique molds - more boy ponies, and more distinctive hairstyles. (I suppose though that fewer ponies in a wave means fewer sales). I want to get the set with Thunderlane in it, but the ones up on Amazon, they're going for "what the market will bear" and I guess there are a lot of rich Bronies out there. (I tried a few other places but they didn't have it)

* I cleaned out the gutters this morning. (Well, gutter - only one roof section on my house is apparently flat enough to have a gutter be deemed necessary). We're supposed to get huge storms tonight and tomorrow and I really didn't want all the crud in the gutter making it overflow. I also got out the hose and flushed the downspouts to get out the leaves and pecans that had fallen in them. Of course, then I had to change clothes before coming over here. It wasn't too bad - I only have to go up a couple steps on the stepladder for it as this was the back of the house where the edge of the roof is maybe 8' off the ground.

I think that qualifies me as an adult for another week.

(No, I didn't find a tape of "Summer Lovin': Lovin' in the Summertime" up in the gutter. Neither did I even contemplate the other thing Rigby did while up on the roof cleaning the gutters with the hose. (That's probably a 'guy thing' anyway).


* I have all the legs done on Big Mac, and before coming over here (and before my gutter cleaning adventure), I pinned the hind legs on. What remains: mane and tail and ears, and then appliqueing on the face and cutie mark. And figuring out how to make a collar. I'm thinking of doing one with a tab on the back and snaps so it can be taken on and off if necessary. (I'm going to make it out of felt. Probably handsewn; I find machine stitching is a bit rigid on felt and tends to pull and put strain on it)

Even though the creativity spell Rarity had on this morning's episode went really wrong in how it affected her, I admit at times I'd love to be able to think of something and have it come into being without the long drawn-out process of finding fifteen minutes here and there to work on it.

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