I am here; Wednesday and yesterday I had so much to do that I did not feel able to sit down and write.

At last I think I solved the mystery about a woodpecker that visited our feeder. I did not see it and had to go on everyone's description. As I was driving out yesterday morning, a pileated woodpecker flew in front of the car and over the car. Everyone described the woodpecker as big; yes, it is big, about as big as a crow. It is one of the largest woodpeckers living here. They said it had a red head; yes again. I have never seen a pileated woodpecker in the city before this. I will have to watch to see if it likes to come to our bird feeder.

Speaking of visitors to the bird feeder, we have not seen any squirrels for about 48 hours. Can it possibly be that our stop-gap diversion is working? Just the same, it somehow feels strange that the squirrels are not frolicking in the back yard. They were eating a lot more birdseed than the birds and scattering even more on the ground.

Our temperature has warmed significantly. It has been hovering around freezing and will be going above freezing during the next couple days.

This morning we had a more colorful sunrise. It was very invigorating to stand in the pink light of dawn.