You can talk to books; big people do: Dew Drop picks up one of her good for teething books and chats to it: "dada daddda dadda."

Baldwin brought me a baby bird in his cupped hands, "can you raise him?" "I think he's a jay," and indeed, though mostly naked, there were some dark blue feathers and he/she was not as small as some baby birds. Oh, yes, I said because Baldwin asked. Found a box and shredded newspaper to make a nest. Thought to dig some worms for food. Baby bird was urgent in his shrill cry; i picked up a small worm with some tweezers and managed to set it in the wide open bill. But the worm was not small enough, wiggling out of the beak. So I cut the worm; it writhed. I thought of my earthworms which I feed for castings. I thought of the hierarchy of life. Who says worms don't feel pain?? The bird swallowed the tiny pieces. Half an hour latter I was digging more worms. Chopping up worms was not going well; they seem to have a defense mechanism of putting out slime. It was harder to pick up the still moving pieces in the tweezers. I thought of sleep. I thought of no sleep if bird was going to survive the night. John suggested the cats. Instead I stuffed as much as i could into the little one and went to sleep by 11pm. In the morning, though very quiet, little one did eat a piece of worm before locking up his bill and sinking into sleep. er - death.

New Chicken house

Home for a week and busy with garden since arrival; Baldwin built a wonderful new chicken house while we were gone - recycling tin roofing. Tomorrow John and I are resetting the chicken fence so that the hens can access their new digs. It is a most lush spring, tho a frost last week burned the fresh tender magnolia leaves, black walnut leaves and, i fear, some of the day lily buds. Planted the tomatoes and pepper and cucumber plants; yesterday put in a row of sweet potatoes which i got at Slaughters. Frost also took the tops off of the potatoes - it is always a gamble. I've pulled out most of my plants from the greenhouse! Risking it all now - will plant beans and corn this Memorial Day weekend. will add a picture tomorrow.

Rudy's lounge, the late afternoon ritual: dad's social hour or two; this evening there was a wedding party from the hotel who came in for drinks and sodas as the wedding was dry except for punch. John and Dad had lunch at the new Biloxi yacht club then John coaxed Dad to the casino. John won $14 and Dad lost $30 - Dad now vows to never go back!

down in Ocean Springs

Made the 800 mile drive to my dad's house in two sections; rain in both, though not hazardous, welcome grey skies for driving. Spent the night on Tuesday in Fort Payne AL north of Birmingham; Wednesday morning out drove a line of tornado potent clouds down to Gulf Coast. Dadz bar has a new patron who plays 12 string guitar and sings; odd round 30 yr old dressed in three piece suit (it's May here - like 84 degrees)... the bar regulars love him and buy him drinks; he's a music therapist from Biloxi who is sitting with elderly couple. Looking forward to falling asleep with Junot Diaz's fabulous THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO and seeing my good buddy Sharon in the morning. Magnolias are blooming.

flu update

Follow up on swine flu; my teacher, Paul Herscu has a website on his on-going study of flu - at this point the genus epidemicus for this flu is Nux-vomica (if symptoms fit this remedy picture, especially serious chills, high fever with sensitivity to light, odors, noise). However, the remedy may morph.