A Bird in the Hand

I took this photo on a lovely late summer hike up Cypress way with a very good friend. He insisted that the birds would come if we held out our hands with a bit of something tasty. It worked! It was a long and difficult hike, I must say. However it was well worth the effort. The views, the conversation, the exertion, the birds and the sense of peace was indeed memorable.

Auspicious Bloom

My Christmas cactus is actually about to bloom. There is only one sweet red flower bud about to open. On a couple of occasions in the past few years, buds have formed. However they dropped off the plant before blooming. I never know if it somehow my attention, or lack thereof, that stops the process. This time I did something different. I moved the plant to an entirely new ledge. I wonder if this will result in a long awaited burst of flower. I hope so.