Do You See What I See

Probably Not !

Because, I could not get close enough to photograph these tiny sweet birds that have been flitting about in large groups throughout my garden for days - and - weeks !  The little red stars represent where I could see a tiny bird .  When they approach it looks like confetti floating down into the bushes and trees .  

Let me  introduce you to the Titmouse . They look so tiny compared to all the other birds in the garden at this time of year darting here and there .
No , No , No , I was wrong . It is not a Titmous .  It is a Bushtit .

I thought it was one or the other . And , I checked with a close friend - who knows "her birds" .  The Titmouse travels singularly and the Bushtit travels in groups-flocks .

Well - A few days ago , my air conditioner stopped working !!!  So , after checking the filters and turning the power off I proceeded to take the outdoor unit apart ! Yep - I really did .

Unfortunately , the air conditioner is very old .  Probably , as old as the house which was built in 1972 .  It is Rheem Furnace-Air Conditioner combination unit .  It looks like the capacitor is failing to start the fan blade and possibly the compressor .  Just my speculation from what I have learned by studying repair videos on the Internet and taking a few things apart . Since parts may no longer be available I called for the Air Conditioning "guy" to come out . It took a couple days before he could come .  I really can not live without an air conditioner !  And , unfortunately the recent days have been very hot with the tail end of the heat wave . Surprisingly , he was extremely complimentary about what I had done and my opinion .  After he tested some parts and reconnected some wire connectors that were loose he said it was running great .  I'm surprised you didn't hear my sounds of delight ! I could hardly believe my good luck .  No expense for parts or perhaps the expense of a new unit which could cost around $5000.00 !  He double checked everything and put it all back together and it is just purring along and cooling my house .  He was impressed that I had labeled all the screws I removed and that made it very easy for him to put it all back together .  What a happy day it was !!

And , if that wasn't enough aggravation , my kitchen Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier System decided that it wasn't getting enough attention and stopped working which has left me without cold water at the kitchen sink .

If a turn-off valve had been installed at the time of the purifier installation I would be able to use cold water at the kitchen sink . Well again I started investigating the cause of the problem and I have discerned that the water holding tank needs to be replaced .  I have replaced all the filters and now I am waiting for the new tank delivery . The delivery has been over a week already and no confirmed delivery date . I have called to register my complaint .

 And , there is more . My bathroom toilet is misbehaving . The toilet tank flap needs replacing . What would I do without the Internet ? I had to go to two different places to get the right size . So , tomorrow I will work on that .

I still have some more power washing to do at the front drive way. So. maybe I can get that done soon .  Along with the garden maintenance I have been very busy and getting a lot done even though my body tries to put a lot of restrictions on me. Yes , I listen to my body and take a lot of forced "time outs" even though I do not like it .

The new Blogger format has just about sent me to the "Looney House" with frustration . I have read how others are displeased .  I thought I was doing OK , but not so .  This posting has taken forever and I had to return to the old format . And , that is not working well for me either . Not Happy .

All of this hard work helps me distract from the horrible world affairs as well as the turmoil on the United States home front!

Now , how is this for a traffic update in the local newspaper today.

Traffic Update - - - Hit & Run With Stolen Goats in Roadway Near Burson Rd & Carol Lane.

Yes , that is one of the charms of living in The Country !

A bright face growing among the watermelons in the wine barrel .

Hope you are enjoying the end of August and feeling well and safe .

Mary