The last day of September

We have made it to the end of September! Summer is over (in my opinion). And it was so cool and lovely today. Supposed to get to 78 -- only 78! (I don't know whether it really did, but it felt nice and cool all day.)

I have been pretty sick for a few days, maybe the piggy flu (???). The babies have had it for about 10 days and now Rocket Boy thinks he's getting it. Despite that, the babies and I did our walk this morning. I really wanted to experience the walk in the cool morning air. It was divine.

I did not see or hear any quail, but near the end of the walk I saw a bird I hadn't seen there before. It paused on the fence quite near us, long enough for me to dig out the binoculars. It even flew back and forth a bit, as if it wanted me to see all its field marks. It was some sort of flycatcher, but I wasn't sure which one. At home, I looked in my books, and decided it was a Western Kingbird (which is a flycatcher). Not an unusual bird, but the first one I'd seen in Ridgecrest! I will have to be on the lookout for other fall migrants.

It's driving us crazy that the days are getting shorter. The weather is so perfect all of a sudden, but it's dark before 7pm, so it's hard to do an evening walk. Tonight, though, I decided to wander out into the backyard for a little while before (the babies') bedtime. Of course the babies came out too, and RB, and both cats. I turned the patio light on to keep the black widows in their holes a little longer. RB decided to brush the cats, who always have clumps in their fur because Whiskers is too old and sick to groom herself properly and Pie Bear is too fat. I pulled the babies around the patio in their wagon. "Who wants a ride, who wants a ride, who wants a ride in my little red wagon..." The moon is about 3/4, I think? I pointed it out to the babies. "Goodnight moon" (they love that book).

Sometimes we are happy here.