What is the value of a bath?

A lot. Let me tell you. Sponging in the bathroom sink gets old. We filled pitchers and kettles and poured warm water over soapy bodies while standing in the tub. It's a cold way to go. But, hurray! The replacement parts for the faucet finally arrived and after two days of futzing around on the bathroom floor, doing, undoing and redoing to stop the leaks, we are bathing for real again.

Critters with feathers

Shorebirds, dark clouds of them flying in precise unison, are arriving just in time for the shorebird festival next week. We drove out to the spit last night with binoculars but the tide was out too far for viewing - clamming tides to minus 5.6 feet - so the birds are way out in the distance. Greater white fronted geese were on the beach so we weren't skunked. They did a number of fly-bys checking out the dogs before settling down in the dried grasses. And there were a few grebes and a pintail in the lagoon. But the best sighting was right here at the cabin. Two northern goshawks twisting and turning, clutching talons, right out our window. Birding doesn't get any easier than watching from the comfort of your sofa in a nice warm cabin.