And on a lighter note: squirrels? Or the loud, marauding ravens that took over the neighbors’ garden during their two-week vacation?  (They just got back.)

I went to fill the birdfeeder first thing yesterday morning when I found this just outside the door.

Oleander does not grow in my yard nor on my block that I know of and I have no idea where it came from. It’s highly poisonous, and we have young families around. I know we ripped ours out when we bought this place when our kids were small.

But there it was, backdoorstep delivery. A flower. I was charmed. (Watch that suet cage, they’re venturing into hawk territory now, you know they’re going to try for it.)