In case you're following along

 ... this is an update on the hummingbird nest.

The nest itself has been fortified. It looks more like nest and less than a tiny beehive. The hen (for I presume the bird is female) has been sitting on the nest more, keeping perfectly still. I have rarely seen a hummingbird so motionless. She is very small with non remarkable plumage (dark brown/gray). 

My guess is she's laid her eggs, possibly two, which means we could seem impossibly small chicks as early as next week.

I'll keep an eye on it. (If I had a better camera, you'd be able to keep an eye on it, too.)

Just something I'm playing around with

 

Progress on the nest

 

It's very difficult to see in these photos - I really need a telephoto lens to get a better image - but, the gist of it is the nest (left photo) has been expanded and reinforced. It's less of a sack and more of the bowl shape that you might expect a nest to look like.

The hummingbird is sitting in the nest in the right photo. She was very still - more still than I've ever seen a hummingbird - almost as if she was asleep.

The images are much clearer with my binoculars but I haven't figured out a way to take a picture through the binocular lenses.

I'll be out of the office for the rest of the week so I won't be able to post any updates on the nest for a few days. I'll be sure to check on it as soon as I'm back.

Not nearly as gripping as a live camera on an eagle's nest, is it?

Not bald eaglets, not Big Bear

 Something even more rare. . . .  Do you see it?

This is a picture of our back patio looking out to our back yard. See it yet?  

Here's a picture of the ceiling fan on the patio looking out to our back yard. There are two pull chords for the fan. On one, I tied a ribbon which is weighted by a lock. The ribbon was added because I couldn't reach the pull chord. You can see the pull chord on the right is anchored by a round metal object which is out of my reach. The ribbon on the left pull chord is tied to its round metal object with a bow. (We have a lot of MacGyver fixes around here.)

In case you still can't see it, here's a closer view:

On top of the bow is something that looks like a dusty fuzzball. In reality, it's a hummingbird nest which is hard to find in the wild because they're so small. But, for whatever reason, a hummingbird decided to build one on top of a piece of ribbon under a ceiling fan on my patio.

Right now, it looks more like a fuzzy sack, hanging from the pull chain next to the bow. The hummingbird has been coming and going over the last week, adding to the nest, and perching for a short while before zooming off to feed or gather more fuzz. 

The activity has slowed over the last couple of days but I can't see any activity in the ball of fuzz. I have a pair of binoculars on the dining room table so I can get a closer look and have been checking frequently. I can't imagine how impossibly small the babies might be if the hummingbirds laid eggs.

A quick internet search suggests that if eggs are laid (likely two), it will be two weeks before they hatch.

Check back later. Things could get exciting!

Fail!

In my last episode, I told you that I may have reconciled with 'Bucks but I didn't get the bonus stars as I had expected. 

After I ordered my drink, I noticed that I had exactly the same number of stars after my drink as I'd had before. I thought that maybe the stars would only be awarded at the end of the promotion period which was still a few days away, not that there had been any precedent for this. But, no. It turns out that I hadn't ordered a latte as was required by the promotion offer. (The promotion was for 30 bonus loyalty stars when I purchased a latte within a certain timeframe.)

I ordered this:

Instead of this:

See the difference?

That light foam at the top is what makes coffee and milk a latte. Without it, it's called a flat white.

I ordered a flat white - a latte without the light foam - which IS NOT A LATTE!

Really?

I guess I really had forgotten how to order at Starbucks. But, to be fair, I didn't know a flat white was not a latte. In fact, when the flat white was first introduced on the Starbucks menu, it was listed as a latte. But, whatever, it's not a latte now.

My grandkids like Starbucks so later in the week, I found myself there buying them sugary drinks just before I returned them to their parents. That was enough to push my star balance up over 300. (I already had nearly that much already.) That allowed me to get a pound of whole bean coffee FOR FREE. Which is like gold. 

I wonder what would happen if I order a latte, hold the foam?

Meh.

After I had my latte Hubby asked me, "How was it?"

I had to think about it.

Which is to say, not memorable.

Um. A medium, please?

It’s been so long since I’ve been to a Starbucks that I forgot how to order!

I’ve been boycotting Starbucks ever since they started to throttle their loyalty stars program under the leadership of their new CEO. If Starbucks didn’t want to reward my loyalty then I wasn’t interested in giving them any. It was a standoff. 

But the standoff had its benefits. I saved money by not going to Starbucks and I reduced my calcium intake, which benefits me in other ways. I got used to having either an iced coffee or doppio at home for my mid-morning break although I missed the extra calories that the milk in my regular latte would provide. It was like a small snack just filling enough that I could put off lunch for a little while. 

I soon got used to the new routine and thought, if loyalty stars never come back I’ll be fine. In fact, I should start giving my loyalty somewhere else! Support local businesses!

But then a few weeks ago this showed up in my Starbucks notifications. It was for a drink that I would never order. 

Not long after a second offer appeared. This one was more interesting in that I could order something that I liked, but I had to go twice and the reward was minimal for my effort. 

Today I got this offer. I could order any latte and get 30 extra stars and the offer was at a convenient time for me. How did they know? 

I was a conflicted at this point. I felt successful in changing my habits. I no longer needed that milk latte every day whether I was out or at home but there I was buying a Starbucks on a day when they were willing to give me 30 extra stars for ordering a cup of coffee. Well, I thought, if I was trying to deliver a message to the CEO that stars were important to me then I thought I’d let him know that I approved of the new direction they were taking by sending another message: Yes, I will have a cup of coffee for your stars. I will take it that you have received my message. 

Hopefully, you get this one too.

Under the bleachers