Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Catching up

34 Comments

I have a new laptop. Can you tell? I can, there’s a different feel, things are in different places, and I have to figure everything out.

What’s going on down there?

For example, I can’t find the cursor to put it where I want it to do any editing. Getting the images in is hard too. I can cut and paste previously typed stuff, but I can’t delete anything. So odds are you’re going to see the same sentence repeated because as I was inserting photos they were going in the wrong locations and I was trying to move text around them.

I’ll just ignore all that going on over there.

AND I have this backlog of photos to show you! Of course they’re mostly birds, shot in my own backyard because sometimes I look out there and I can’t not take their pictures. They are soooo cute. And beautiful too.

Hey lady! This is supposed to have water in it!

I have so many images of the same birds eating out of the same feeders. But each time I’m hopeful of getting that shot. You know the one. The one that makes you gasp or smile or both.

Hurry up and eat before some big bird comes along.

Sometimes I think I’m the only one feeding the birds in my neighborhood. They sit out there in the trees and shrubs and seem to wait. I’m hardly ever back in the house when they’re chowing down on the newly filled feeders. It’s cold right now and I’m filling six feeders 2x a day.

Does that make them spoiled?

Coming in for a landing.

So now I have all these images that I’m just now getting processed and you just need to see them. I have virtually nothing interesting to say to accompany the pictures.

No bird in this image…just beautiful frosty ice.

The birds have been so hungry they are getting used to me standing in the window with that big black lens pointed at them. I think they’ve decided the risk of me is worth it. Or maybe they recognize me from all my trips outside to fill their feeders.

Just leave all the peanuts in the shell to me and I’ll leave you guys alone.

I guess I could tell you that all of these were taken from across a room and through a window. Thank goodness we paid some nice gentlemen to wash the windows this fall.

There are five of us cardinal couples at the feeders daily.

Whenever I’ve tried to do the windows I end up with a streaky mess. The guys that come here twice a year do a beautiful job and I don’t think they’re very expensive given all the windows we have. We try to get them scheduled in the fall before the weather would make window cleaning really miserable.

We were pretty late this year but we made it. In addition winter started a little early. Does that mean it will end early this spring?

How many of us do you see?

Probably not. The winter this year seems more like winters I remember as a kid. Cold and snowy. We’ve had snow on the ground most of the time since Thanksgiving.

Eating upside down is good for your digestion. Really.

Anyway I think I’ve rambled enough to show you some of the images I got last month. I have a whole other set of images from the ice storm. That was pretty amazing.

Hi, I’m a titmouse and I fly really fast. And I eat a lot. Cause I’m such a crazy little bird.

I’d like to get all these photos from 2025 processed and filed away. Cause there are even more on my camera waiting to be downloaded from 2026!

Stay tuned.

Make room for incoming!

I’m just going to publish this and see what it looks like. I can’t get to the preview either, and I can’t delete some stuff, though I was able to delete a few sentences and then I lost that ability again. It’s going to make me crazy if this is the way things work!

But I’m glad to just get some photos out there. I’ll try to see if I can edit it tomorrow. Maybe the laptop (or WordPress) just needs a good night of sleep.

UPDATE: Apparently WordPress just needed a nap. The editing today went just fine. I’m not going to reread this post, I’m sure it reads somewhat clunky as I was working so hard last night just to insert an image or a paragraph. But I feel better that I can at least delete repetition. Hope you enjoy the birds!

Author: dawnkinster

I'm a long time banker having worked in banks since the age of 17. I took a break when I turned 50 and went back to school. I graduated right when the economy took a turn for the worst and after a year of library work found myself unemployed. I was lucky that my previous bank employer wanted me back. So here I am again, a long time banker. Change is hard.

34 thoughts on “Catching up

  1. I never get tired of seeing the birds at your feeder Dawn – they look content … and hungry. That Cardinal is beautiful, the Titmouse is so cute and the Jay looks like it is ashamed it stole from the little birds, but will enjoy the peanut in the shell anyway. That’s a classic pose for the Nuthatch and yes, it can’t help its digestion, but I guess it is used to it. I’m not sure when I will get to the Park to feed my critters … I should have left doggy bags, er … “squirrelly bags” for them. Everything is icy around here, plus the other delightful weather “treats” we have going on this week.

    I hate learning new things and as much as we use computers, learning the ins and outs of a new computer is a pain. I hung onto my Windows 7 laptop as long as I could, then WordPress forced me into stepping up my game when I could no longer compose a post without it freezing halfway through.

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    • I never get tired of photographing birds (and other stuff). Sometimes I think it’s crazy because I have a TON of shots of birds. But each time it’s a thrill. Especially if I find something special later when I’m going through the images.

      I’m getting used to this new laptop. Not a fan, the keyboard feels weird and I’m always typing wrong letters, but I assume that will get better the more I use it. Still lots of stuff not set up right, and maybe I never will get it together totally. But at least I can do the basics now.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I was always that way with squirrels – the photos may all look alike, but there might be a reason I remembered taking the shot, or a particularly cute look on their face.

        About six years ago I had to change how I was sitting as I had a lot of pain in my left shoulder. I had been working remotely since 2011, plus blogging, social media – I was here sometimes 10 hours a day, sitting at the kitchen table. So I got a riser for the laptop and a wireless keyboard. After years of using the laptop keyboard, I felt like I could go like the wind with a full-sized keyboard again. Then that keyboard broke and I had to order another one, on backorder, so I got a smaller keyboard in the interim. It was like I had never typed before – it was an abbreviated keyboard with “pebble-type” keys (that’s how they described them and I could not wait to get rid of it!

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  2. Thank for sharing the birds in your yard, Dawn. Is there even such a thing as too many photos? I think not. I feel your pain regarding the new computer. I hope you learn the ropes…at least those that you need so the frustration will ease a bit. Repeat photos or words are not a problem! 😊

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  3. I am always astounded to see your Goldfinches! So many! I feel this winter is also like those of old- it keeps snowing here. I can’t keep my feeders full, and the Grackles descend in droves. I looked up what a group of Grackles is called and found this: A flock of grackles is called a “plague.”  They got that name because people may find them to be a nuisance when large numbers land in their area. Agreed. They scare off my Juncos, Finches and Sparrows. I never tire of seeing your bird photos. Finding your way around a new computer is always a challenge, but now you have a good excuse for not going outside in the cold! 🙂

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    • Yes this year there are a lot! And they are eating A LOT! 🙂 The grackles should be leaving your place eventually. Sometimes I just don’t fill the feeders for a couple days and they move on. I like their colors when the sun shines though so I don’t really mind them.

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  4. what nice photos of feathered friends! Good luck figuring out the new laptop!

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    • Thank you! I’m getting there. How are you guys doing in all this cold?

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      • Hi Dawn, We are staying inside as much as possible! Warm and cozy inside! It will warm up above zero on Monday and we are looking forward to it!

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        • I have friends in GA who have daffodils coming up. I miss spring! I can’t wait until this is over, even though this is a more typical winter, more like they were when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s…so it’s kind of nostalgic and thank goodness I’m retired so I don’t have to drive to work. However, as you know, when the husband is ill there are a lot of doctor appointments that we need to get to. Luckily so far we’ve been able to. I AM getting tired of brushing off his truck and shoveling the driveway though.

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  5. Repetition or not, your photos are amazing and a delight to look at – and your commentary is hilarious, too.

    The joys of getting something new and then getting it to work with WP, which is, on it’s own often wonky, can be frustrating.

    I am not worried. It’ll be old hat in no time!

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  6. You take fantastic pictures of the birds, Dawn. Never apologize for the bird photos!

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    • I love my birds and I feel fortunate that I have such a nice variety here. And that my windows are currently pretty clean. 🙂 I keep thinking I should go out on the deck more so they get used to me being there and then I wouldn’t have to photograph through the windows. But it’s cold outside and I don’t want to go out!

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  7. Definitely some repeating going on here, so I guess you weren’t able to edit this morning, but that’s okay! Love your bird photos. Do you have troubles with gray squirrels at your feeders? I’ve done feeders from time to time over the years, and even the types that say they baffle or deter the squirrels always seem to be eventually invaded. They are such gluttons compared to the birds.

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    • I got it figured out eventually.

      Yes we have a few, ok lot, of squirrels. Brown ones, black ones, little red ones. They all come and eat. I’ve given up, mostly, trying to keep them out. I just buy more seed.

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  8. I love your bird photos and the fact that you’re feeding them in this cold, snowy weather! Penny must be better behaved than the Monk, who’d surely chase them all off, just to see them scatter. Good luck with the new laptop. I got one last year, so I empathize with the anxiety of learning all this new stuff. As your blog says, Change is Hard.

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    • Penny is currently on a leash inside the house, and the blinds are closed because she won’t stop throwing herself at the window due to the squirrels just outside. She scares the birds away but the squirrels just laugh at her. She’s messing up the woodwork at the window, and can’t seem to learn just to watch, so right now she’s sulking, but she’ll go to sleep for awhile soon with the blinds drawn.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Birds make a world of difference for us winter-bound folks. Thanks for sharing yours!

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  10. Gorgeous photos. You are the best bird photographer I know. Glad that editing software stepped up to the plate! 🙂 Thanks Dawn, really wonderful photos.

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  11. Awesome images! I enjoy your bird pics so please continue, no complaints here.

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    • I LOVE bird photography, though it’s very frustrating. So many great images that I DON’T get. But sometimes the light is just right and the bird sits still for a fraction of a second and things work out.

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  12. What a wonderful collection of images! It can be so difficult to learn a new anything, especially a new computer. I think you did a fab job of it. 🙂

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    • It was soooooooo frustrating. Took me a couple days just to have something that wasn’t great to post. But a third and fourth day of work I got stuff mostly to work. It helps that I was working on a bird post. I love my birds.

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  13. It reads just fine and I love your commentary with your beautiful birds!! Oh my, so many are there eating and there are never too many photos! I love seeing the winter weather since it doesn’t snow here, I hope winter doesn’t last too long there. I kinda need a new laptop but am dragging my feet since I’ll be dealing with the new things too. I hope everything settles down and works perfectly for you soon! 🤩

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    • Yes, I got it mostly fixed later, after many attempts. I think it works like it’s supposed to now. Relief! Today it was -18F when I took the dog out for her morning stuff. This is, so far, the worst winter we’ve had in a long time. But, on the other hand, those warm winters were worrisome too. I guess I’m hard to please!

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  14. Dawn, I think the birds are rewarding you for your generosity. Twice a day, in six feeders, yep, they’re appreciative. I don’t go out of the house twice a day for any reason when it drops below 50!

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    • Not two weeks ago I bought 2 40 pound bags of oilers and this morning, in -18F I hit the bottom of the second bag. Sigh. So if the temps go up some today I’ll go buy 2 more bags. If it stays cold they’ll have to wait a day and I’ll spread it as far as it will go so they at least get some, if not every bit as much as they want!

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