This afternoon The Colonel called me to look out the window at a Mockingbird that was sitting on the swing. Now in our house Mockingbirds can do no wrong because they are the State bird. The bird was all puffed up, whether it was cold or trying to dry out its’ wings, I don’t know. We stared at it for a long time and finally noticed that the poor thing only had one leg. It was so balanced on the back of the swing that we didn’t notice it at first. I, being the optimist in the family said his other leg was probably pulled up under him where we couldn’t see. The other side in the family said he thought it was missing. I knew we could tell when he got ready to fly off but unfortunately, I got busy and The Colonel forgot to watch. The mystery goes on.

The Hummingbirds, there are only three of them so far, are darting back and forth, at least two of them are. I bought a swing for them and today was the first time I have seen one on it; it looked so contented. The oldest one of them seems to mind his own business and leave the other two alone. I think it is the oldest one because it sits more than it dashes off to the trees and back again. It will really be nice when the whole group of them comes.


We surely must have lots of ducks and fish in the lake. It rained 4 inches out here and it is not over yet. Everything is nice and green and the yard and pastures around the house look like a park. A very pleasant, wet day at the Red Oak Ranch.