Melting

I do believe this is the longest I've ever seen snow remain on the ground at the oasis, but it's pretty much all melted by this evening.

I have to be gone at least two days this week with no one to put out grapes for the thrush. Today, given an abundance of sunflower seeds, it didn't eat any grapes. A visitor suggested that because the sunflower seeds have oil (fat) in them, which is more calorie-dense than the (mostly) carbohydrates in the grapes, the seeds might be better in cold weather for keeping warm.

Anyway, I was getting really stressed so I scrounged around and found an old trash barrel, punched holes along the bottom, and filled it half full with sunflower seeds. Then I tied and staked it as best I could to keep javelina from ravaging it. Hopefully, that will keep the thrush supplied with sunflower seeds while I'm gone.