An Unhappy Pup, a Lot of Pumpkins, and an Unhappy Owl

Well, it's been an exciting week here in the Atomic City (AKA Richland, WA).  On October 1st, I took little Pippin, who turned one year old that day, to the vet for his neutering surgery.  Happy Birthday, Pip!

He came through just fine, and bounced back so quickly that we got rid of that nasty cone within two days.  In the meantime, though, he refused to let it hamper his efforts to have a fun time.

Also on October 1st, I signed the purchase-and-sale documents for my next home, and now everything sits in escrow until at some point later this month, when I'll get to sign closing documents and hand over a large wad of cash.  Thought not actual cash, of course.  And then I'll get to buy furniture, having gotten rid of all of the old, shabby stuff I had in Seattle.  Yay!

On Wednesday I went out with the urban sketchers, and this time we did not go to a winery -- we went to a nursery which features a huge pumpkin patch.  Very autumnal!

There were white pumpkins, black pumpkins, gray pumpkins, green pumpkins...even some orange ones.

Most of the sketchers spread out in the fields:

While I was attracted to this display near the entrance:

Here is a sampling of the sketches -- lots of pumpkins in the field:

And here is my sketch -- lots of pumpkins by the old truck:

The most exciting thing that happened this past week occurred on Thursday, when I was sitting in my mother's living room thinking about lunch.  While thus engaged, the sound of raucous crows came to my ears -- many, many crows.  I looked out the window into the back yard, where the many, many raucous crows were busy dive-bombing something in the big sycamore tree there.  Mobbing action!  Predator alert!

I grabbed my camera and dashed out, expecting to see a Cooper's Hawk or maybe a Red-tailed Hawk...and instead, I got this:

GREAT HORNED OWL!!!!!!

It was not a happy owl.  The crows were relentless, and the poor owl was very annoyed, and after about five minutes it gave up and flew away.  But wow -- best yard bird ever!

It was certainly a full and formative week.  Oh, plus I also signed up for the Friends of the Richland Public Library volunteer staff, and I get to try out a weekly shift at their used book sale room starting this coming Saturday.  What larks!

May all your weeks be full and formative, too!