Hoot

Every so often, I can hear an owl outside my bedroom window. Now, I like owls well enough, but it's incredibly annoying to wake up to the sound of one at 4:30 in the morning, especially as this particular owl doesn't just hoot a time or two and then shut up.

No, it repeatedly hoots the same rhythm, at about the same interval, loud enough to wake me through the closed window, and doesn't stop for at least 30 minutes. The rhythm is syncopated, involving dotted eighth rhythms and a tie.

Seriously, this is what runs through my mind when rudely
awakened at 4:30. Hey, let's figure out the rhythm of the owl's
hooting!

It happened this morning, and because I'm me, of course, blog inspiration struck. I took a video (yes, it's dark, but it was 4:30 in the flipping morning!) to demonstrate just how obnoxious my new friend is.

A friend on Facebook told me that in Native American lore, owls are considered omens, usually for some big life change or disturbance. Well, I've heard this particular owl before, and the only disturbance I've had as a result is in my sleep.

I don't know why my friendly neighborhood owl found it necessary to wake me at 4:30--but I stayed awake, so out came the iPhone for some don't-wanna-leave-bed entertainment while Millie figured out that I was awake and howled at me, asking why I wasn't jumping up to feed her.

I used this time to impress my Twitter followers with my impressive musical vocabulary. Who else uses words like "ostinato" (that's a short, repeated pattern, which is exactly what my owl was doing...for half an hour) in everyday conversation? Music nerds, that's hoo.*

*See what I did there?

Should my nocturnal friend return tonight, I've been advised that shining a light at it might get it to shut up and leave. I have nothing against owls, I simply want them to keep their hooting out of the tree next to my bedroom window.

My Week in Instagram (Week #105)

I had the WHOLE WEEK off, and it was marvelous.

Sunday:

Clouds movin' in.

Some recent rain has brought some green back to California.

Doin' Sunday right.

Bella and Duchess. 

Cardstock letter tiles for card-making. 

On Sunday, I built a Lego house, then sorted them by color. 

I love that I can watch, from my earth-bound bedroom, as the
recently-launched ISS astronauts arrive and enter the station.

Monday:

On Monday, I finished the Harry Potter movie marathon I'd
started on Saturday, and made cards. And drank tea, of course.

I love these ones.

Sweetest little face in town.

Tuesday:

This is near downtown Lincoln; I was there to drop off four
bags of canned goods at our local food bank.

Then it was over to my storage unit to dig out some Christmas
stuff.

More card-making. 

LOVE the colors on this. 

I've been making these postcards with old road atlas maps and
the letter tiles. (I'm keeping the California one for myself!)

Home Sweet Lincoln. 

I bought this thing to help with some back pain I've been having.

I've been getting to know my foam roller a lot. 

Wednesday:

Before I attacked Mom's spice cabinet.

After. I bought the expandable shelves and went to work while
she and Dad were out. 

It's a rough life, eh, Duckie? 

"So rough. You have no idea." 

I wanted a pic of my signature for a newsletter I was emailing
out to choir parents.

I made a quiz about recital etiquette for my piano class. It's
slightly tongue-in-cheek.

 Thursday:

Woke up to a cornucopia, left in the night on our doorstep.
Turns out it was from a local church that once had two members
WAIT for Mom and Dad to get home at 10:00 at night to try
to chat with them. They do not take no for an answer, and it's
kinda gross.

Millie is thankful for Tuna Time.

After my run, I got some pretty pics.

When I got back from my run, I put up the outside decorations.
The little Peanuts light-ups are mine, the big Snoopy is my
parents'. They bought it years ago because they KNOW me.

See? Mom KNOWS me. That's hers, too.

Duchess watched the goings-on from the kitchen window.

As we drove to dinner (we ate out), I saw these marvelous
clouds.

Swish, swish. I love this skirt.

Pumpkin pie at home.

Mom put the tree up on Thursday. Millie approves. This will be
our fifteenth Christmas together, Millie and I. 

 Friday:

Mom trimmed her tree Friday. I'll do mine on Sunday, because
I had an adventure to go on...

It started Friday night, in Oakland. Dinner with Summer, then
on Saturday, into San Francisco.

Saturday:

Buddy is adorable.

The old Bay Bridge Span is being dismantled.

The Western Span is same as ever. 

Karl the Fog is in town.

Bay Bridge

And again.

We started with the quickest of quick visits to Pier 39, just to
wander for a few minutes and see the sea lions.

And, you know, eat sourdough.

I never get tired of this. The sea lions are hilarious.

We drove down the Embarcadero, then headed up to Noe Valley,
where we had reservations at a tea shop.

Sign pic.

I love the varying architectural styles in San Francisco. It's
such a photogenic city.

City Hall

Mission Delores, one of the official California missions. Yes,
I've visited this one before!

Before our reservation, we visited the little shop across the
street (owned by the tea shop). It's a mix of vintage, hand-made,
and new items, and it was adorable.

I bought some Downton Christmas Blend.

SO tempted to buy these.

We had some time before the reservation, so we wandered up
the street a bit.

Finally, it was time for tea. 

You know it.

I had the High Tea.

Summer had the Healthy Tea.

Happiness is a fresh-baked scone with Devonshire cream and
fruit preserves.

Time with Summer is ALWAYS fun. I love our adventures and
am thankful for my friend. 

It's been a marvelous break. I'm ready to get back to work, though the next few weeks are going to be crazy--choir concerts, a school-wide "Every Fifteen Minutes" program, and so much more. But Winter Break is in three short weeks, and I've got plenty of card-making ideas that will hold 'til then!