mrkinch: Erik holding fieldglasses in "Russia" (bins)
mrkinch ([personal profile] mrkinch) wrote2025-05-22 03:58 pm

5/22/2025 Loop Road

This morning's outing was short, not even to the Laurel Canyon Trail, although I did spend some time down in Big Leaf picnic area, which is what I do when I can't keep going but don't want to go home. Merlin frustrated me a lot, suggesting birds that absolutely should be there, that I've heard there, but that I could not hear today. Hate that. Anyway, not a long list. The Northern House Wrens are here in greater numbers than earlier and I got a brief but gorgeous view of a Red-shouldered Hawk in flight. The list: )

Needed to get further to find Hummingbirds or vireos.
amalthia: (Merlin Morgana)
Amalthia ([personal profile] amalthia) wrote2025-05-20 11:58 pm
Entry tags:

Being an adult sucks - do not buy furniture from Home Depot

It looks like the new vanities we purchased from Home Depot may not last longer than 3 years. When my husband and I purchased the vanities we didn't know they were particle board, so that's on us for not double checking. I now have questions as to how is it legal for a store to sell furniture that's going into a bathroom that can't withstand any water exposure?

In any case, the base of the vanity is already starting to warp in some spots and I figured I have about a year to find a replacement vanity.

The question is where do people buy vanities that aren't crap?

I considered maybe just buying a more expensive vanity from Home Depot, one made out of plywood, however based off the reviews that's also a bad idea. Or do people just replace bathroom vanities every few years now, like replacing a couch?

I think what's most frustrating is even knowing we had to be careful with this vanity water still somehow made it to the base, and there is water damage in a spot that makes no sense, but it's there.

In my future dream house, there is going to be TONS of space between sink/vanity, toilet, and shower, and all the walls will have tile going to the ceiling!
mrkinch: Erik holding fieldglasses in "Russia" (bins)
mrkinch ([personal profile] mrkinch) wrote2025-05-20 02:19 pm

5/20/2025 Inspiration Trail

Yesterday encouraged me more than perhaps it should have and I only got as far as the downed trees.:( Still, I heard a MacGillivray's Warbler! Just two songs, not in the usual place, and not even on Inspiration Trail per se; sounded like he was downslope from Nimitz Way just around the corner from the gate. So I'm not satisfied but at least I heard one. There was also at least one Townsend's Warbler, which is a bigger surprise every week. The bigger surprise was no American Robin or Western Bluebird. Maybe had I stayed longer. The list: )

Brushed the first tick of the season off my pants.:(
mrkinch: Erik holding fieldglasses in "Russia" (bins)
mrkinch ([personal profile] mrkinch) wrote2025-05-19 01:44 pm

5/19/2025 Tilden Nature Area

An absolutely glorious morning! Oh, my goodness, perfect weather and everyone singing, it was what we always hope for. First interesting sight was an American Robin chasing an accipiter, in turn being chased by a hummingbird? Amazing. I wasn't able to walk Upper Packrat with U and Chris so I walked up the road and boardwalk to the Lake. Along the boardwalk there was a very loud juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak calling, possibly from the nest and very close to the trail. I hoped they would still be calling when we walked back on the road, and they were! This week we saw where the Brown Creeper U saw last week would slip under the loose bark on a dead tree, presumably to a nest. We also saw an Anna's Hummingbird on a nest just where there was one, very possibly her, on a nest last year. I passed my bins to the other woman on the bench and she saw the nest, too, which is always fun. The list: )

Less good is that I am back to pain levels of about this time last year. Then I'd clearly reinjured myself by climbing half or two-thirds of the way up Laurel Canyon; this year my best guess is my attempt to lessen neck and upper back pain by sleeping flat had unintended consequences. As before, after walking fifteen or twenty minutes it gets better so maybe it will resolve as well as it did last year.