Kitty Toll reported today that she had just seen her brother, Tom, at the Mount Ascutney Rehab Center and he is definitely progressing well from his recent stroke.  That is certainly good news.

I had a message from Andy Rudin (Old Homestead Road) today asking if there is someone familiar with our local bird population who might be able to identify a song bird he has been hearing.  He wrote: 

There is a bird over here that constantly sings a beautiful song.

It goes on and on, seemingly not repeating notes or patterns.

Is there a bird expert around the Pond I can contact?

 

If someone else has heard this bird and knows what it is, please get in touch with Andy.  I've suggested he contact the Fairbanks Museum - they may have someone there that is a bird expert or may know of someone local.  I heard a robin this morning singing up a storm on the electric line coming to our house.  I thought at first she was distressed because perhaps Woody, or cat, was lurking nearby, but he was nowhere around and when Fred heard her, he said she was just singing for rain.  She finally flew onto the lawn close by and continued her incessant song - a little different than the springtime song robins sing, but certainly very loud and quite beautiful.  She was very visible, and stayed around for a while.

We spent most of the day in Burlington where I had an appointment with Dr. Kim for the macular degeneration I have going on.  I didn't get the shot in my eye this time, and that was a BIG relief.  Now if things remain unchanged, at least for a while, I'll be very grateful. 
We caught it early and started treatment right away.  My vision hasn't changed much in the year Dr. Kim has been treating me except for some slight improvement, and since the goal was to arrest the progress of the degeneration, I feel very fortunate.

It's been interesting to me that the Areds2 vitamin capsules Dr. Kim advised me to take (available over the counter), have had a definite effect on the "dry-eye" tearing condition I had.  If I happen to miss taking a capsule, by eyes begin to stream again, so I'm convinced there is a connection.  I mentioned it to the doctor, but he said he had never heard of the Areds2 having that effect.  Just a nice "plus" in all of this, I guess.