I started Sunday with a 1.5hr bird walk and added three new birds to my list: Chimney Swift, Tree Swallow, and a Great Crested Flycatcher which was a delight to watch, once I matched the sound to the bird and located it. I was so resistant to using the Merlin app for years, but it has proven extremely helpful now that I finally downloaded it. Somewhere along the line I must have confused it with being the same as the eBird app that had come out before Merlin, both put out by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. EBird had a lot of incorrect/annoying information at its inception. So I was using a basic BirdNet app to record and identify birds for years. Stubbornness and/or misinformation sure can stand in one's way in learning.

I also saw a Green Heron, a Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, and Turkey Vulture. And, sadly, the remains of either a duckling or gosling: When I got home, I cut up half the watermelon. Washed my bedding, vacuumed and mopped the floor. Took the food scraps to the dropoff. Googled things like garden hose reels and bicycle baskets.

And felt sorry for myself. Because while everyone else seems to be doing things with friends and family on the absolutely gorgeous day, I was all alone.

So I took myself out for a bike ride. To Keller Lake then Gateway Trail to Bruce Vento Trail to Lake Phalen and home. 10 miles, 1hr 15min. And it was an absolutely lovely ride. So peaceful. I want to explore the Vento trail more. I wonder if I can fit my bike inside my car...

I am REALLY disappointed by the zinnia seeds I got from Park Seed. I had attempted to start a quarter of them indoors in April and only a few came up and then died. I attributed it to my lack of skills. But I planted the remainder directly outdoors last week at the same time I planted the Burpee seeds I bought at the grocery store, and while all of the Burpee have come up now, NONE of the Park Seeds have come up. Zero. Zinnias are super easy to grow. So I can only conclude that since three different packages/varieties of zinnias from Park failed to come up, it is the seeds, not the grower. I found a few packets of zinnia seeds at big box yesterday and will plant them today. I'm just mad that I have to start over and won't have the colors I wanted.

Had BBQ ribs last night. So yummy, but not worth the calories.