Things you can find when you pay attention...and when you are lazy

Walking in our prairie today, trying to shake a blue mood, I was sadly watching the petals fall from our huge stand of Tall Coreopsis.
Fall is creeping over the horizon more every day. Hooper was suddenly alert, trotting over to the fence. I followed, since his eyesight and hearing are much better than mine, and he has pointed me to interesting things more than once.


A tiny, fledgling goldfinch. Just sitting in a clump of weeds. No visible injuries. Just young.



Before placing it in the apple tree on the other side of the fence (and away from the dogs), I soaked in its stubby tail,

...barely poking out from the sheaths,


...and let the wee thing perch on my fingers. It was either too weak or too trusting to fly away on its own. It was gently placed among the apples, where a male adult was waiting nervously.
(Just noticed my nails in this photo...more on that at the end)

A few minutes later, on the front porch, a ruckus had begun.
I usually dismiss the house sparrows that swarm like locusts around the feeders (occasionally throwing shoes at them or banging on the windows), but one had tackled a moth.

I watched in fascinated horror as it shook the moth until it had stopped fluttering. And then shook off its legs for good measure.


A few minutes after that, while staring at the dishes in disgust, a song sparrow landed just outside the window.
It was sampling the grass seeds sprouting from the BANK of weeds I was too lazy/busy/distracted to pull this summer.



So yet again, judicious laziness has rewarded us.

Now, my nails.
I have been losing weight rapidly over the past few months. Without trying.
While at a program, I ran into a woman who hasn't seen me in quite a while, and her face dropped into a worried frown as she took my hand and said, "Oh...have you been ill?"
I laughed it off. I reveled in giving away all of my jeans and buying new ones three sizes smaller.
New bras. New tops. Tightening my watch. Being able to take off my wedding and engagement rings to finally clean them.

But. I noticed that my fingernails have been growing into ridges, like growth rings on a tree. Horizontal ridges, emerging from the base.
I read up on this odd symptom, and from the list of ever-increasing, serious-sounding illnesses (malabsorption syndrome, diabetes, cancer) I concluded that it was time to see the doctor.
I am obviously not absorbing nutrients, and while I have loved my lighter body, I am also worried that I am robbing my body of things it needs, like calcium for my bones and protein for my muscles. Vitamin A, potassium, etc....
So, I go in tomorrow so my doctor can look under the hood and kick the tires. Will keep you informed.