in conclusion, let's all move into trees and barter with each other

These floods are ridiculous. Although it's not as concerning as the fact that people's lives are in danger, a building that is very near and dear to my heart is spouting leaks that could be disastrous. I spent the day mopping up puddles with those crap industrial-sized rolls of paper towels that don't soak up anything, putting out a recycling bucket to catch the water, and covering the beautifully finished wood with a thousand sweet trash bags (and singing that song from Rent while I did it, inserting "trash bags" for "kisses.") But seriously, things do not look good. The plaster is crumbling like the drywall from New Orleans and what do you even do about water damage? I don't know how it is going to get fixed.

Meanwhile, Andy got my parents an urn type pot for Christmas that is shaped like a gourd with a hole at the top. They put it outside on the deck on a shelf under their new tenty breakfast nook thing, and a Carolina Wren came and built her nest in it. The nest has somewhat of a side entrance and is kind of domed over the top. Mama Bird laid four eggs and sat down just in time for the monsoon. And now, all five wrens are snuggled up cozy and dry while the rain melodically beats down on the tent overhead.