The Smyrna spring Jonquil Festival was this weekend and we decided to go today just as it opened (noon), so it would be at its coolest. It was only in the mid-70s and we both wore our hats, but after 45 minutes of walking around to the different booths, having an ear of roasted corn, and watching little bits of the puppetry show (with a "juggling" rabbit and a "break-dancing" skeleton), my hands were swollen. James stopped to get a sausage sandwich and I put a hand into the ice water which was keeping the sodas cool. How good that felt!

James also bought two jars of home-made, sugar-free jam, and we got the first Vidalia onions of the season, which they were selling for charity. There were two dog rescue groups there, Australian shepherds and greyhounds. There was the prettiest brown shep puppy whose lovely tail had not been docked and it fluttered out behind him like a feather boa. I petted a sweet white greyhound who would have leaned on me had he not been on a leash being led away.

We made a brief stop at Love Street, enjoying standing over the air-conditioned goodness of the registers. As we emerged, a mockingbird was in full-throated song overhead. At first we couldn't see him, then he burst from the trees to swoop to some telephone lines, flashing brilliant white under his grey wings and displaying himself before he settled and burst into song again.

Then we got into "deep shopping mode" and drove to Akers Mill Road. We are assembling Colin's graduation gift and I had a Really Good Coupon. We also stopped at the mall to hit the Hallmark shop (graduation card and Mother's Day card—with coupon!). We, amazingly, found a parking spot under a tree, from which a crow was croaking. Tilted my head upwards, and there he was, swinging on a branch. I cawed at him and he cawed back.

From the mall, we made our way back to the house, briefly stopping at Family Dollar (where I found a big-brimmed straw hat for just $3; my boonie hat is okay, but the brim just isn't big enough when it's this bright), and finished at Dollar General for a few more "stocking stuffers" for Colin's gift and Food Depot for sugar-free ice cream bars.

By the time we got home, it was James that had the raging headache, rather than me, and we settled down for some cool and him with some ibuprofin and watched today's Clark Howard Show as well as two Ellen shows I missed.

Labels: birds, events, shopping, television

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 4:27:00 PM

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