It’s official, mosquito season has begun!

As of 7:00 pm this evening, I declare that the mosquito season in Minnesota has begun, and I’ve got the first two bites to prove it.  So now I’ll have to deal with ticks and mosquitoes.  Uf-duh.  I haven’t been to a National Wildlife Refuge yet where I didn’t have to battle biting bugs.  I guess it just goes with the territory.

                                                                  Red-bellied woodpecker

The other 120 fourth graders from Moorhead, MN, cancelled their field trip to the refuge this morning.  It was a good thing they did because overnight and throughout the morning we had another inch of rain.  Kids and adults would have had a miserable time of it had they come.  That wraps up the school groups for this spring.

<-----/--^            Male purple finch.

Since my work for the day was cancelled, I decided to head to Detroit Lakes to take care of several errands.  Rainy weather really doesn’t matter when you need groceries, new windshield wipers for the rig, and scheduling the awning repair.

                                                                      Female purple finch.

First off, I headed to Wold’s RV where I was able to order the new wipers, a set of throw rugs, and talk about the awning repair.  Two mobile RV techs will be coming out next Tuesday to get the awning restrung. 

                                             Ruby-throated hummingbird visiting the oriole feeder.

Paul Dahl had a question about having the awning restrung, and I’ll try to better explain that with photos as the RV techs get it done on Tuesday.  Basically, the awning hasn’t ripped, but has started to come out of the groove on the roller bar at the bottom near the front of the rig, and at the top where it attaches to the roof in the back.  I’m sure that is the reason the awning arms where out of whack for closing properly.  I did check the motorized awning recall site, and my awning is not covered by that recall.  I feel it was those awful winds in the Dakotas that were the culprit. 

                                                                 Female American goldfinch.

The skies cleared in the afternoon, and Emma and I were able to sit outside this afternoon so I could get these photos at the bird feeders.  It was a brief respite from the rains.  They have now started up again. 

Emma on her thirteen-striped ground squirrel watch.  One of them has a tunnel right beyond the Hard Rock Bird Café pole.  That squirrel drives her to distraction. 

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy