Procrastination isn't going to beat the snowstorm

Male pine grosbeak.

There's snow in the forecast for day after tomorrow so it seemed like a good day today to split and stack as much of the remaining wood as possible.

About half an hour into that project the mind began to wander and thoughts of procrastinating activities intruded into the process. As if on cue the birds showed up. Maybe half a dozen grosbeaks, males, females and at least one immature male, a downy and a hairy woodpecker and, of course the chickadees and nuthatches. They were easy to ignore at first but then the grosbeaks began hanging out two and three at a time in a low tree waiting their turns to fly to a feeder. That was too much.

Now this is where the old Alaska proverb comes in. It's been mentioned elsewhere in this blog but here it is again: Before you do something you always have to do something else first, always. The first something else was changing lenses; that was expected. Back outside and shooting away when the camera just stopped. Memory card was full. Comes the second something else. No problem, there's a spare and with that inserted, back to chasing  birds around the yard, at least until the camera stopped again. Memory card was full. Now that's a problem, no more spares and even a master procrastinator couldn’t use the excuse of downloading photos in order to clear a card in order to go back to photographing in order to avoid splitting wood. That was it.

Female pine grosbeak

It took forever for the next procrastination excuse to develop. Years ago I built a house pretty much by myself. One day a heavy glue-lam beam started to get away from me and I tried to stop it and injured my shoulder. The first day or so it hurt so badly I couldn't even drive my truck because I couldn't handle the floor gearshift. I never went to the doctor because I was up against a serious deadline building that house and I was afraid the doctor would make me stop. So I played hurt and forced myself through it.  Pretty sure it is a rotator cuff damaged. Over the years it has bothered me now and then, particularly when splitting wood so I go until I don't want to endure the pain any more. That took an hour and a half today. Now slathered in Icy Hot, relaxing and resting the arm and shoulder.

Hairy woodpecker.

(That triggered a long-lost memory: At the time I injured it I was spending some time with a woman friend who called Icy Hot, "girl-friend repellant.")

About three-fourths of a cord split and stacked, about half a cord to go. Let it snow.