Through cold and snow and fog, it’s been getting harder to find where the flock is hanging out around here. And although we warmed up considerably and even had abundant sunshine yesterday, I was not really able to take advantage of it. I am stuck for the second day waiting for a FedEx package (more about that later), so I may as well get caught up on what little activity I’ve observed lately.

I went to the Chicago Portage this past Saturday, when we were enveloped in fog.

The only bird I photographed, an American Kestrel, was too far away. I was heading toward my car in the parking lot when I saw it fly into a tree across Harlem.

After I came home, the only birds I barely managed to see were a House Finch and a House Sparrow on the sunflower seed feeder.

On Monday, I went to Riverside. I managed to capture some distant Common Goldeneyes far north of the swinging bridge. The looks of Riverside Lawn were still snow and ice so I turned around and went back along the paved trail in Riverside, not seeing anything worth noting. When I got back to my car I saw a Red-tailed Hawk I might have captured, but my battery in the camera was dead. I could have sworn I changed the battery before I left. I always do.

Tuesday morning, I went to the Chicago Portage. It was cloudy and quiet. I did manage to capture a few individuals. Two Mallards had managed to find a little open water.

I got back to my car and decided to check the camera to see how many shots I had taken. The camera was dead, indicating there was again no battery power.

I went home, determined it was not the batteries but the camera, got on the Internet and started considering my options. Seeing as how I had purchased the camera over 10 years ago and it had never been serviced, had been through all kinds of conditions, and had been showing other signs of exhaustion over the past year or so, I decided not to enjoin Canon for an expensive repair but to purchase a new body. It’s a big expense, but given the fact that a large part of my life revolves around being able to go out every morning and expect to photograph what I see, I determined it was worth it. I contacted Canon – they have an upgrade program of sorts which comes with a discount – and I purchased the newer model and a 4-year protection service package.

Rather than dust off one of my old camera bodies, I grabbed the mirrorless camera and went out Wednesday morning to Riverside. This time I decided to walk into Riverside Lawn from the parking lot entrance off of Joliet Avenue, to see how far I could get. The lack of light was a challenge, reminding me I had never figured out this camera to see if I could adjust for exposure.

Yesterday morning I got up early, eager to at least sample the sunshine. My camera delivery was to occur between 10 AM and 2 PM. I got over to the Chicago Portage at 8:30.

The camera has a good zoom on it, so I zoomed in on a bird I had heard but could not determine quickly from so far away. It turned out to be a Northern Flicker.

Then as I walked up the dirt and gravel trail, I was suddenly joined by a mixed flock of American Goldfinches and some sparrows, most of which were American Tree Sparrows. The ATSPs were cooperative.

Some Canada Geese flew over and then decided to land. I caught up with them navigating the ice.

I was home well before 10:00 AM. I stayed in the front of the house as much as possible so I could see the FedEx truck when it pulled up. I cleaned the dining room, which was on my list of things to do anyway. And then somewhere around 1:30 I decided that I should assemble a plate of bread, cheese and fruit for breakfast, and I went into the kitchen. After I sat down to eat, I checked my phone. A delivery attempt had occurred and I had missed it. Needless to say, I was upset. I called FedEx and there was no remedy except to sit here and wait all day today for redelivery.

I was too frustrated to eat my meal. I covered it up and put it in the refrigerator for later and went out to do my grocery shopping. At least I got to vent my frustration to my favorite employee at Whole Foods when I got to the checkout and she remarked that I was later than usual. I must have been quite entertaining in my tale of exasperation as reflected by her response and her coworker who was checking me out while she put things in my reusable bags. I thanked them for listening to me and it must have been therapeutic because I managed to go to Trader Joe’s and then get home in one piece. I ate my breakfast around 4:15 and never had another meal yesterday. I played piano and served the Evening Snack to the indoor crowd, but beyond that, I was incapable of letting go of the delivery issue.

I tried to repair my defunct mechanical doorbell by installing a replacement I had purchased who-knows-when, but the wires to the bell were too short to attach to the new one. I signed up for every imaginable update from FedEx and put their app on my phone. None of this helps very much, but one does what one can.

So thanks for letting me sit here and vent. I was planning a cheerier blog post from last August, but the weather and the camera issue have consumed a lot of my energy. I almost wish I could take up knitting again, but you can understand my reluctance to go down to the basement looking for anything. I will sit here, watch the street, and wait.