Olive is a puzzle at her easiest. I didn't check the box until 4:45 this afternoon. Sun had set, but it was still pretty light. She was in the opening, staring intently at something a bit to her right (toward our back fence). Try as I did, without giving away my prurient interest in her and her activities, I was unable to see what had captured her interest. I can watch her for hours - she's endlessly fascinating in her visual preparations for departing her home. I was, I might add, in my thin-stockinged feet - no shoes. It was 50°, overcast, with calm winds, but the concrete under my feet was COLD. She was giving all the signs of preparing to leave - yawning, looking around quickly, shifting her position in the opening. Suddenly (at 5:00PM) she flew straight ahead out of the box - EAST!! - into the redwoods in the pool yard! This after my post of Nov. 10 that she never flew east, always north or south! Well, my brain saw an opportunity here, but I had to act quickly. I ran into the house to the kitchen back door, slipped into my tennies, and ran - slowly - to the redwoods. Checked Tree #1, no Olive, Tree #2, no Olive, #3 (they're NEVER in #3), and was about to turn around and give up when, in the looming dark, I saw her on a branch about 7' high, in Tree #4. She was watching me, sitting quite still, but with her ear tufts up, possibly meaning she was a bit alarmed by my lumbering about. I greeted her quietly with my usual "Hi, Olive" and backed up to Tree #2. I REALLY didn't want to just go away, so I hid (in human terms) behind Tree #2 and watched her for as long as my poor human eyes could see her on her branch - it was getting REALLY dark. Eventually, I decided I would probably score points with her if I humbly left the area and went indoors. This I did, but I was filled with joy with the knowledge that she did NOT fly away when I showed up among the redwoods. So, please change the assertion I made that she doesn't fly into the pool yard. I hope she flies there every night - then I can head out there and see if I can spot her. What an absolute delight it is to have her like our yard!
