Bird Watching Club

saw these yesterday also

Lisa, what is the blue bird?

I used to have the Goldfinches all year long. The bright yellow color fades so sometimes you aren't even aware that they are Goldfinches in winter time. The females are sort of greenish color in winter. I think I will look for a different feeder. However I saw this stray cat this morning climbing one my trees right where my big safllower feeder is. I didn't see any birds at all after that little stunt. I use the Niger thistle which I guess you would say is black. I am not familiar with any other kind.

Not really in the category of all your (plural) lovely bird pictures. But - Challenger the Free Flying Eagle from American Eagle Foundation is scheduled for the David Letterman show tonight. Not a Letterman fan but I will be tuning in to watch. I know Challenger flies at some baseball games. Jack Hanna is also scheduled so kinda goes together. Got this from an Eagle Forum so is probably correct.

Got a good report today on six month follow up mammogram. Got to talk to the radiologist for quite a while and thanked her for being on the ball. My RO said the radiologist did a good job and she admitted she would have never detected the tumor. We talked about my GI problems and she said I need to talk to my MO. It was the first time I would have some confidence it ditching the drug all together but certainly not until conferring with my MO. Took some pics just to get out and celebrate after feeling lousy all weekend. Not great focus but it was fun to get out. These birds were really far away so I was amazed I got them at all.

Thanks Lizzysmom. Cute bird pics. I don't have a really good place to take bird pics on my feeders. It is all through my patio doors and I did no window cleaning at all this spring or summer. My oncotype was 16. I hope you are wrong about double the score. I saw someone on the bco board somewhere posted a chart with percentages. If it was double I would certainly not consider ditching the drugs altogether. At the same time if this is a reaction I really don't think I can live like this for five years. I am afraid what it is doing to my stomach already. I was so bad last night it was like going backwards three giant steps. Very discouraging. I think there are two other AI's to try and of course Tamoxifen. I just hate the thought of my body trying to adapt to something else and going through this all over again. I know the expense is a big factor with one of the AI's. Not sure if that is because there was no generic for it or what. On well, time will tell. Must get to bed. Good night. What is the little guy in the first pic. Some type of nuthatch?

Bandwoman, Have you tried changing when you take the A? With or without food, am or pm, etc. Perhaps that would help.

Lisa, another beautiful hummer.

Ladies I finally emailed my MO through our electronic medical system. I was impressed that he actually emailed me back and not a nurse. I think he is the only doctor who has ever done that and this is the guy I didn't care for a few months ago. Maybe I am warming up to him afterall. I told him all the lab work and tests that have been done. He can access all of those records since my primary and my cancer team are all in this big network of doctors. He said he wanted to touch base again if my ultrasound is normal. He said we can stop the drug for a week and see what happens. So that sounds like a plan to me. Actually I am thinking why didn't I talk to him first instead of my primary doctor. Maybe it might have saved me weeks of grief. It was my primary that wanted to see me first and now he says he doesn't want to see me for six months. I think basically an admission that he doesn't know what is going on and it probably is the cancer drug. At least that is how I am reading it if it is not gallbladder.

Lizzysmom, I found the chart  on the Oncotype website. It is a graph so it is hard to tell exactly but it looks like I might be around 8% for recurrence in another part of the body. What I am not sure about is if that is figuring the patient is going to be on a cancer drug as well. Lots of things to discuss with the MO when the time comes. I do remember he said the AI cuts down on recurrence in the other breast by 50%. Those statistics can be so misleading. I believe that means if I had an 8% chance of recurrence in the other breast then it would drop down to 4%. So time will tell. I am so sensitive to drugs that I guess I am not looking forward to switching and going through more grief but if I have to I will. I went to the camera store out of town that gave me a $50 gift certificate for my winning photo. I am having my swan picture blown up and framed. We had a really good camera shop in town and they went out of business so I think I found my replacement shop.

I love seeing all of these cute little birds. My niece sent me a pic of her holding the hummer feeder and this one flying right in front of her. I don't want to post it without her permission though.

Wren, I thought of switching the timing. I take it now before breakfast which I eat really late. I have had so much trouble with insomnia this whole year that I don't know if it would make any difference if I took it at night. I guess I want the MO to make that call first. I always take right before eating. If the pill wasn't so tiny I could try one half in am and pm but I don't think it could be cut in half very easily.

Hi ladies, I had wonderful day with perfect weather and I actually felt good today. Wren I will run that by my MO and see what he thinks. I had thought of taking the AI at night as well.  Thanks.

Teka, You will love this story. After getting the shots of the Monarch today I was driving back home in my car and this guy was talking about the meteorologist (I think) watching this strange cloud. They said it was changing shapes and not acting like a typical cloud. Come to fine out it was a huge swarm of Monarch butterflies obviously migrating. I was trying out my macro setting on this camera like Lisa's and I was walking over to this flower. I looked down and right by my water bottle this Monarch appeared in the grass as if to say here I am take me now. I actually had it on my finger for a nano second.

I am now off to find another bird feeder to replace my sock. Hope it works.

The monarch has such lovely markings.   Maybe just emerged from a chrysalis?  

I would've enjoyed seeing the cloud of monarchs.

Such lovely bird photos!

Thanks ladies. It has been such a good day. I am still feeling good after eating dinner which has not been the case for the last several weeks.  I switched out my thistle sock feeder tonight with one with perches and brand new food so we'll see how that works out.

Lisa, Trying to get onto the macro setting. It took me forever to find it. Sometimes it makes the shallow dof and sometimes not. Can't quite figure it out yet. Instead of shooting in manual I moved it to AV so that is probably the reason as I was changing things for each shot.  I think I am going to buy the hardcopy of the manual. I was looking online last night and found a place to buy it

Teka, I was thinking on the opposite end instead of maybe it was the beginning of the Monarch's life. I like to think of your version better!

Birdlady, How are you doing? Haven't seen you around lately.

Lisa, beautiful shot of the little hummer. Next year I promise myself I will set up their feeder properly so they don't all hang out on my neighbors deck

BW, Its good to hear that you are feeling a bit better and that your MO is paying attention! I take the Tamoxifen in the evening. I tried it one morning and I was so bad tempered that day. I have no idea if it was the pill or just me!

The monarch photos are really lovely. It will be great to have your swan photo blown up into a nice print!! It must be nice to have a local camera shop. It saves me money buying on line but sometimes it would be nice to just hang around somewhere,  looking at equipment and getting some tips maybe. 

Thanks Lisa, I just got it. Hopefully I can check this out. This new camera shop that is blowing up my swan pic is mainly a Canon store so maybe when I pick up my picture on Saturday they might have this equipment.

The Canon equivalent is very expensive Nancy...

one of my favorite beaches...love to see the action in the harbor, the city and the birds.