Jean Jean made a machine

Ah! Very nice day. Woke up tired and, not surprisingly, swollen puffy in the under eye region. Drank coffee, dressed, drove to berry patch, picked with a couple of friends, and then stopped off on the way home at a wildlife observatory to bird a little. I apparently have had a new crop of allergies begin. Symptoms: contact dermatitis on the inner forearms (contact with plants?) and the ever present sneezy/runny nose.

It was about 10 by the time I got to the birding zone, so the birds had mostly settled back somewhere to chill, but I did see some interesting species.

Bald eagles, close up, for example. Juvies, though, so not quite as striking as the white-head you normally think about. Also saw some Black and White Warblers, and an Eastern Kingbird. A male Eastern Towhee with his crest raised ZWEEEPed and his mate across the trail zweeped quietly right back at him, through a billful of food. That was pretty cute.

Came home, napped and put off the processing of the fruit. The 12 POUNDS of strawberries and the three of rhubarb!

Got up, chilled a little more and then washed, bagged and froze 8ish quarts of berries. Another went to strawberry rhubarb jam, currently cooling, and I froze two quarts of rhubarb for later pies. There's half a shoebox full of berries left in the fridge. I'd guess it's about two quarts worth. I'll be free on Sunday, so maybe I'll get to the pie then.

I feel a lot better, but am still annoyed.