Birdwatching in Northeast Ohio: January 25

As the snow returns, the dark-eyed Juncos come back as well. Although they are considered slate-colored, the ones we see nearly look purple. They are happy little busy birds. As one kicks seed out from the feeder, the rest cluster below, feeding from the ground.

We saw a Nuthatch and a tufted Titmouse this past week.

Wolf Oven: What does MDL Circuitry error mean?

I am just so used to looking up answers online. Imagine my display when I typed in "What does MDL Circuitry error mean?" and got a series of websites that had the answer "locked." They want you to pay them to unlock the answer. Take, for instance, JustAnswer.com. Here's what they tell you:
JustAnswer is the largest paid online Expert answers marketplace that globally connects people with verified Experts such as Doctors, Lawyers, Mechanics and Veterinarians. Our Mission Is To Help People by providing the #1 online platform for people to access verified Experts -- quickly, conveniently and . . . .
BY HAVING US PAY THEM.

OK . . . ridiculous! So, I found the 800 number for Wolf, called customer service and got this advice: Wolf doesn't print a lot of troubleshooting information, because most people are not qualified to fix them. (I certainly am not.)

Shut off the breaker to the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn back on, reset the oven. If you do not get the error, you're good to go. If you still get the MDL Circuitry error, you need to call a service professional.

Snowbirds of Northeast Ohio

January 8
Our dark-eyed Juncos have migrated away, and the family of darling black-capped Chickadees has returned. They were joined by a new bird. At first, I thought she was a female Cardinal, but no . . . look at those details . . . she is a Cedar Wax Wing. We hear her on our walks to the meadow, but now she has come to dine with us.

The Big Year

Only January 2nd, and already it's a great year! We were eating breakfast, gazing out into our snowy backyard, when a flock of dark-eyed juncos attacked the bird feeder. We had never seen these petite snowbirds before and were delighted when they stayed most of the day, keeping us entertained.

Have you seen The Big Year? Imagine our surprise when oldest son, John, brought us in 2011 to see this Jack Black-Owen Wilson-Steven Martin comedy about bird watchers. We loved it. Perhaps 2012 will be our big year? I can't imagine finding anything close to 700+ species, but seeing juncos for the first time was very exciting.