Happy New Year! (posted by Ann)

Don and I were glad to see the last of 2010. It wasn't a particularly good year for any of us, but we have high hopes for 2011. We have done what we could to get it started right - Hoppin' John - check. Collard Greens - check. Spending the first day of 2011 with friends and family - check.

Over the holidays I bought myself a heated bird bath, and have been seeing all sorts of new birds. These are insectivores that don't come to my feeders, but will come to the only source of unfrozen water around. Look at this Eastern Bluebird - he looks twice his normal size because it was so cold out. He's hiding behind the goldfinch.

And, of course, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker who loves the peanut feeder and defends it from all other birds. He looks pretty fearsome when he's running off the starlings. We call them the biker birds since they come in a gang.

I went to Las Vegas this week for two nights to go to a conference, which turned out to be very interesting. It was about telematics, which is all the technology they are putting in cars today to do navigation, satellite radio, even Internet connectivity. I met a bunch of people and got some good ideas, and then it was time to come home.

When I have been to Las Vegas in the past the security lines have been unbelievable. One time Don and I thought we would miss our flight, we were in line for well over an hour. So I take no chances when I am there. So, even after two nights of not much sleep, I dragged myself out of bed this morning to make sure I didn't miss my flight. And, of course, when I got there fully two hours before my flight time this is what the security line looked like.

Right. No one was there. I know that somewhere there was someone laughing, but I assure you it wasn't me.