Euell Gibbons, Marlin Perkins, it's all the same

I've been reporting on Jorge's recent love affair with nature, especially birds. Remember the kids got him a feeder for Father's Day and such. Yeah. He really likes birds now.

Anyway, a robin built a nest at the corner of our house this spring, and now we're on our second batch of hatchlings.

So I said to Marlin, "If you like birds so much, why don't you climb up there and get a picture?"

His wheels spun for half a turn and the next thing I knew he was carrying out the step ladder and camera toward the nest.





He called me over to assist him: "Get over here, Joan Embery, and assist me."





So I held the step ladder, while he climbed the ladder, put one hand on my head and pushed off from my head to hoist himself up on a ledge from where he could shoot. It was like a really elegant ballet.

Then he took some pics, which I came in and looked at but was disappointed with because you couldn't see the rare "Robinus Backyardigan" babies.



So I adjusted the brightness.

WHOA BABY, UGLY NATURE ALERT! UGLY NATURE ALERT!

Oh my lands, some things, like newborn robins and my menopausal love handles, should be left in the dark! These things truly look like aliens. Only a mother robin could love them. Or Marlin Perkins.