I'm still having a hard time with Darjeeling's death. Rationally, I know there was nothing a vet could have done that I didn't do. But there's always that little worry, that maybe there was something.... Finster Guilt is the hardest guilt of all.

All four Society finches took a nap on top of the same nest box yesterday afternoon. Very sweet.

The Guilt Of The Flashlight hasn't been as intense lately. That one nicely feathered male continues to hop in a nest box and out again from time to time. Occasionally he stays in there for a minute or two. This morning he was inside one of the boxes, and Ginger — who must be his mate — was sitting on the porch. Another Spice finch flew over and pushed his (?) way onto the porch, but Ginger would have none of it. The new finch ended up dangling upside down from the porch, before finally dropping off onto the ground.

Ginger totally takes naps clinging to the side of the Finsterium. And yesterday she was preening herself while hanging from the ceiling. They're so acrobatic!

A trick of the light recently gave Peanut a new friend. Peanut often takes a drink of water when I put his clean water dish back in his cage. Yes, I hold the dish for him as he takes a drink, thus saving him the 20 inch climb around his cage to get it for himself. One of the many sweet rituals we have. But yesterday he dipped his head toward the dish, stopped, looked at the outside of the dish, started to take a drink again, stopped, looked underneath the dish, tried it again, stopped.... Turns out the sunlight — which we get about five times in Michigan from September to April — turned Peanut's water dish into a reflecting pool. He'd try to take a drink, but there was this bird in the way! It was very funny to watch Peanut try to figure out where that other bird was, but I was afraid he'd never drink from his water dish again. So I offered him a drink from the water dish that sits on top of his house. It's shallower, so there was no reflection.

Earl Grey really likes tofu. Plain, raw, extra firm tofu. Just like me! I don't give it to the Finsters very often, but I did the other day and Earl Grey started chirping like crazy when he saw the dish, hopped right over, and started snacking away. He ate so much he had to take a drink, and then he hopped right back and ate some more. Yummy!

I was hoping the new birds would teach the "original" Finsters to eat new foods, and vice versa. But I haven't noticed much of this. I'm not a foodie myself (you may have noticed from the tofu), so it's a bit of work to keep coming up with new things to try. Lettuce and corn are still the favorites, and there's a long list of things that didn't work. But have I mentioned that Earl Grey also likes lima beans? Go figure!