As always after a rain, robins invaded my yard this morning. They don't care a bit for the seed I put out, but they love those juicy worms that the rain brings out. I also saw two woodpeckers (actually northern red-shafted flickers) on the ground in the garden, which is unusual. They ordinarily stick to the trees and are quite skittish.

Yesterday afternoon I heard that scratching noise again for the first time since Sunday morning. But this time I was sitting in the loft, and I heard it over my head. Nothing up there but roof. I stood on a box and peeked through the dirty skylight (how do you clean glass on top of a high slanted roof?) but couldn't see anything.

I don't think the hawks ever perch on the roof, or anywhere but on high tree limbs. But I've seen the neighborhood turkey vultures awkwardly folding their huge wings almost anywhere around. They fly awfully close to the roof sometimes, but it probably wasn't anything quite that big. Maybe a crow or (shudder!) starling.

It wasn't long ago that I couldn't read by natural light after about four in the afternoon, so it's liberating to be able to read until six now. That's an encouraging sign that just maybe spring will be here in three weeks and six days, or thereabouts.

On Thursday nights, I very carefully stay off line after five o'clock, lest someone east of me blab the ending of that night's Survivor episode. As if it mattered! I act as if this were something important, and as if knowing who was kicked out might tarnish the artistic merit of my viewing experience.

When I think about it, it might actually be fun to know who was leaving while watching the episode. But no, I still don't want to know.

Last night I had no such qualms about hearing the Grammy winners ahead of time. (It's a good thing, too, because "Eminem Wins Three Grammys" might have sent me right over to Temptation Island.)

I'm not the most dedicated fan of the contemporary music scene. (Oh, really?) Most of what I listen to is either ancient history or in a category that doesn't get on the air. I find out who wins in the folk and blues categories by reading the scrolling graphics just before the commercials. I might just as well hear about them ahead of time.

So why do I even watch the Grammys? Well, the Heineken commercials were clever and entertaining. There wasn't much else on the show that wasn't some kind of embarrassment. When the acceptance speech by Eminem is the most gracious moment, you know you have a bad show. In other words, a typical Grammy telecast.

What I like about the Grammys is that they still use words like record and album. And that the "song of the year" has to have both lyrics and melody.

I also like that there are so many categories that they almost have no choice but to give awards to some of the artists I like. B.B. King won a couple last night, and Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris and Taj Mahal. Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton both won Grammys in 2001!

Grammy recap: Why is the Latin performance always the most electrifying moment of the whole evening? (Or did I miss something?)

I guess I don't hate Eminem any more than he hates me.

It's not possible to offend Eminem fans, is it? No, I didn't think so.

The flickers like this old section of fence that marks the outer boundary of my yard.

Sometimes there are two of them out here, taking turns pecking on the ends of the posts.