A Photography Challenged Day

American Idol is airing soon, but I need to record this day quickly and hope to see most of it. After a restful sleep last night, I felt invigorated enough to head outside twice for a walk along the trail at work. It was strangely quiet but I took advantage of a few opportunities that produced nothing. There might be a pine cone somewhere in this photo but I certainly lost the bird.

On the drive home from work I noticed an absolutely gorgeous view of a hawk on an electric line by the road. The sun cast a golden glow on this bird and it would have been a fantastic photo. With traffic behind me and no shoulder on the road to make a quick pull-over, I cringed at the loss.

After I got home and viewed the back yard, I realized that fat-ass squirrel cleaned my feeder today…again. I’ll be laying out more cash for a baffle this weekend! Cha-ching! He's eating me out of house and home.

Here’s a Chickadee belly.

With little sunlight left, I carried my camera to the front porch and found the back end of a bluebird in my neighbor’s Japanese maple. This was after I saw two bluebirds at my own feeder and lost those shots, too.

Good news is that I noticed a little pecking at the suet feeder, FINALLY!

How about a faceless junco?

At least I could photograph the weather forecast for Charlotte. Isn’t it ridiculous to do this? I feel like a real nut. IF we have snow tomorrow, I’ll be ready with my camera but I certainly dread ICE.

Michael came home tonight from a one night stay in Virginia and brought me two little gifts. The Yankee candle, "Greenhouse", smells heavenly and I love the little glass birdie paperweight most of all. This is a gift from a man who claims that birds are only good for crapping on your head. Oh, isn’t he so tough! I’m touched.

Sleep walking

My eyes are bloodshot and I’m overloaded at work. Rest is so important to good health and mind and I’ve been neglecting my body’s cry for a good nights sleep lately. There was no walk today, no birds, and no story to tell because I’m too cold and lack the brain power and energy. That’s what happens when a body is tired.

After work, I bundled up and went outside to top the pond a few inches and checked the skimmer. I was shocked to see a frog peering up at me… The slippery thing tried to get away but I grabbed it and threw it gently into the deep end. Kermit did the breaststroke back to me, looking shocked and alarmed, as if to say, “Hey, what did ya do that for?” It’s common to rescue frogs from the skimmer in the warm months and something I did quite often. But it’s January!

Tonight I'm washing two loads of laundry and I can’t understand why men and children insist on throwing clothes into the hamper inside-out. Everything I wash for Michael is inside-out…socks, shirts, sweaters, jeans, and trousers. I remember when Gina was a kid, I’d pick up sweatpants from her bedroom floor, complete with panties inside and socks hanging from the bottom of the pant legs. This all takes time and I'm irritated with it.

Chloe is taking a wonder drug. After only one dose of a pain relieving anti-inflammatory drug, she was zippy this morning. Last night, I slept with her on the sofa since she was diagnosed at the vet yesterday with a strained cruciate ligament that caused her to walk three-legged and stumble. It will be a real challenge for me tonight me to keep her from running or jumping but I’ll be sure to entertain her in other ways. What a relief!

American Idol airs tonight and I’ll be ready to cuddle on the sofa for an hour of entertainment from Birmingham, Alabama! Soon after that, I’ll be snoozing in my own bed, under a nearly full moon. Ahhhh...

Tomorrow will be a better day if I can help it.

The Bluebird Saga Continues

Early this morning at the office, I was the first to notice there was a Bluebird flying around inside the building. Could it be Millie’s Johnny?

“Millie, it’s me. I’m up HERE and I can’t get OUT!”





“See? It’s ME! Please help get me out of here!”









We opened all doors after I called in the facilities manager. I moved two live trees from the conference room to the front entrance where Johnny was hanging out, hoping he’d perch on a tree and fly towards the cold air.

I called Raptor nearby and they put me in touch with a songbird lady who suggested placing mealworms near the entrance. The ceilings are thirty feet high and I decided it would be my last resort.

After lunch, we were getting very worried. Our director of curriculum Googled Eastern Bluebird songs and played them near the trees. We imitated songbirds ourselves while hiding around the corner. Then we called in the Dean.


She gathered the painters with their ladders, maintenance staff with an extended duster, and then climbed a ladder herself.







Johnny had turned towards a hallway with lower ceilings and a doorway, good for a better escape. I propped those doors open with chairs. Then we had him cornered.






We waited and shooed him towards the doorway. And kept shooing him. When he was two feet from the doorway opening, you could have heard a pin drop, but inside ourselves we were screaming, “FLY, GO FREE, FLY, FLY, FLY OUT OF HERE! GO!” And the moment he set himself free, we roared. High-fived. Danced in the hallway.


Our Dean giving hugs. Some of us shed tears of joy. Not me, though. Wink. Just kidding…

Sunday, flying by...

Late last night, Chloe was sleeping while standing - in pain. So I slept on the sofa, in hopes she would crash on the floor next to me. She did, lying on my warmest coat. I covered her with a blanket and she didn’t move all night but I slept fitfully. Today, she’s on the mend and her little "stinger" tail is wagging.

After Michael did a few chores around the house this morning, he sat at the computer and I urged him to see my blog, particularly the Bluebird story I posted earlier in the week. He was not at all interested, which was no surprise to me. I thought, “Ok, you snooze, you lose, buster,” and I continued pushing the vacuum. The Hoover was howling and I noticed him smiling at the computer monitor. The sneak was reading through my blog and laughing. “Who named the bluebirds?” he asked. Back at him, “Who do you think named them? It was my story!” (Yes, it’s now confirmed, Michael. Your wife is a fruitcake.) Smiling, he shook his head and knew enough not to say a word. It was so nice to see him smile and enjoy something I love doing.

A few minutes later, he called out above the vacuum, “Do you want to take a ride to Southpark Mall?” Southpark Mall is very, very upscale. You go there with full make-up and wearing jewelry accessories. I had slept on the sofa all night, had not showered, and to put it plainly, I looked quite rugged and skanky. Who would finish vacuuming the whole house, be sure dinner was in the oven at 3pm for Gina and Billy tonight, top the pond, poop patrol the yard, and a dozen other things around here? Does he think I'm "Bewitched?" I don’t understand men and their thought processes, sometimes. Besides, I wanted a little time to look for bewds. Minutes later, the phone rang with a golf invitation for him. You Go, Michael! I was saved by the bell! The feeder was buzzing today but I couldn’t get near them. Still no takers for the suet. Not a good bewd day. I wanted that Titmouse!

On my short trip to the grocery store I hastily pulled into an empty parking lot. I was allowed only one shot of the hawks before they fled. They might be red-tailed but I'm not sure. Click to enlarge the photos.

Turned back to the car. How could I have done something so stupid? The keys were in the ignition with the engine running. Who needs to report a stolen car on a Sunday afternoon? I’d better be more careful.

If you love bluebirds, come visit me. See the strong wind ruffling his belly? I see more and more of them each day at my house.

This Cowbird pair is cute. The wind was horrible today and they hung on tightly atop this flimsy evergreen and waited for me to get back inside the house. This isn't a good photo of them, but I like it.

Male Cardinals are striking in color but there is something about the female that is so exquisite.

Several white throated sparrows allowed me to get closer than ever.

Wow.

Just Couldn't Wait One More Day

For over a month, I’ve been hot on getting a few more feeders and resigned myself to wait until January 31. That’s payday. An e-mail I received this morning from Wild Birds Unlimited announcing a sale of a free decorative suet feeder with the purchase of a case of suet got me dressed and out the door at 9am. That did it. I'm so impatient. I met Michael there, my tour guide and skillful tempter. He knew he had me. My eyes rolled at everything new and I looked like a little kid in a toy store! The free, limited supply, suet feeder was out of stock so he offered me four cakes in lieu of the feeder. I’ll try the suet and see how popular it is before I make it on my own stove. After meeting this fine and entertaining gentleman who helped me choose, I whipped out my plastic, we shook hands, and I was on my merry way. A suet feeder and tube feeder next to me on the passenger seat made me squeal with delight.

Are birds slow to catch on or wary? Salesman Michael told me it may take a while for birds to use new feeders and he’s right. After I hung both of them next to the platform, the fifty-plus birds hung around in trees and bushes looking spooked by the new additions. Not one bird touched the suet today. Maybe they haven’t had it before? The tube feeder was popular and I have plans for two more stations on my property to include feeders to entice the gold finches and titmice. I’d like one on the west side of my house so I can watch the feeders in the evening sun and I’ll have another on the south side. The one in the photo above is on the northeast side and gets shadowed before dinnertime. The birds on my property have it all – food, water, and shelter. There was no time for photography today but I had my nose at the windows, watching, with a basket of laundry on my hip.

Yesterday, I decided to trespass onto the golf course and parked my car at the first hole, only to find a foursome out there. It was too cold for golf! My husband has played golf in way below freezing, though. That's weird.

My effort wasn’t a total loss. There were several busy bluebirds next to the cart path.

This is what Chloe, the drama queen, did all day. Stand and whine with the tail down and head hanging low. She’s hurting badly from the rabies shot in the thigh she received yesterday and I don’t think she’ll feel normal until Monday. I’m giving my poor girl buffered aspirin in hopes it will help her out… And next time I see Dr. Mark, I’ll ask him why some vets give the shot in the scruff of the neck and others give it in the thigh muscle. Ouch! Now it's time for a pee break outside. I'll help her out.

Chloe Deserves Filet Mignon for Dinner Tonight

Chloe took a ride to the vet today. She’s a great passenger and loves a ride in the car. When I stop at a light, she stands up to see and sniff, especially if we are near a Bojangles or McDonalds. I had my camera with me and regret leaving the battery in the charger back at home…darn!


Since she was a puppy in 1996, I’ve dreaded her visits to the vet. Her bad behavior has been embarrassing and unnecessary. I’ve had several different vets during her life and she hated them all. What made matters worse is that animals can detect anxiety in their owners and will share it but I did the best I could to cover mine. In the waiting room, she’d tremble while I tried to calm her with relaxed conversation in our own language we share. Chloe’s phobia and fears caused growling, struggling, and snapping. How could this loving and sweet girl turn into a demon the moment she entered the office? That’s not how Boston Terriers behave, although she does have some wicked tendencies we admire. (I need to add that she was not bred by Jane, the famous Chet Baker’s breeder). In Chloe's ten years, she never had a complete and thorough exam due to her quick snap at the stethoscope and other instruments. Nails clipped? Forget that! “Just give us the shot, doc, and we’re out of here!” Luckily, she's been a healthy female.

Today was different from past visits to the vet. Maybe she’s mellowing in her senior years or maybe she decided she likes Dr. Mark. This was the first Christmas she didn’t steal and run with a dozen Christmas tree ornaments and lately she has been intently watching certain programs on TV. This morning in the examining room, she sat in her own chair, next to me, and allowed Dr. Mark to investigate a benign mass on her back, examine her teeth, listen to her heart, and look closely at her eyes with an instrument. She wasn’t happy about it but was amazingly patient! Dr. Mark has a "Dog Whisperer" way about him. We heard a little low growl when she got a rabies vaccine in the bum, though. I’ll take that. Inside me, there was a woman bursting with joy, wanting to shout out, “Yay! Chloe, gimme a kiss! I’m so proud of your brave old soul!”, but I waited until we got into the car.

In February, she’s going in for an overhaul. Under general anesthesia, the surface growth will be removed. At the same time she’ll have her teeth cleaned and her nails trimmed to puppy length. Dr. Mark gave me more good news. She’s maintaining her 23.1 lbs. well. She doesn’t have cataracts. What she has is called lenticular schlerosis, more commonly called ageing eyes. Her acuity isn’t as sharp as it used to be and she’ll have some trouble focusing at dusk and dawn. We won't be calling her "Eagle Eyes" anymore... She looks tired after her trip today.


After we arrived back home, I read her new rabies tag with an expiration date of 2010. A while back, I read that the life expectancy of a Boston Terrier is about 10-13 years. I did the math. Chloe will be 14 years old in 2010. Oh, heartache, loud sigh. I had to grab a Kleenex. Could this be her final rabies vaccine? NO. I can’t bear to think about it right now.

Images in the Sky!

Stepping onto my front porch yesterday, I looked at the sky and saw a heart. If you look closely and enlarge the photo, you’ll see a jet flying in or out of Charlotte Douglas Airport above it. As a child, I remember spending time with my little boy and girl friends laying on our backs in the grass, gazing up to the clouds in the sky, looking for dogs, leaves, or faces. It was a game we loved to play. Also, we enjoyed looking for four-leaf clovers and the first to find one was the winner. There was no prize involved. Being “the first” was a prize in itself. We’d try to outsmart flies and cup them with our hands before they’d get away. (Yuck) Lightning bugs were held captive in empty pickle jars. (Stinky) The weeping willow stems served as clothing for our Tarzan dramas and we made mud pies for dinner. Playing hopscotch in the alley, dodge ball, jacks, yo-yo, marbles, pick-up sticks, and “Go Fish” are the things we did because we wouldn’t dream of staying indoors unless we were punished - oh, the agony. On rainy days, we read books all day. Taking walks to the country store for a loaf of bread for our Moms provided revenue in the form of soda bottles we found along the way, enough to buy a coddie or a handful of bubble gum. Often, we fought and argued over those soda bottles. Some of my friends didn’t have a bike so we shared our bikes and took turns riding. We even made our own skateboards out of one “key” skate and a Golden storybook. We sat on the storybook and flew down the sidewalk! Some boys made a real skateboard with a 30-inch two-by-four piece of lumber and nailed ½ of a metal roller skate to each end. I'm dating myself, here, but I don't care.

We had real imaginations in those days and a desire to explore and create our own fun. We were never bored. We lived in a more carefree society then, and our parents didn't always lock the doors at night. I’m glad we didn’t have electronic games and computers to entertain us all day while eating candy and snacks over the keyboard. There were no cell phones, IM'ing or text messaging. We ran down the street to see our friends and knocked on their doors, instead. New toys came at Christmas and birthdays, only. I often wonder what my childhood neighborhood friends are doing now. Do you? Do you remember some of the games I played?

For the first time in my life, I saw a Red-Bellied Woodpecker today. Could be a female but looking at the photo, I'm not sure. This bird was working away on a tree near the tennis courts in my community. I drove into the area looking for a hidden pond I could see from the main road but instantly heard some racket from this woody in an ancient tree. Noisy and beautiful! I look forward to seeing one at my house when I have some new feeders...

This morning I found European Starlings on campus. These birds seem to be agitated and loud but it was a pleasure to see them, way up there.

Three things I've noticed about myself since I carry a camera with me most of the time:

I can drive and scan treetops at the same time (a little scary).

I can walk briskly while looking upwards without tripping (very scary).

I can hear better, i.e. my radar is finely tuned.

What I thought was a Song Sparrow during my short walk this afternoon turns out to be an Ipswich Sparrow, I think. I say this because the bird resembles a Song Sparrow but has yellow eyebrows and is paler than a Savannah Sparrow. Interesting.

Not a bad day.

The Bluebird Story of Millie & Johnny

Millie and Johnny were lovers, in search of a new place to hang their hats.

“Millie! Check this place out! Hardwood flooring throughout!”

(There is a birdhouse on campus. I had a meeting to attend. Oh, well…I’ll be late. I didn’t call the meeting, anyway.)



"Wow. Let me IN, Johnny!"













"This is grand!"














"Where did she go?"














"Arrrrgh! Females! You can't live with them and you can't live without them! She's probably out shopping again."










Millie was out bargain shopping, just as Johnny thought.

(I am never late for anything. Ten minutes late to the meeting, I apologized profusely. But, today, I realize I have my priorities in order. There are some things in life you just can't put off for another day.)


This one's for you, Dew. Hugs.

Summer Apprehensions

Before I start writing about my thoughts tonight, here is a photo I took yesterday under the clouds later in the evening. This bird perched at the highest point of the tallest tree a few doors away from me, with a companion below out of my focus. I hiked up the hill with the camera ready but the lighting produced only a silhouette. I thought the ID might be easy with the pointed beak and round body with short tail. The size of this bird was a bit smaller than a hawk but larger than a crow when observing the wing span during take-off. It perched for at least an hour there and did the same thing tonight. Help?

Now I will get on with my post.

The tossed salad I took to work for lunch today didn’t excite me much. It was elaborate but not good enough. Although I was hungry enough to devour the whole salad, I picked at it and wished I had brought more of my home-made dressing which isn’t bad considering it’s mostly made with red wine vinegar, garlic, canola oil, and a pinch of Splenda. Two months ago, just before Thanksgiving, Gina and I went to our first Weight Watcher’s meeting. For four weeks, we weighed in religiously. Since then we fell off the wagon but not in a big way. I’m still holding on to the edge of that wagon with my fingertips and saying no to most of the things I like to eat. Or, at least, I’m pleasing myself with two pretzels instead of thirty, one Hershey’s dark instead of ten, one little slice of cheese instead of a block, and the lists goes on. Both of us want to go back soon but only when we are ready to give it 100%. We’re getting there. Who wants to go get weighed in, lay $12.00 on the counter before you find out that you lost .5 lbs.? Or gained 3? Not ME! Add the cost of attending the meeting, lunch afterwards, and a pair of new shoes for the daughter. We had better be wholeheartedly serious about it! I almost weighed myself after I stepped out of the shower this morning but made a quick decision. No, my hair is wet. That’s added weight. Maybe tomorrow.

The thought of swimsuits is weighing heavily on my mind - the dreaded and feared “trying one on” under those fluorescent lights in the dressing room where every dimple and roll I have is magnified, not to mention the blinding white color of my skin - it all scares me. Ecckk. It’s like a horror movie. I wonder if security cameras in dressing rooms are real and what kind of person might be watching with a sadistic smirk on his/her face?

My neighbor, Maureen, loves to go to the pool in our community. I baked at the poolside and beach for twelve years in a row and don’t care for the sun anymore. She’s invited me to go with her many times but I always made an excuse to back out so I wouldn’t need to put a swimsuit on. Stand me next to Maureen and you’ll see why. I’m short all over with a chubby upper body and skinny legs. Maureen is five years younger than me, eight inches taller than me, and has legs like Stacy Keibler of Dancing with the Stars fame. She’s a former dancer and she wears short-shorts to show off those tan, long legs! Not baggy, elastic-wasted ones like mine that drape half-way down my thighs. Hey, if I had legs like hers, I’d wear them, too. I really want to wear a swimsuit this summer and continue using my self-tanning cream from a tube or bottle. I really do. That’s why tonight, not one pretzel will touch my lips. I want to sit next to Maureen at the pool this summer without wrapping myself in an oversized towel.

I’m sitting here at the keyboard and listening to Taylor Hicks’ new CD. Hmmm…and daydreaming…

His band is playing at our pool cabana. He’s singing “The Deal”. The saxophone is sooo sexy. I’m sitting next to Maureen wearing my new hot swimsuit and slurping Bourbon slushes while admiring my new pedicure. In the early evening, there’s a warm breeze slightly moving my blonde wisps. It’s real hot so I get up from my chair and sashay to the pool, in the rhythm with his music, then sashay back after being very careful not to get my hair wet. I can’t keep my eyes off him while he sings to the toe-tapping crowd. Will I at least make eye contact with him?

Maureen: “Mary, he’s looking over here. He’s pointing to you!”
Me: “Oh stop, he is not. He’s pointing to you! He wants your legs, Maureen.”
Maureen: “Get up girl, go over there and dance with him! Go, Go, Go!”

My little daydream reminds me of the movie, Griswold’s Las Vegas Vacation when Wayne Newton, singing “Loving You” by Minnie Riperton, put a spell on Ellen, Clark’s wife. Out of her mind with pleasure, she stands against Wayne on stage and belts out the highest soprano note in the song, beautifully. (I can’t stand Wayne Newton.)

When you are a pre-teen or teenager, it’s normal to fantasize about your heartthrobs, i.e. Davy Jones, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, or Elvis. Should forty years make a difference? Huh? Heck, no! Maybe I should rename my blog: Marys-SillyView.blogspot.com. I really amuse myself sometimes :)

Camouflage, maybe?

Until I add feeders closer to the front and back of my house, I need some effective clothing. My bright green coats and light colored jackets don’t blend in with the landscape and the birds know it. For $27.00, I can buy camouflage outerwear. Replace the gun with a camera around this guy’s neck, and then add a blonde female under the hat. You get the picture. I think it will work because I can stand and wait, motionless, for a long time. I can hold my breath for a long time, too.

My husband and daughter are getting worried about me and my obsession with the camera and birds. I say, “So WHAT!” Little did they know what the future would bring when I opened the box that held my new camera on Christmas day. Tee hee. I have a new sport and I can play it at home whenever I want. Or, I can go somewhere else and play it. I have always loved outdoors and now I have more passion for it, thanks to my blogger friends and my new camera.

Thanks to Liza Lee Miller’s comment yesterday, the black oil sunflower and striped sunflower seeds my DH bought yesterday drew those chickadees to my feeder today like flies on cow dung.

A chilling rain fell today and the skies were dark. It was a grand day for the birds, though, at my house. It wasn’t without some agonizing moments, let me tell you. While sweeping the front porch, a Tufted Titmouse landed on a tree only ten feet from me. We were eye level from each other. Perfect! No camera. I froze and we had a stare-down for at least six seconds, then he was gone. Arghhhh! My body twisted in agony. Right behind the titmouse, a male and female house finch flew directly over my head on the front porch, flew out, then perched in the spot the titmouse had landed minutes earlier. They are eyeing up a barn swallow nest from last summer that still sits under my porch roof. No camera. Arghhhh! Again, my body twisted in agony. Damn!

My camera has features I haven’t even tried yet. Later in the day I tried the low-light feature with decent results. It’s very difficult to use optimal zoom in low light but I was so pleased to see a Carolina Wren before I tried the new mode.

I love mockingbirds because they sit for a long time and allow you to zoom in and get close.

At my house, there were bluebirds today. I nearly fell to my knees in thanks and praise. They were plentiful in the pouring rain and I was delighted, to say the least. Heart pounding, I held my composure and snapped way. Some of them were very bright blue and some wore a more subtle shade.

White throated sparrows visit my lone feeder. Here is a view of one using a low-light mode. Not too bad but not great, either. I think I forgot to zoom in enough. Silly me.

There was a feeding frenzy today for the ever present cardinals, doves, cowbirds, various sparrows, plus tufted titmice, and chickadees. This shot, in a low-light mode, was taken just a minute before the noisy escape of the doves. I saw the brown-streaked hawk wings dive through that ended the party. We have a hilly terrain and I couldn’t trespass downwards into my neighbor’s yard fast enough before he was gone and headed to another feeder two doors down the street. If I had pursued the hawk, I would have slipped on the pine straw spread on the steep hill and landed face-down, right in front of the neighbor's kitchen window. Wife: "Oh, how nice, Carl, Mary came to visit."

I’m amazed to see these birds. In Delaware, we lived on a link-style golf course, wide open and flat and with few trees or foliage, other than the young ones we planted. The main visitors at my feeder were doves, red winged blackbirds and other large flocks. They would clean out a filled feeder within minutes – no kidding.

So, I excitedly said to Michael, “We have bluebirds out there!” His reply, “So? Birds are birds. Just birds.” This was an attempt to annoy me, just for the sheer pleasure of seeing me puff up. So I was right back at him, “Well, instead of the shrimp sauce over pasta tonight, let’s have the leftover meatloaf no one liked.”

Life in the Yard

Winter has arrived, at last. There is still much life in the yard.


In the pond, the parrot feather is hanging on for life .

Pond grasses are impatient and sprouting.

Constant life in the yard... Mr. Biggins exclaims, "Bella, you're breakin' ma leg!"

I'm waiting for

Hummingbirds to return to the feeder,

The heavenly fragrance of a Magnolia blossom,

The branches of the crepe myrtles to bend with the weight of green, white and pink.

Warmth on my back, frogs screaming in the pond, fish jumping, the lizards' return, and longer days.

The winter sunset is a masterpiece, though.

What a Day...TGIF

The day is done, thank goodness. My main focus at work was to order two very expensive camcorders for public safety training and two adult crisis manikins for the emergency medical services program. Dealing with our procurement office was a test of my patience and I just don’t have it anymore. It’s my age, I know it. After nearly four years of working for the States of DE and NC, I’ve had it with the red tape, protocol, and lengthy procedures. I’m sick of endless forms and requirements. They had me on an obstacle course today, jumping through hoops, running through very dark tunnels, and then they apologized for forgetting to tell me there is another step involved…blah, blah blah. If "they" knew their "own" jobs, life would be easier for us all.

Ten or twenty years ago, my response to these ridiculous requests would have been a sincere, “Oh, no problem. No reason to apologize. It’s been my pleasure working with you.” I still say the same things although a bit curtly and after I slam that phone down, I mumble out loud, “Stick your procedures up your a--, where the sun doesn’t shine! I’m sick of this runaround, you nit-picking idiots!” My coworkers and I find it very amusing and we all share grumpiness together. This ordeal still isn’t a done deal yet so I have it to look forward to on Monday. I need to get away from this circus. I really do.


For starters, while making my breakfast oatmeal in the campus kitchen this morning I opened the blinds to find that elusive Eastern Towhee staring at me, only about fifteen feet away from the window and perched on the top of an evergreen shrub. And it seemed he was staying… I don’t run anymore since ankle surgery but I took a shot at it, leaving my oatmeal in the microwave to overcook. Looking like a peg leg freak, I ran to my office, grabbed the camera, and then ran outside only to find the bird was gone. The birds were out and about today and feeding on the seed I scattered until I went for my nature walk later in the afternoon. No birds. Gone. I did see the towhee disappear into the dark brush. Gone. While cursing the construction site across the street, I did manage to see some color shout out from the brown and gray of winter. These leaves served at magnets to me and the camera. To coin Julie Z’s phrase, I was fast approaching the “advanced stages of crankitude” near the end of the workday.


After arriving home, I needed a little more therapy. I walked the neighborhood for a short while and found where the chickadees live. A neighbor who lives two doors down the street really knows how to attract the birdies. I need to meet her.

Me loves my Chickadees!

Most of all, me loves my two girly girls. We played ball, romped, gave hugs and kisses, and now I’m feeling much better. Whew. What a day.

Striving for the Strength

While the police cadets at my community college are in formation, they view a bell near the building. Today it was ice encrusted. It’s mounted on a four-by-four post with an inscription on each of the four sides.

Here lies a start of a new beginning.

Give us 17 weeks and we’ll give you 30 years.

Pain is temporary, pride lasts a lifetime.

If you can’t handle this, ring the bell.

Most of us complain about little inconveniences like stepping in a mud puddle or getting caught in a rain shower. At times, all of us complain about being tired. There are some of us who resent being told what to do. Shamefully, I am describing myself to some degree.

At 7:15 a.m. it was still very dark. There would be no sunshine today as ice, rain, and snow began falling early in the morning hours. I parked my car on the lot where our police cadets do formations. They were there, lying on the parking lot, on their backs, facing the sleet, rain and snow, holding leg raises, then doing push-ups. The commandant and sergeant shouted humiliating comments to these twenty-two cadets, two of which are women, telling them how stupid they were, and branded them with suitable nicknames, i.e. “Puddles”, “Chicken”, “Cripple”, “Knucklehead”. My heart would not let me take a picture of their tortured selves this morning. This is the second week of their training and already, three have bailed out. Only those who possess inner strength and determination can handle the pressure. By the second day, I would probably have a melt down and hide inside a closet.

A little while later, I heard their marching voices from behind the wooded area and they emerged, learning to march, holding the left count, while raising their voices in song at the same time. There were a few who were surprisingly so uncoordinated that it looked nearly impossible for them to hold the left.

I work across the hall from Sgt. Moore, a 7 foot 2 inch tall black man, who I think is rather shy and soft spoken around the office. However, in his drill mode, he is a man made of steel. His loud voice always surprises me and today I realized that he has a very wonderful singing voice that echoes across campus! I listened for a while and was so appreciative of his talent. The commandant is wearing the shorts to prove anything is possible in below freezing weather. Whatever. The lady in the light gray sweats is our associate dean. She enjoys helping out while getting her own workout.

Despite the nasty weather, I pulled my hood up and broke out of the office for a while. I was in pursuit of this mystery bird for the entire time in the woods. (Click to enlarge) It was hard to photograph this bird in low light. It spent the whole time digging and nearly burying itself in the pine straw. I can't identify this bird, even after looking at my field guide. It was very black with a red underside, conicle beak. I threw some seed around and headed back inside to see my bangs nearly dripping! I'm not complaining, though.

I love this photo of the juncoes scrambling for a bite at the feeder in my yard. The icicles were getting longer by the minute. I was standing on my ice covered deck and trembling. Can't afford another fall!

Anticipating A Winter Storm...

I believe the weather forecasters’ predictions for an icy mix tomorrow morning. It was the grayest of days and very cold. This evening it became quiet and calm like it usually does before a storm. This afternoon I had a case of cabin fever at the office so I switched my shoes and headed out. Totally unprepared for the low-thirties, without gloves or even a lining in my trench coat, my walk was brisk. All the while I wondered what made me do this. Perhaps a little voice told me there was a Cooper’s hawk wanting to be photographed. By the time I caught sight of the bird, my feet were numb and I was unable to run, so I zoomed in the best my camera would allow.

The pine trees and evergreens are the tallest around and I noticed several very tiny birds scattering high in the treetops. My photos are at an angle where I’m always under them and far below. I like shorter trees! This is not a good photo and I can’t identify this bird but I am sure it can’t be more than three and a half inches long and it fluttered faster than any other bird I have tried to photograph. Maybe if it weren’t so cold, I would have waited for more opportunities.

A Carolina Chickadee hesitated for more than two seconds while I found it carrying out its antics and acrobatics. I can see that I need a different feeder to attract this bird to my backyard. Do these birds have an attention deficit disorder? It seems like it… When the time came that I couldn’t feel my hands or feet anymore and my nose ran like an open faucet, I quit and headed back to my office.

American Idol Addendum

Minneapolis showed the best of the worst last night. Here are my two favorite miserable auditions from last night:

This girl did an imitation/song of the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz .

FIE, WERE KING...NG...NG……, OF THE FORRE-E-E-E-EST? MMMGGGrrrrrrrrrMMMMPFFFFFFF!
Hilarious!

This one was over-confident of her singing skills and image. Simon's eyes nearly exploded from their sockets. Let's hope for some real talent to walk across that stage in the next few weeks!

Looking Forward to Something

This post ranks right up there with the ten most lame I’ve ever written. For lack of a good idea for posting tonight, this is the only thing I can come up with and I apologize to readers. It’s windy, very cloudy, and the sound of the dried oak leaves rustling on the trees brings back memories of winter, finally. The temperature dropped forty degrees in less than twenty-four hours today and there's talk of snow on Thursday. I’m looking forward to one of our river birches pictured here to provide a place for all of the hummingbirds to perch before darting to the Cannas and Zinnias this spring!

Bogged down by back-to-back meetings at the office, there was no time for me to wander outside today. I missed it very much but I do have something to look forward to tonight, though. The only television show I watch religiously is American Idol. This is my fifth season and I can’t recall missing an episode. Most days I listen to the last fifteen minutes of Oprah while starting dinner but I don’t really watch it. I zone in on other shows between laundry and various chores in the evenings but to sit and watch a TV movie or show is out of the question, even on the weekends. I’d fall asleep before the first commercial! Local TV news in the morning is something I need to have but I couldn’t tell you what the news crew looks like. I only know their voices. So, this is where I’ll be tonight for the beginning of the sixth season of the number one ranked show in America. In the bedroom, away from Michael who usually watches Modern Marvels or the History Channel…BLECH!!!

My American Idol throne. Removed of my robe and other articles of clothing, it’s ready! With a bag of “Smart Balance” popcorn that tastes worse than paper, I’m ready. This is where I'll be on AI nights until the end of the season.

Planning ahead for tonight, I bought two fresh Nylabone edibles for the black and white girlfriends in hopes they won’t pester me with constant lap-jumping and kisses. I’m thinking of hiring a kid to keep them occupied on Tuesday nights. Not really…Michael’s in Virginia tonight so I’m the only one in the house to provide them with the entertainment they need after missing me all day. We’ve played rigorously tonight, but it’s never enough for my energetic female athletes.

For those suffering the winter doldrums, here is a little splash of color from my front yard. Pansies peeking at you above the landscape wall.

The Power of Suggestion

Schools were closed today in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many adults had the holiday off, too, including myself. We all need a day to remember great men and to slow down. I’m guilty of rushing through life to a fault, like many people I know. In 2007, I’m trying to change that. On my way to the grocery store this morning I parked my car at the pond next to the entrance of the plaza and enjoyed the view of geese on a windy pond and the clouds mirroring on the water. An older, white-haired gentlemen in a white SUV slowed down and parked a couple car lengths ahead of me.

He was dressed in office attire so I guess he was a businessman that works nearby. With the camera on my face, I just kept shooting away and he apologized for interrupting me. “Hello. I was curious and stopped to see what you are photographing.” I replied with a smile, “Nothing special, just taking in the view.” After a few more photographs, I packed it up and wished him a good day. He stood there for a while, arms folded against his chest, and continued to enjoy the view. The butts-up made me smile.

Without knowing it, I invited him to enjoy something he might not have done. I like this.

I’m a GBH stalker and I admit it. My goal is to catch a photo of this bird in flight, preferably on his runway with the legs galumphing and wings spread wide. This occurred on my way home from the grocery store. My car parked on the easement again, me with the camera, and a mini-van pulled up behind. A young mother rolled her window down and said, “We’re wondering what you see!” She had a little boy and girl in the van with their noses stuck to the windows. I pointed to the bird. It was so nice to have them join me while I gave them a little information about the great blue heron. Ages about 5 and 6, they were thrilled to see a living thing in the pond that they might not have noticed if I weren’t standing there making a spectacle of myself! The little girl asked, “Why are you taking pictures? Because it’s so pretty?” Right on!!!!

While taking my neighborhood walk today, the same thing happened! Am I triple blessed? Four little boys wearing their helmets on scooters stopped and asked, “What are you looking at?” I pointed out the teeny-tiny birds on the feeder over there… “Have you ever seen birds that tiny before? They’re gold finches.” Wide-eyed, they said, “Wow! They’re little!” Another boy added, "No, Jason, they are small!" Little kids tickle me. They’re educational sponges. This photo is a little out of focus but I think I have a new one, here. A female house finch and a male purple finch? He’s raspberry… This neighbor has the right stuff for birds. I’m dying to set up more feeders at my house.

In my travels, if I ever see someone with a camera, I will stop and learn.

Now on to more valuable information.

THIS IS A SPOON TONGUE.

Gina and Mr. Biggins came to visit today. I’m blessed four times! Doesn’t Chloe stack well? My old girl still has it.

I wanted to upload some beautiful pansies for my friends who are living in a deep freeze, but Blogger cut me off.

Laundry is waiting. It's time to crank up the MUSIC!

A Musical Day

Lawn mowers were humming and we all wiped the sweat from our brow. I think I have sunburned arms. A glorious day in sunny NC but it's thirty degrees above the norm! What a day to look forward to cleaning the inside of the house! I raised the windows but that wasn’t enough.
Vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms was my pitiful destiny today. I needed help.

Michael was away for most of the day playing golf in south Charlotte so I had the house to myself, along with my little black and white girlfriends and.....Taylor Hicks. The new Taylor Hicks CD was a gift from Billy on Christmas day. When I listened to it the first time, it didn’t rouse anything within me and I was very disappointed, missing the swooning and the heart a flutter part. Maybe it didn’t move me the first time I listened to it was because I was on my way to work and feeling annoyed and sleepy. Yes, that’s it – I was cranky.

Is he just too irresistible? If I were twenty years younger I’d hunt him down and there’s no tellin’ what might happen. I would love to dance with this Soul Man. In August, I saw him live in Charlotte and when I thought I’d be dancing in the crowd, I just sat there, motionless, in total awe. Whew.

What did I do to restrain myself from walking outside today instead of cleaning toilets? Slipped that CD in the Bose and raised the volume to a very high number (after all, I was a budding adolescent in mid-sixties and I like loud). While cleaning the super glue-type dog snot/saliva from Mr. Biggins on the front window, I started to gyrate a little. Gina, NO, I do not dance like Seinfeld's Elaine. I have the moves. Watch me move to Outkast.

By the time I finished washing the back door to free it of more dog snot, I parked the Windex and paper towels on the kitchen table while listening to Taylor’s “The Deal”, threw my hands up in the air, swiveled my hips with my best moves and footwork, snapped fingers, grabbed the frig handle for a little jitterbug action and danced with the googly-eyed Bostons, tongues wagging and smiling ear to ear. Treat yourself to Taylor! If you love soul and love to dance as much as I do, this is the ticket.





Another newcomer arrived at the feeder today! A female Cowbird, and a very brave one. I hope my ID is correct...








Bella can't get enough sun and fun with her hula-hoop. She never stops. As I am writing this, though, she's snoring louder than an eighty year old man with sleep apnea.











I'm joyful today and I do love my camera.

Two Lifers and a Two Things Meme

In my post “Loving the Pursuit” yesterday, I whined about the Tufted Titmouse that got away. Today I awoke with high hopes. I didn’t give up.





Lookit! Gotcha! This small bird is antsy and I just couldn't get closer. I am soooo satisfied...

(click to enlarge)

My neighborhood is loaded with bird song. I took a nice walk this morning and enjoyed the views and warm breezes. Along the way I caught some Gold Finches snacking in a neighbor’s yard. Hmmm. I wondered why they haven’t visited my yard…

Oh, how I would love to have this view from my back porch…

I wanted to trespass and walk along the cart path. Prohibited! Those homes in the distance are way too large. We’re happy with our medium sized ranch home, thank you.

Well, guess who came to visit? As soon as I got home, a little Gold Finch was perched at the back of my yard. Made ma heart skip a beat! My once a month paycheck arrives in two weeks. I'm going to blow it on at least five more feeders. I only have one!

Two Things Meme...

I saw this first from Lynne at Hasty Brook.

2 names you go by: Mare and Mom

2 parts of your heritage: German/American Indian – Pennsylvania Dutch/Ukranian

2 things that scare you: Heights and Fire

2 everyday essentials: Sloppy Spoon Tongue Kisses and Fresh Air

2 things you are wearing right now: Periwinkle sweats with a bleach stain on one of the arms, ratty Saucony shoes

2 of your favorite current bands/artists: This is difficult because I like everything. Enya and Christina Aguilera

2 things you want in a relationship (other than love): Laughs and Harmony

2 favorite hobbies: Pond keeping and playing with dogs

2 things you have to do this week: Call the vet to make an appt. for Chloe and clean the bathrooms (like...now!)

2 stores you shop at: Target and Petco

2 favorite sports: As a spectator, figure skating and swimming

2 shows you like to watch: American Idol and Oprah

2 things you'd buy if money were no object: More ponds and more trees

2 wishes for 2007: Good health and peace within

Loving the Pursuit

This was my first five-day work week since December 15 and I’m glad I made it through. The older I get, the more I enjoy Fridays. It’s been a cold and almost winter-like week in NC but Sunday is predicted to be in the mid 70’s again. 74? The warmest winter on record so far. Where am I? Lucky me – I got this photo through the sunroom door this evening. I love, love, love, seeing the birds quench their thirst on the waterfall!

For a short while after I got home from work, I parked myself on the ground, about fifty feet from the feeder. Every shot I have of this Song Sparrow shows blue eyes. I wonder if they are really blue. He surely blends in with the ground colors and I hope you can see him... The ground feeder birds didn’t care about my presence but the feeder birds did… So, after five minutes, I gave up and let them relax. Then I walked inside the yard and stood about ten feet from the feeder with camera around my neck. What appeared? A Tufted Titmouse! No doubt! With a silent “oooo and awww”, I raised my camera. He took one look at me and was gone. Another “Damn!”

Bird watching is a lot like playing a round of golf. I haven’t played a round in a few years, but I remember the anticipation and high hopes before every hole. On some holes, you tee up, drive, and continue to hit worm burners or sharp right hooks into the woods until you finally get to the green. Feeling frustrated to the point of quitting, your mind takes you to the next hole, somehow, and you dream about what your next drive might bring. Possibly a Birdie or an Eagle! (I’ve never had an Eagle…) That Carolina Wren and Tufted Titmouse will be within my reach very soon…

A sequel to yesterday’s glimpse of the Great Blue Heron. Again today, there he waited. I call him a “Stinker” in an affectionate way. The GBH did me wrong many times and proved to be a thief but I am mesmerized by his majestic beauty. That’s why I pulled over again, parked, and walked a long way down a steep hill to get closer but he was still very far away. My friend birders and non-birders are probably thinking, “Oh, that Mary is a genuine fruitcake.” That’s OK. This happy fruitcake is up for a challenge!

Another "Stinker" for Susan

Most of my day was uneventful. I took my little walk at work and it was eerie not to hear anything rustling in the woods. Two crows overhead got my attention but were gone from my view in a flash. There were only two small, very quick chirps high up in the tallest pines and I thought it sounded like a tiny bird calling, “Hey, I’m way up here and I'm home alone!” On my lunch hour I made a little trip to the grocery store and I saw bird seed on sale at Harris Teeter. I bought a ten-pound bag to keep in my office, and you know what? I don’t care if people think I’m nuts! Where I’ve seen birds congregate, I spread the seed. If I can afford an inexpensive feeder, I’ll plant one for them in a convenient place for me to keep an eye on them.

Without an idea for a post all day, I decided on my way home from work to take a little break from blogging and to just do some blog “lurking” tonight. At the same time I made that decision, I entered my community on the narrow road and looked to my right as I always do and quickly pulled over!


Here’s another Stinker for ya, Susan! You’re getting two birthday gifts this month. The sun was hidden behind heavy clouds and the GBH is showing more color in this photo than the previous one. I had to apologize to a very sweet school bus driver as I moved my car more inside the easement to allow her to drive by. Her route was held up for thirty seconds because of me but she was all smiles, realizing my mission. After a few photos, I drove around for a little while, trying to find a better way to get closer to this swampy pond but it looks like I’d need to tip-toe through a private residence and cross the 10th fairway to get closer. There must be a better way and I am determined to find it!

When the sun was beginning to set and the clouds made the evening even darker, I noticed a newcomer at the feeder. Welcome the White Throated Sparrow (White Morph) to Mary’s house. It’s a ground feeder that escapes under brush and very quickly! I hope you can see a better view if you click on the photos. Blogger is bad tonight.


If I had time to pose motionless for while, I could have gotten a closer shot but the dogs were running wild and giving the birds the jitters, as usual. I like this photo of a female Cardinal observing the Sparrow.




The long day without a thrill ended very nicely, indeed.

Seriously...

After turning fifty years old, I always thought life would slow down to a peaceful pace. Being empty-nesters slows the pace quite a bit, but when you add two out-of-state moves within the last four years, it’s unsettling and distracting. Life has not slowed down. Not one bit. Since we started moving around the region, I had forgotten, or didn’t pay attention to, what I need.

Now I think I’m getting it back. Blogging helps me to analyze and organize my thoughts. I'm working on my lazy and disorganized writing skills (on most days...). It forces me to think positively instead of worrying about my next household chore or what tomorrow will bring at the office. Blogging is my time, put aside especially for me. With my camera near me, I notice more. There is a huge landscape out there loaded with beauty and I’m loving it.

Aside from a summer of power walking before I broke the foot, my lifestyle has been pretty much sedentary. I’m looking forward to my two-mile walks again. It will be me and my new Ipod, loaded with music that will keep me moving on a good tempo. Slowly, I’m starting to get moving again.

This week, I've been leaving the office for a thirty-minute hike on a nature trail. This morning it was very cold and I decided early on that I didn’t care to go out today. But I went out later that afternoon, anyway, because I knew I’d regret missing it.

It was difficult to capture good photos today. There’s a large construction site across the street that normally doesn’t cause a problem but the equipment they used caused vibrations under my feet. Joggers passed by while I was focused squarely on a tiny, flitty bird. It would have been a very good photo and I wanted to call that jogger to my attention, “Excuse me, sir, would you mind taking another route? You’re disturbing my photo-shoot.”

In a short time, I've been able to recognize some bird songs, for instance, the sound of a Cardinal. That’s cool. When I hear a new and unfamiliar song high up in a tree, I’m determined to see the singer! No luck today.

This one is way too familiar. Feeder hog. Freeloader. Today I missed a great photo opportunity. I opened my back door after arriving home from work to see at least a dozen Doves, Sparrows, Cardinals and others bathing in my pond and quenching their thirst on my waterfall. Damn! But hey, there’s always tomorrow!

Wind, Birds, Toes, etc...

The winds were biting fingers to numbness today and it finally feels like winter in the Carolinas. Just an hour northwest from us in the mountain counties, there is a heavy snow warning for tonight and tomorrow. Michael is there on the VA side, so I might not see him until Thursday instead of tomorrow night. Sadly, I’ll settle for watching snow on TV. Above is a photo I took yesterday of a perky bird that I guess might be a female house finch. Or a mockingbird. I'm so screwed up.

Around noon today I braved the wind and took a short walk on the trail at the college and caught another mystery bird on a tree top. (Click on my photos for a larger view.) My wild guess is an Eastern Phoebe as it had a brownish back. It’s not a good photo and few birds were around today due to super gusty winds. I’m counting on my friendly bird experts to challenge me.

It’s so darn hard to focus your camera and keep your balance while wearing a very long trench coat in 35 mph wind gusts. Even while wearing athletic shoes, I have no balance. I have never had good balance and it’s because my toes are weak and my feet are flat. Your toes keep you standing, you know. Those who can use their powerful toes to accomplish little tasks have always impressed me. Like my daughter, Gina, who can grab a pencil with her toes, and probably write with it. Her toes are so powerful that I was always amused by her ability to wrap her toes on the edge of a starting block and dive into the pool during a race. That must take a lot of strength in those tootsies! I’m sure most people have strong toes but I’m not one of them. Skating on rollers or blades? Forget it. Instead of walking down a driveway with scattered icy patches to retrieve the mail, I wear tall boots and trudge through two feet of snow to save myself. I fall backwards on ice - on my rump. What has made balancing worse for me is having ankle surgery a year and a half ago which left three toes on my left foot numb and completely powerless. I can wiggle most of my toes slightly, but for the most part, they are just lame, lifeless fillers for the front of my shoes. With the wind howling around me today and my trench coat serving as a sail on a boat, I was bobbling forward and backward like the last bowling pin standing - the ten pin spare shot - lost. Not fair! Add holding a camera to your face while peering straight up to a bird perched two stories high and this is what you get (above). Enough of toe-talk. Geeezzz.

End result. Northern Mockingbird, I think… There has been little time for me to study my guide but I’m trying to devote myself to my new Stokes.

Other noteworthy musings,

Yesterday, our new class of police cadets began their 17-week journey of training towards their appointment of rookie cops. Already, three have bailed out. It is excruciatingly difficult for these recruits, as the commandants and drill sergeants are ruthless with them in the intent to weed out the weak. I have seen grown men, young men, and women sob. Those who prevail, in the end, are outstanding individuals. I’m looking forward to seeing them progress and lose the frightened look on their faces (and the pot bellies, too)!

Funny caption. Chloe on the right is thinking,

“Where’s Bella’s one-way ticket back to Stewartstown in Pennsylvania? Please…”

My Mini Nature Hike

Eating a tossed salad at your desk while answering phones, e-mails, and shuffling papers isn’t what I call a stimulating day at the office. An hour later, I was still at my desk, staring at the computer screen. The text ran together like a blurred mess. I just had to escape. Twiddling my pencil eraser, tap tap tap, on the desk… I heard this little voice inside my head, Mary, take a walk and don’t forget your c a m e r a.

Unlike Susan Gets Native and Nature Woman, I didn’t trespass, but I would have if I was on the trail of something cool.

There is a trail from the edge of the college campus that leads to a playing field. A heavily wooded area surrounds this little trail and the scent of pine trees was oh-so-nice. My walk lasted only thirty minutes but it sure cleared my brain.

(Insert Left Mockingbird) DRATS. Blogger gave then took away.

The birds were plentiful and I took quite a few photos. Only a few of them are worth publishing tonight, I think. Might this be a Northern Mockingbird? (I'll share this one another time.)

I am guessing this is an American Robin but I have never seen a Robin in January. His pose is cute, looking behind his back at me.

Mystery bird. Help?

My favorite of the day, an American Crow in flight. If I knew he was taking off, I would have used an action mode. This was a nice surprise. He’s an annoying and loud bird but his silhouette against the Carolina Blue Sky takes my breath away.

This is completely off topic, but…

Today was the first day of the second semester at the community college. In the main lobby, there was a welcome table set up and it displayed a large bowl of Jolly Ranchers and bubble gum for the 18 to 60 year olds. Additionally, there were “his” and “her” care packages. It contained Excedrin, shampoo coupons, burger coupons, chewing gum, and other happy things. The “his” packages contained something extra. See the blue package? A Trojan condom. Now. I’m not a prude and I do believe in safe sex. But, somehow, I really don’t think a condom should be included in the lighthearted category of burger coupons and chewing gum. I don’t even want to get started on this one. Here comes a little sarcasm... I mean, how on earth can a guy get through his first day of classes without a fresh, new condom?

PLEASE, GIVE ME STRENGTH.

A Grand Bird Day (for a short while...)

There was not a bird in sight for a while this afternoon, so I thought it would be a good time to clean the feeder ledges. On my way, I caught sight of a hawk perched in a very tall pine and stopped dead in my tracks. “Oh, my!”, I thought, and dashed to the house to get the camera. Have you ever run, while feeling you were in slow motion? Just look at that hawk! No wonder the feeder birds fled. Click to enlarge the photos.


Camera in hand, stomping through mud puddles, my eyes were fixed on the handsome creature. He was perched waaaaay up there.

My Stokes Field Guide helped me to call this one a Cooper's Hawk. I love this guide...


Oh, let's see another...

After taking several photos the camera died. Kaput. No reviving. Impatiently, I fidgeted with it, mumbling words of disbelief… This happened when the bird was starting to spread wings and show off. “%$^*)(*&^$%!!!” My fault. The battery died. Now I know to charge the battery at least once a week. Another lesson learned.

One last photo of Mr. Cooper...

So, I stood in the middle of the yard, defeated and frustrated. He spread his wings, swooped overhead and disappeared behind my neighbor’s house. He’ll be back, probably to fly away with one of the doves like he did last week. I was name-calling the doves this week and now I feel bad...


Earlier in the day, I was tiring of vacuuming and looked through my bathroom window to find a nice little surprise.


I jumped when I saw a Carolina Chickadee fly by the feeder. This little bird is quick and darts to and from the feeder in a bat of an eyelash. I was nervous and had a hard time focusing on the action at the feeder but I did manage to catch him in a tree during a pit stop before the last leg of his journey for some sunflower seeds.

I have learned when using full zoom that you must not breathe, belch, cough, or sniff while focusing. Your feet need to be planted firmly. As time goes on, I'll learn more things about photography. I had a hard time because I was probably too excited to keep my hands and balance steady. Even with image stabilization, the operator needs to keep herself in control!


Still having problems with my focus, but here’s a male House Finch that came to visit today.

It was a good day that ended too soon. For three hours, I walked past the battery charger, looking for a green light. Sigh...

Need more feeders! All over - north, south, east, west. I should have let the dustballs accumulate and went shopping today.

A 75 degree day. I heard a lawn mower.

Springtime in January

It’s a good night to stay tucked inside the house even though it’s a balmy 70 degrees outside. Tornado warnings were issued this evening, just an hour south of us at the South Carolina border. It’s been raining all day long and the skies are ominous. Tree frogs are singing two or three months early. We are now waiting for thunderstorms. Yes, thunderstorms in January.

Chloe and Bella know it’s Friday night. Yes, they do. They also know it’s a good night to stay inside.

We play "chase the Air Dog Squeakers", a great alternative to chasing golf balls inside the house.

One of many nicknames: Ewok. She's decided lately that thunder frightens her. Poor Chloe...

The weather is warm enough for a once-a-day feeding and I’m noticing some playful mating behavior going on in the pond.

The weekend is ahead of me. Yay! I'm so in love with Friday nights.

The Little Things That Make Me Rant

When there is so much in this world to pray for, when people are dying and being murdered unnecessarily, and when young children in third world countries and in our own glorious USA are starving and ridden with life threatening diseases, I thought about not posting today. Seriously. Right now, on the TV evening local news, a woman was bitten 65 times by a pit bull. How bad is that?

But I'm going to post my little rant anyway. It's my journal.

Here are the chronological events of the day that are funny, in retrospect, but the day isn't over yet.

• I wore odd trouser socks to work. One navy and one black.

• After spending thirty minutes at the copy machine this morning, I finished the job with an offset stack of collated material (5 sets of pages 1-20). On the way to my office I thought to myself, "Watch me drop this." A fraction of a section passed and I tripped on a buckle in the moldy, old, stinking carpet and the whole job flew out of my hands, flittering and fluttering here and there. I just whistled a happy tune, held my head up high, and cleared the mess. I hid it in my shred pile. At 4 cents a copy, I didn't even care! The college needs to replace the darn carpet.

• Around 10am, I took a short break and stood outside to witness a dozen BLUEBIRDS in the field adjacent to the parking lot. Oh, boy! I tip-toed fast (like they might hear me...chuckle!) back into my office to grab the camera. Ran out to see them. Gone. Later in the day I took my camera out again and there was not one peep, song, chirp to be heard. Not a bird in sight.

• While driving home I made a mental note to stop for gas as I was driving on fumes. Of course, I drove right past the gas station and pulled into my garage to see "idiot light" blinking at me. Stupid is as stupid does.

• Changing out of my office clothes, I threw open the clothes hamper to find it full. Didn't I just wash and put away two loads on Tuesday? Is there no end to this? There are only two adults living in this house, for goodness sakes! I sorted them AGAIN. Two loads in progress.

• Washing my hands at the bathroom sink I noticed a very dark scalp. How can your roots grow 1/2 inch in one day? It's hideous!

• Scanning the house...dust. Dust everywhere. I didn't notice it yesterday.

• I go onto the front porch and see the plants have wilted in the hanging baskets.

• Kids are shooting hoops across the street, wearing shorts and t-shirts. Something is wrong with this picture. It's January.

• I swing open the dishwasher and it's full of clean stuff. It never ends...

• Since Michael is in VA tonight, I have trash duty. The clouds were heavy and thick so I hurried outside to do poop patrol with Chloe & Bella. Camera around my neck. I see a Carolina Wren near the feeder! I drop my poop-patroling equipment, power the camera, then Bella runs near the sighting with her stupid hula hoop. Another bird, gone.

• I step in poop.

• I curse.

• Feeling very irritated now, I look at the feeder loaded with fat-bellied mourning doves who are sucking up the food like it's their last supper. From sunrise to sunset, they freeload. I felt like throwing my Weight Watchers manual at them.

After all of this, there are two good things I am happy about today. Thank you, God.

We have about ten young Camellia Jarponicas along the back of our house. They are starting to burst with color. I have never had flowers in winter other than pansies. I'm so glad I was able to get this photo in after sunset.

My Stoke's Field Guide came in the mail today. Yeah! I love the color illustrations but why did they have have to put the "stinker" on the front cover?

Gotta get my roots done now.

Nala, the Sewing Needle Eater

Gina and Billy flew out of Austin, Texas last night and arrived in Charlotte this morning at 2:00 a.m. Gina went to work today with only two hours of sleep and immediately spoke with Nala's vet who had been watching the little needle-eating kitty since last Friday. She had not passed the needle. He is a good vet and told her about the worst possible scenario, that is, if the needle is lodged near her heart, a specialist would be recommended. Thinking of the amount of money it would cost, Gina sobbed at her desk while contemplating "putting little Nala down" because of the cost she can't afford.

Her boss visited her, seeing Gina's lack of sleep and her insides being torn up about her pet, and asked, "How's your kitty?" Apparently, Gina's boss reads my blog (surprise to me!) and knew about Nala. This gracious woman excused Gina to go take care of things. Now, is that a great woman? Yes, she rocks!

A little while later, Gina learned that Nala's x-ray showed the needle still in her stomach and the vet recommended surgery right away. The best news Gina received was that she qualified for "Care Credit" and wouldn't need to fork out nearly $1,000 up front for the surgery.

Gina left work and visited with Nala for a little while at the vet before surgery. Nala is much like a dog. She comes when she is called and is a happy cat wherever she is. I had a cat like that who carried conversations with me, mewing and yelling back.

Her surgery found the needle lodged in her liver. She's recuperating now and should be able to go home tomorrow night. Thank goodness.

Mr. Biggins went home today. He's a sweet dog and and I love him but not as much as I love sleeping in my own bed. It's nice and quiet around here tonight. I have said this before, "Three dogs are a CROWD."

I worked with the low light / night feature on my camera this evening and here's a shot of Bella. Need to work on this mode more.

"Mom, where's a Mr. Biggins? What are we gonna do for fun?"

Me: "Chloe, where's Mr. Biggins?"

"Are you kidding? He's BACK????"

Chloe is approaching 11 years and it shows. Still the spunky female, though.

Bad photos tonight in low light. The sun was setting and this is all I had time for in the photo department.

The pond is quiet, as the fish are experiencing 30 degree nights now. Peaceful.

I can't stop yawning. A hot bath and sleep in my own bed....ahhhh.

Great Blue Heron

Today was the dreaded first day back to work after a two-week break. It was very fast-paced at the office and I was wishing I could take an afternoon nap. I have a new director to support now and this will take a lot of my time to get him up-to-speed on administrative details. This situation might be the subject of another post!

There were no post ideas in my brain all day until I was on my way home and driving the single lane into my neighborhood, looking to the right at the first natural pond (like I always do) and hit the breaks very hard and fast. Out loud I said, "Oh boy. A heron." Quickly, I remembered it's Susan's birthday, too. The GBH is her totem bird, out there, staring at me! I turned my wheels onto the easement to let other cars go by and hopped out to grab my camera from the back seat.

This bird was quite a distance away and the western sun brightened him very well. Click on the photos to enlarge them. Maybe you'll see his eyes (staring at me).

On a previous post, I think I briefly mentioned my love-hate relationship with these birds, who, I think at first glance, look like hairy mammals instead of feathery water birds. Being a pond keeper for several years, I have met with this brazen and stubborn stinker a few times. The first time my eyes made contact with this bird was through my kitchen window in Maryland. Was he almost my height? Seemed like it... He just stood there on the side of my pond which was only about twenty feet away from the window and gave me a motionless, one-eyed stare. Every time I saw him perched and waiting to feast on my fish I was stunned at the beauty of this magnificent bird. "Chloe, come! Get it!" And out she would speed like a black and white blur...but I was too late with my command. The bird was so large that he needed a running start to get off the ground and it was comical to watch his long limbs and wing span working hard to get himself off the ground like large aircraft on a runway. He would sit on rooftops nearby and wait for me to leave while I mumbled warnings and obscenities to the poor thing. On one occasion I hurled a baseball at him while he fled. Bad aim. I'm glad I didn't keep Koi in Maryland because he would have eaten hundreds of dollars out of the pond.

In Delaware, I had a smaller heron visit during deep freezes. There were Koi in my pond then and I went to a lot of trouble to distract him. I strung a few aluminum pie plates around the pond to create a clapping noise and light reflections. Not too attractive, but I was desperate. Also, I used my owl decoy but I think herons are wise to them. There were no thefts in Delaware.

Today, I'm living a quarter mile from this bird pictured above and it makes me nervous. There are plenty of stocked ponds in the area for him to snack on so I don't think he'll visit my small pond unless we have a deep freeze. The bird is a stinker, I'll tell you! But a real beauty.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUSAN!

I was energized after this sighting and spent some time outside with Chloe, Bella and Mr. Biggins. Tonight, I made a decision that we will NEVER use black mulch in our gardens again. We had a few inches of rain over the weekend and this is what happens when your dogs play in the yard. Footprints. Not only outside, but inside as well. I'm not all that fussy about things but I try to keep a clean house. So look at this,

Stamped concrete, doggie-style. Inside, there is a stamped bedspread and carpets to match!

Nala is active and doing well at the vet. No bowel movement and no needle yet.

Ahem. Was this a Great Blue Heron? If not, I'll dig a hole and bury myself.

Today's Tradition at My House

Yesterday I began sweeping away signs of Christmas in the house and packing away everything except for the trees. By afternoon, I decided I didn't care for the painting I viewed above the mantle anymore. Not that I didn't like it, but I got tired of it and wanted something new. We had a very nice print of a beach house and dunes before, which was quite appropriate for living in Delaware. So we went shopping and I found one I love and not surprisingly, it's a pond scene :)

Now the trees are gone and packed away. It's our New Year's Day tradition to accomplish removing the Christmas clutter and to start the year with normalcy in the house. Outside lights and greens are also gone...and...tomorrow is a work day. OH, how I dread my early morning alarm and everything that goes with it. I don't want to go to bed at 10pm...but...the 5:20 a.m. alarm...sigh...

We both worked steadily all morning and around 1:00 p.m. the computer techie, "Kirk", arrived to move photos and documents from my older Dell to the new laptop. That went very smoothly but we found out we have a bad flash drive and will need to have Dell replace it. No wonder we had problems trying to do it ourselves! Then Kirk attempted to work with the old monster Gateway CPU we have, vintage 1996 with Windows 98 and fours years of photos stored on it. And I very much want those photos! Today, it would not happen. We only have remote mouses (mice?) and he'll need a few more drivers and a regular mouse to transfer my photos. He'll be back.

While Kirk worked away, we locked three dogs in the bedroom and for almost two hours, heard, "Yelp Yelp, Bark Bark Bark, loud sniffing through the crack of the door, Whine Whine Whine, and rough & tumble on my bed." You get the picture. If I had let them out and about, they would have slimed him to death and cost us an extra hourly rate! No thanks.

Another New Years Day tradition: For many years, I made homemade bean soup with the leftover ham and bone I froze from Christmas. It's delicious. This year, we decided the "after effects" weren't worth it, besides, I'm out of Beano.

Needless to say, I didn't have time to photograph much today, and, of course, a lone Carolina Wren and several Chickadees visited my front yard and both perched in our Crepe Myrtle trees, only fifteen feet away. Both of these birds are quick and antsy, but I'll get them!

Around 5:00 p.m. today, I just had to use the camera, so I focused on the Waxing Gibbous in the east tonight. I think my camera did a great job.

Note: Nala is still sitting pretty at the vet. They were closed yesterday and today with attendants on duty. I'm sure we'll hear something tomorrow - early. Hopefully, she will pass the needle!