Dad Laughs and Smiles

Visions of the mountains in Autumn color on 81 North, a visit to the Severn River, and views of blue sky and birds were thwarted by heavy rain this weekend. Our seven-hour drive to Maryland took nine hours on Friday but we didn't complain. We left Charlotte early Friday morning in heavy rain and it continued through Saturday morning in Maryland. Several inches soaked the region and that's a blessing, as the foliage is shiny and clean and has raised up to blue sky.

I tried.

Dad was sleeping in his bed on Friday and the sight of us standing before him made his eyes twinkle. He knew who stood before him but names come slowly… Earlier in the week, his younger sisters brought him rich chocolates wrapped in foil and other sweets for his 82nd birthday. I don’t know how he managed to consume the entire gift but by the time my brother and his family arrived, Dad was violently sick from overindulging. I opted to send balloons – a more reasonable gift for a man who doesn’t care about or understand moderation. Before we left him on Friday, I asked him if he needed or wanted anything since I would be back on Saturday.

“How about bringing me some chocolates?”

Yeah, right, Dad. I brought him a Hershey bar and offered him only one bite.

There was a bittersweet moment on our leaving a little while later. Dad told Michael how proud he was of him and on our way out of his room, he said to us in his weakened voice, “I love you…I love you…I love you…” I held back tears on the way to the car.

Saturday was a good day. We arrived to find him with others congregated in the hallway near the nurses' station, but he wasn’t socializing as he normally would. Instead, his chin was slumped on his chest - snoring. We wheeled him all around the facility and found a nice spot to sit and talk for a long time. I helped him with his lunch, making him wait for the vanilla ice cream cup until he finished the chicken. It's not easy finding subjects to engage him in conversation but it went quite well. I loved hearing his belly laugh.

When I think there is little left of him, he proves me wrong. Throughout his entire life, there is a question we could always count on him asking. Always interested in the cost of things, he’d inquire, “What did you give for that?”

He was admiring my camera and commented, “That’s a fancy camera you have there. What did you give for that?”

Michael and I exchanged glances and howled. Dad is Dad, no doubt.

My plans to show him photos went awry when my photo printer refused to cooperate. He enjoyed the photos stored on my camera so I am going to work on a photo album for him as a Christmas gift. Large photos with large captions. He’ll love it as much as I will enjoy creating it!

We were busy on Saturday visiting my brother and his family, Mom’s grave, and spending time with our dear friends in Severna Park who opened their house to us for the weekend. We had a great time with them including a terrific dinner in downtown Baltimore at a restaurant in Canton called Mama’s on the Half Shell for a Maryland seafood fix. Later we went to a wild Halloween party which contributed to an ugly early morning wake-up call for our trip home on Sunday morning.

Our friends are building a magnificent new house on the Magothy River. I can only dream

of a view like this.

They have a beautiful yard in their current home but birds don’t visit. If I offered them a feeder, they would probably refuse. Without birds, I focused on floating leaves after the rains.

Oops. Michael met a Maryland Trooper on the way home. Now we are even. I met one in Virginia a year ago. Troopers love out-of-state drivers.

Homecoming is sweet. Their feeders needed filling

and they waited for me.

I sorted laundry into two piles and found Chloe in the dining room with a pair of my panties dangling from her mouth. She was delighted with her prize.

A tug of war began.

Bella won the war but quickly surrendered to the chief. I do not tolerate broken elastic on brand new panties.

Melancholy in Maryland

Complete silence on the walking trail is creepy. Perhaps it’s too dry to hear birds going about their business…odd not to hear a Cardinal deep in the woods or squawking crows overhead. My walking pace quickened and I thought about a lot of things. I’ll be seeing Dad in a couple of days.

Only flying insects got my attention.

Some trees didn’t make it through the summer. I took a blurry photo of a Blue Jay on this same tree last March. My father resented Blue Jays because of their unmerciful attacks on his cats. The memory of him trying to guard them under the maple tree in the back yard made me smile.

Visiting my Dad causes emotions to surface that I’m not happy about. I can’t describe my upcoming visit as a feeling of dread, actually. It’s more like feeling sadly apprehensive. Twelve years of seeing him either sit in a wheelchair or lay in his bed is so painful and it doesn’t get easier. A year has passed since he moved to the nursing home… my God, I wish there was a better life for him.

Each time I sit with him, I look at his palsied, stiff hands and dream of putting my hand on his as an invitation to magically get up and dance to some funky beat – to get up and swing each other around like we used to, snapping our fingers and laughing. It's been so long...

As I walked yesterday through the dry, warm fields and woods, I thought about things I might say or show him that would brighten his day. He’s not much of a conversationalist, with standard replies of No, Yes, or Thank You. It makes for awkward visits, really. Often, his comments sound like gibberish. I smile widely and nod as my reply, even if my heart is breaking.

He always loved to take car rides and never hesitated to stop and see something new or unusual. Maybe I inherited his compulsive trait, as he would stop the car to see a Great Blue Heron like I did last February.

Yesterday, I saw a cat sitting vigilantly in the same spot, like the Heron did six months ago. (Click to enlarge these photos.)

While Mom was hospitalized I cared for Dad occasionally. He was impressed with my vacuum cleaning ability and called me a “white tornado”. For this upcoming visit, I think I’ll print out this post and show & tell him some things about me that he doesn’t know. Dad loves the arts. He sang often, played the piano and guitar, and loved to draw. He might like my photos, at least for a moment or two.

He hasn’t met the dogs so I’ll tell him a few stories

about how old Chloe still likes to flush chipmunks,

and feast on chunks of red clay.

He might giggle when I tell him how wonderfully sweet and dimwitted Bella is

and how Mr. Biggins worries about everything under the sun.

I sure hope this photo of Bam-Bam doesn’t scare him.

He might say, “What’s a Cedar Waxwing?”

Dad probably won’t understand my blog or my interest in photographing nature and

my short stories might cause him to doze. But I’ll be there to wish him sweet dreams.

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Update: It's raining!

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Please say a prayer for Lynne at Hasty Brook’s Mom who is in critical condition after suffering a fall earlier this week.

Loved Ones Who Don't Get It, and the Awards

Part I: They laugh at me.



When she walked onto the back deck and saw me on my knees, balancing myself on pond rock with backside up, she laughed out loud. Why does my daughter think it’s so funny to see me weeding the pond? I had just finished pulling enough water hyacinths, lettuce plants, and parrot feather to fill four paper grocery bags. Precious plants, they are, but too invasive. Yes, it’s odd seeing me wrapped in six-foot long parrot feather roots, but it’s worth the work.


I

In a few weeks, I’ll be doing it all over again. I’ll need to wear my waders and if I’m lucky, I’ll emerge with snails in the pockets.

Then my husband joined her on the deck. The two of them think they’re a comedy team. HA. HA. They laugh at my passion/hobby and pretty much agree I’m an eccentric about the birds, bugs, and everything else that interests me. They just... don’t... get... it... but won’t admit to being intrigued. Really. They giggled like crazy when my husband said, “Hey, if the house was on fire and I was sleeping, she would save her camera from the flames before she’d save me!” Now, that’s a ridiculous statement but there might be some truth in it. I’d call the dogs while grabbing my camera on the way to save his life. OK?

According to them, I’m responsible for the pigeon poop on the neighbor’s rooftop across the way. Well, I had news for them. I asked them if they had looked at our roof yet! Honestly, they do understand that the birds are thirsty during the drought but they also wonder why I have so many feeders. I didn’t waste my time on any lessons for them. Three words out of my mouth made them guffaw and I couldn’t help but laugh, too.

I asked them to be quiet and whisper for a few minutes while I tiptoed inside the house to get my camera. I explained that the Mockingbird was ready for a bath and they are bold enough to do it while I take pictures. Well, I should not have said a word. Before I could tiptoe back outside, camera ready, they stomped their feet and clapped their hands. Not funny.

Poor thing. I could have captured armpit washing.

The thought crossed my mind to pick up a bag of wet, stringy parrot feather and fling it on them. And I mean vigorously fling it! What a photo opportunity that would have been for this blog and I would have had the last laugh. We had fun at my expense. I know I’m a bit weird and I’m still giggling about it.

I wonder if anyone else receives eye-rolling like I do.


Part II: The rewards are great.

Delia at "Beginning to Bird" awarded me a Blogging Star award. Wow. She calls herself a beginning birder but she is far more than that. Delia knows her birds and actually ventures out and finds them with real birding equipment! I admire her adventurous spirit. Stop by her blog and enjoy her travels. Delia has met Julie Zickefoose on a field trip. She inspires me to get out of my back yard. Thanks, Delia!

Toni at "A Spattering" awarded me a Joyful Creative Award. Maybe Toni hasn’t been visiting me long enough to know I’m not always so joyful. You need to visit her blog. She’s a fantastic artist! I recently spent an hour looking at her artwork on Flickr that made my jaw hang open in awe. Toni's artwork needs framing in my home. Thank you, Toni!

See my blogroll on the left sidebar? There are so many wonderful people listed there and they all deserve an award.

Cheers to everyone!

Only a Sprinkle

My lightheartedness is on hold today.

A light rain shower surprised me on my way to work.

Fleeting panic.

I had not used my windshield wipers in the new car I bought eight weeks ago. Sitting in a traffic back-up saved me while I fiddled with the control.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a puddle, especially one in the shape of a heart. A Carolina Wren bathed and splashed there for a while.

We received .25 inch of rain today.

Stage Four of water the restriction is being planned.

Outdoor watering will be prohibited unless it is life-sustaining.

There will be indoor water rationing. We’ll be monitored on gallons used.

A warm and dry winter is predicted.

Every time I open the faucet, I think about it.

I’m a hand washer.

School children need to continue washing their hands.

Disease is threatening.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but frankly, I’m frightened.

The clouds began to clear before sunset and the breeze cooled us down.

I opened the windows and could hear dry leaves rustling and skipping across the street.

A few minutes later, the sun cast a warm glow,

then soon illuminated the clouds with its bright golden effects.

It sank lower and cast deeper shades.

The weekend will be cool and delightful.

Let’s pray for a predicted storm due next week. We need to be soaked for a few days. With that said, I’ve done enough talking about the weather on Mary’s View. I’m reminding myself that others in this world have suffered, and are now suffering, through far worse disasters.

Good night. Have a great weekend!

Silly Dogs and a Lifer!

Mary, the wanna-be ant-type blogger, is sitting here wondering what to say. It’s the worst day of grasshopper-type posting.

The early morning smelled like rain and looked like rain, but we ended up dry, sunny, and hot after a promising forecast. See the Wren’s shadow?

There was a thirty-minute window of time in which I had to watch the birds tonight and they snubbed their noses at me.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker hammered on the hawk perch and I was tickled to know I recognized its sound.

Without bird follies, I walked around my dry earth to give praise to some hard core survivors.

A very pointy bug :o)

Wearing fresh lipstick this morning, I gave both Chloe and Bella a kiss between their eyes before I left for work. There are days when I want to change back into my PJs to snuggle and snore beside them when the skies are dark and cloudy.

Before I kissed Bella, she was about ready to sink into a sofa pillow. She was trying to watch “Good mornin’ Merica” on TV. They like to watch Regis and Kelly while I’m gone and they know I’m due home while they have one eye open on Oprah.

My challenge today was to have them sit side by side for a photograph of my lipstick kiss between their eyes.

“Bella sit. Chloe sit. Together.”

Not happening. I even held a slice of cheese over my head. No go.

“Bella come closer.”

No go.

“Will you stop squirming and listen to me, Bell?”

“Chloe, STOP jumping! Let me wash your mud-caked face. You have very large ears.”

I gave up.

Before the shadows fell long beyond the feeders, I saw an odd bird. I could have taken a great close-up of it if dear Chloe had not sprinted nearby. It must have been a juvenile because it didn't mind me approaching. I never dreamed I would see a lifer today! I hope it stays for a while.

Juvenile Brown-Headed Spinch. Yes!

Rain is on the way from the south. Sock it to me.

I'm the ratter.

This post might be worthy for “Blog Action Day” – a discussion on the environment, but I missed it. I was busy doing something else last night.

Someone has been making me stew for the past few days. It takes a lot to make me stew because I’d describe myself as non-confrontational and peaceful, who rarely judges anyone too harshly. My virtues, if you call them virtues, are being compromised. Please stay with me.

While the region is having life sucked out of it during the worst drought in history, we are painfully watching the effects. I’m not going to give stats here. They can be found on the evening world news.

A part of Lake Norman is shown above at eight feet below normal. We visited our ex-next door neighbors and saw their view of the lake.

Another one bites the dust. The majority of us are taking this water shortage seriously and conserve.

Irrigation systems are shut off and sprinklers are packed away.

It was 85 degrees yesterday. The gardens are now stretched to the limit. Combine this drought, with the deep freeze we had in April, to conclude it’s been a rough year for trees and plant life.

I’m a busy person like everyone else, but I spent a total of at least ninety minutes on the phone last night with Charlotte 311 to report a water restriction violation across the street. When he brought the power washer out to clean his meticulous driveway, I called again, to confirm my report was registered! The city will investigate by visiting the residence, imposing a hefty fine, and monitoring the water usage of those who violate. And it’s fair. If I can live with filthy windows and dirt that blankets the outdoors, let him eat it. I used to like the family enough to wave and small talk with them.

The arrogant and self-righteous man has spent four or five days power washing his castle, twice the size of my home, because wants to sell it. I regret that I didn’t call on day one to stop it. I'm suspicious as to why his grass is green...

Is he entitled to rob tap water from those who can’t afford to buy bottled water next April when there’s none left?

Hey neighbor, that landscape retaining wall is disgustingly dirty! You must clean it (and risk not being able to flush your toilet in a few months).


A few young neighborhood children came to play with his little boy. His back deck, probably the size of a tennis court, was being power washed. Over the noise of the machine, I heard a little boy comment, “Noah, your Dad can’t do that. There’s a water restriction.” Good boy.

Am I enjoying the revenge? No. Well, maybe a little.

We need to protect ourselves and other life forms who depend on us. We could lose so much. There is no room for selfishness.

I wish I wasn’t the ratter but somebody had to do it. If necessary, I'll call again, dammit.

My First Organized Bird Walk

A father and his son were fishing. I arrived at the spot early and sat for a while and listened to the leaves rustle like a whisper on a brisk autumn morning. The hour-long drive south was worth it to see Colonel Francis Beatty Park.

Andrea was a terrific guide who arranges field trips for beginning and advanced birders with the Mecklenburg Audubon. In the photo above, she’s the one in the green cap giving binocular tips to a Russian lady who was a real treat to meet. Several of us had binocular trouble. My Bushnells are ancient and as Andrea explained, they are more suited for hawk watching and their power causes distortion. I left them in the car and carried my camera. A few of us shared binocular views and I was astounded to look through a pair of Eagle Optics. The clarity was breathtaking! I’ll be shopping - soon!

Dozens of warblers swarmed overhead and we began a count. During our ninety-minute walk we saw Pine Warblers (lifer), Yellow-Rumped Warblers (lifer), Cardinals, a Kingfisher, a Great Blue Heron, Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Bluebirds, Blue Jays, Mockingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, House Finches, American Crows, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, a Carolina Wren, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, and someone saw a Junco! I want to add that on campus Friday, I saw an Eastern Wood Pewee (lifer). (Thanks, Julie for the ID)!

I love this photo, minus the cone!

I was the first one to spot a Great Blue Heron flying low above the water near this spot. It wasn’t an appropriate time to take off running for the Heron so I had an out-of-body experience, picturing myself on the edge of the bank following that bird! It took a lot of inner strength to stay with the group instead of announcing, "Ooops. Gotta go!" I had to cooperate and forget about my bird stalking techniques during the entire walk. That was hard, dammit!

Besides yearning for new binoculars, I’m yearning for a new camera… Sigh. I want to get a clear and crisp photo of a Kingfisher across the lake!

It’s a beautiful place. I could have spent several more hours exploring.

Meeting great ladies with similar interests was my pleasure! A few of them learned to distinguish a female Cardinal from a male. I enjoyed helping them.

We learned to recognize bird song and follow its lead. Now I know how well a Phoebe sings.

During our short time together, Andrea included tips on identifying more than birds.

This won’t be my last field trip. I loved it. I want to see the Catawba River and Lake Norman up close. Water. Need to have water.

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All weekend, I debated including this episode for fear of being embarrassed. Hey, I’m a good sport, so here it is.

The night before my bird walk, I found two pairs of binoculars that were STRAPLESS! It was after 9pm and I panicked because I knew those straps have probably decomposed in a landfill by now. I scrambled for some sort of replacement.

I received an e-mail from Ruth a few minutes later. She wanted to know if I was ready for my field trip and I told her I was frantic and strapless! Being the thoughtful and rational person she is, she asked me to find a camera strap. Why didn’t I think of that? I found an old Sony camera.

My hand-made strap was so candid and incredibly JUNIOR VARSITY! While I worked on it, I thought, “There’s no way in hell I’ll wear binoculars with one leg of Sheer Energy Support black pantyhose around my neck!” I replaced the silky leg with the Sony strap.

Autumn has arrived and brought Birds along

It’s time for hot tea instead of iced, fleece robes and slippers instead of tee-shirts and bare feet, and breakfast or stew for dinner. On chilly days, we sometimes enjoy breakfast for dinner.

The endless summer has lost its punch and it packed a tough one, too. The clear, brisk Autumn air is here, letting us inhale deeply. While the drought is still a major concern, we are feeling lighter and enjoying blankets on the bed.

Take a little walk with me on campus to see some pleasant surprises. I was drawn to the outdoors and left the invoices sit unattended on my desk until Monday.

A gentle reminder that Summer is still here.

A small reminder of an inevitable Autumn.

Suddenly, out of the clear, blue sky, there are BIRDS!






There were at least six Eastern Bluebirds flying overhead. I haven’t seen Bluebirds in several months. How did I feel about it? Elated or exhultant would be good adjectives.




Hello, lone Phoebe! Been missing you…

The campus grounds have been quiet for months. Birds are waking up, it seems. After leafing through my field guides, I'm not sure if this is an Eastern Phoebe. Its back is grayish brown but I don't see yellow on the belly and the tail feathers are pale... Help?




Mockingbirds are everywhere, year round. This one, with its comical noise box, made me laugh out loud.

Now, take a little walk with me in my yard. I’ll fold the laundry tomorrow.

It was unnerving for me to see feeders without birds so often during our summer simmer. Twenty-five fewer degrees later - they’re back! As of yesterday, all of the regulars seem to have pep in their step, just like me.

Of all the birds who visit, the Cardinals and Titmice fear me the most.

Our tiny one-third acre has plenty of hiding places for birds, rabbits, chipmunks, snakes, and squirrels. We own the areas beyond the fence where refuges are growing. My feeders are also beyond the fence - protected from my Bostons. Chloe is the hunting and flushing queen but her senior eyesight holds her back. Bella has been showing some talent for chasing rabbits and stray cats.

Finch Feast


I brought out my snowflake robe and slippers today. I have lots of nice robes that are newer. I purchased it in 1995 (from Hecht's or Walmart - I don't remember) and can’t part with the snowflake robe. It’s starting to look shabby but it’s perfect in every way. Just perfect.

I'll take Pansies and pumpkins, thank you.

There isn’t a whole heck of a lot to talk about lately except that Tuesday evening brought a trace of rain! Few drops of rain didn’t benefit us much since our 93 degrees yesterday broke a record of 91 back in 1939. A nearby town called Albemarle, home of Kelly Pickler, American Idol country star, had 97 yesterday. Lake Norman is twelve feet below normal and boats are in dry dock. The forecast looks dry for a while but the temperatures will drop in a few days, so I say bring out the pansies and pumpkins. Thinking and decorating in Autumn style isn’t easy until you can feel it in your bones.

After pushing dinner into the oven, I had about forty-five minutes to spare outdoors. When I see the largest feeder full of seed near the end of the day, that tells me something went awry. Not one bird could be heard or seen, except for a Cooper’s hawk that flew over my head and kept going, obviously not very hungry…

After all, it had a banner day, leaving behind two piles of Mourning Dove feathers. The feeder is still full as I write this. Second day in a row – full feeder. The large one is always empty by the time I get home from work!

A Carolina Wren saved my day and flew out from under the back deck where I’ve seen its comings and goings since last winter. Could I get a picture? Heck, no!

I hung around the pond for a while, still thinking and looking for something good to write about when I saw four large butterflies float by, over the pond, over the fence, and drifted into my neighbor’s yard down the hill. I had to know what the attraction was so I took off for those butterflies with camera around my neck, slipped on the pine straw on the way down the hill, landed gracefully on my backside, but I just had to say something, “Hey, come back here. Where are you going? My bargain basement butterfly bush isn’t good enough for you, eh?” Snobs, they are. I found the attraction. A very well established and huge butterfly bush, loaded with blooms, had been planted years ago in a low spot in the yard.

It’s no wonder they float by without stopping. There’s one bloom left on my sickly, so-called bush.

Then it got funny. Every time I hear it, I think, I’m going to punch the next person that says: “Mary Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?”

Impressive, huh? All were promising beauties a few months ago. Spider Wort didn’t have a chance. At this point. I don’t care. Let’em die.

There are still plenty to attract the butterflies but they don’t like me and my camera anymore.

In the middle of a brown, lifeless canvass I call my garden, the pink Zinnias have a little life left.

A few birds came back after a while. This one cranked its neck around to hear a Chickadee with a voice ten times is size. (May I suggest this is a……….juvenile goldfinch? I take that back. I don't know.)

It took a few minutes to remove my shoes and socks and to find a smooth rock on which to position my fanny. The Koi brushed by my legs and feet while I cooled down and felt relief…until I realized I left the camera on the porch step. I was too comfortable to get up.

Bel Bel, make yourself useful and go get mommy’s camera over there and bring it to me. (Of course, I didn't have my camera but these are the looks I get from her.)

Ten seconds later,

Well, Bel Bel? Where’s my camera?

Not until you g-g-get up and throw my hula hoop.

Bel Bel is not a cranky dog. It's the heat.

My ageing Chloe has been suffering the relentless heat for four months. Holding her face in my hand, I said to her, “I know it’s hot. We might not ever love Summer again like we used to but soon we’ll be painting pumpkins and planting Pansies! We’ll take walks in the neighborhood again and your teeth will chatter.” Oh, I hope so.

One year ago today,

I published my first post, “Hello World”. Testing 1 2 3… What a thrill and what a ride it’s been! The year flew by and will continue to fly by at an alarming rate since I’m over a half-century old now. Ughh. Honestly, blogging has probably been one of most enjoyable experiences for me. It has given me an opportunity to know and admire so many wonderful folks who have inspired me, like the “Flock” and others - you know who you are. Because of this anniversary, I examined the reasons I blog once again. There are previous posts written by me on the same subject, here and here. Over the weekend, I revisited some of my posts and came to some conclusions about things I want to change.

I need to freshen up my blog appearance and take time to create a new template and learn new things like uploading videos and playing with the sidebar. I want to be more concise and abbreviate my posts. Blogging will remain to be my passion but not an obligation. If I have something worthwhile to post, that’s great, but I won’t fret over subject matter on my way home from work anymore. Learning to be an ant-type blogger instead of a crazy, off the cuff grasshopper will be a challenge for me but I am going to give it a go. At 10:00 p.m. on weeknights, I’ll listen to my body and shut down the darn computer instead of reading blogs until 11:00 p.m. (maybe). Complaining about the weather will be forbidden (maybe – who am I kidding?). North Carolina is a beautiful state and I want to see more of it to share through my blog.

There are things that I won’t change. No way. No how.

My desire to find a way to work less hours and still afford birds and shopping sprees with Gina will make me investigate options.

My girlfriends want me to be with them more often.

Odd things will always have my attention, and

I’ll always have a view that many won’t notice.

Grieving for a very battered hummingbird that stopped by two days ago on her journey - I can’t help feeling that way.

I’ll keep making u-turns and fast pull-overs vs. the law in high hopes of seeing hawks, Great Blue Herons, Great White Egrets, and vultures, even when the pond waters are evaporated.

A few minutes to reflect on the sky’s reflection on water will keep me happy, always.

It would be nice to post a photo of myself once in a while. With that said, here’s a rant! I will always rant about something like,

Why do very tall people hang art and mirrors at their own eye level? I was on crutches when he mounted this mirror and appreciated his effort but every time I walk by it I shake my head. The bathroom mirror in the first home we bought back in 1977 must have been hung by a seven-foot tall man. I had a hissy fit about it and made them lower it eighteen inches. I'm a little tall, at 5-1"!

So, feeling silly last night, I tried to photograph me at the bedroom dresser. Poor lighting without a flash, but here it is.

To everyone who lifts me up, thank you. Hugs.

Just the facts, man. Just the facts.

We’ve moved from severe drought to extreme drought to the dreaded “exceptional drought”. It’s the worst case in history. Restrictions will get tighter through December. So long, green! Hello, brown! Two hours ago it spit rain for ten minutes and I was thrilled even though I was hand watering under it and the hairspray and root boost I used this morning turned my hair into a blonde helmet.

My hoity-toity neighbors in their McMansion across the street are going to get nailed soon. Twice this week during the evening hours, I heard their irrigation running and I’m close to calling the authorities. Water conservation is important now and I’m making a great effort every time I use water. We still flush toilets. I turn the shower off when I’m shampooing my head in the morning and they’re wasting water on a lawn and gardens perfectly planted by a professional.

I want this miserable post to brief from here on. I'll try. October is a beautiful month that gave us an exhilarating three days of Autumn. We opened windows and let the chilly night air inside put us to sleep. Now the air conditioners are humming again.

Earlier this week, the morning temperature was a cool 75!

I saw another one.

Good day for a walk on campus during lunch hour. It’s been three long months since the weather cooled enough for me to risk just a little brow sweat vs. the dripping type - very unattractive in an office atmosphere.

My walking trail is petrified.

It rained dry pine needles and the only sounds I heard were my heart beating, crunch under my feet, and of course, the sounds of construction nearby. The latter is destroying the beautiful equilibrium of nature that so many humans don't notice...sigh.

This is the only color I saw on the trail. I remembered the exact spot on a tree that I found a Ruby Crowned Kinglet and the places I saw Bluebirds, Eastern Phoebes, and Warblers. Areas where I saw a variety of Sparrows were bare and brown. Other than a sweet chirp of a Cardinal and some Chickadee warnings, there were no bird sounds, no bugs, no butterflies. I did find a shirtless man.

Approaching a shirtless man adjusting his athletic shorts made me feel a bit uneasy… We were the only two people on the public recreational part of my trail and when I saw him, I realized that my only out was to run through 100 yards of heavy brush to the main road. It was odd, I thought, to see a shirtless man. He was walking – not running. It was a cool morning. We did, however exchange polite greetings. My police officer friend is going to give me some pepper spray. Am I too paranoid?

To sum this up, my long awaited walk was disappointing but good for my heart and body. For now, there is more to see at home.

The Gardenias are blooming again. The fragrance is so intoxicating.

Does anyone have a camera that can zoom and focus in 1.5 seconds for little flitty birds? Too much time is wasted while waiting for my camera to make up its mind. It's annoying me. The low-light photos are dismal but it's a great sunny day camera.

Cute little nutty butt.

I call them the “Nutty Cuties”.

The staff at Wild Bird Unlimited loves me. I added a new feeder station last week and bought a new nut feeder today. I learned that Rufous Hummingbirds have taken up residence about thirty minutes north of me at Lake Norman. Odd, but very cool!

I'm thinking it will be good for me to wait for some refreshment before I post again. Ideas and words are difficult lately and I'm wanting to say something happy and uplifting. It won't be long, I hope, because right now, I hear a real rain shower out there. Rain? Are you kidding?

I'd rather say "see ya later".

There is something about saying Good-bye that’s way too final. Parting, either temporarily or for forever, weighs heavily on my heart and emotions. It’s easier for me to say “see ya later” with a weak smile than to have my eyes brim with tears and my throat tighten so hard I need to choke out a “good-bye”.

The only neighbors we know well moved away a few days ago. That’s Maureen in the photo after giving the movers directions to their new house. We moved next door to them two years ago and became friends to Maureen, Dan, and their four terrific children. A few weeks at a time would pass without seeing them but when we did see each other again we easily picked up where we left off. Their kids are grown now so it’s time for them to downsize.

Chloe and Bella watched the noisy truck pull away while I stood on the front porch with them, feeling sad and a bit lonely already. I look at that empty house and sigh.

They moved thirty minutes northwest of us so we’ll see them soon. When Maureen came by on Saturday night to pick up her frozen foods from our freezer, we hugged and laughed. It was slightly bittersweet and in unison we said, “See ya later!” Yeah. No good-byes.

Unlike me, Maureen has a green thumb so she planted this for me on the day she left and I promised to try to keep it alive.

Each time I have moved on to another job, another house, or another state, I dreaded leaving friends and family. When my only child was far away at college, those tearful “see ya laters” at the airport security gate or at the edge of the driveway as she drove away scarred my heart. When it was time for her to pack up to leave for school after being with us on break, the agony would start - the same agony I felt when I would get ready to leave her at college to head back home. On a few occasions she agonized also, already missing me before I left – those were the worst farewells and warranted a good cry until I hit I-95. It’s damned hard and no one understands until you experience it.

This is one of my first hummingbird photos, taken in April. I was so excited with it! Where did the time go? The last two started their journey yesterday. They left quietly without notice, the same way I left a job once – out the back door because I couldn’t bear another round of farewell wishes. I didn’t mean to be rude…

Godspeed to you, lovely. Please don’t forget me?

Now that I’ve made it clear that I’m a sensitive, sappy soul tonight and my hormones need adjusting, I’ll try to kick it up a notch!

I was too curious about the female crouched low, ruffling her feathers, and loudly begging or demanding a morsel of food. I think he was annoyed with the woman.

Afraid of scaring them away, I kept my distance while he fed her repeatedly. It would have been great to be close enough to get good photos of this little affair but I don’t know if it was love or harassment.

There are too many LBJs out there now. Cowbirds were here during the winter months and I haven’t seen one since. Could be a Cowbird. Oh, well.

Juveniles haven’t learned much about self preservation yet. I was too close to this one.

This will be an exciting fall and winter, I think. My feeders were new last winter and the number of birds who visit since then has steadily grown into constant flurries of activity.

The Carolina Chickadees are still frustrating and taunting… I call them "DCs" because they drive me plain freaking nuts. There are so many now! The cooler temps might be making the difference as I’m seeing more woodpeckers and nuthatches and less PIGEONS.

Ever present. The Coop thinks he’s hidden. Not!

Note: If you have not heard from me lately, it’s because I’m drowning at work but it won’t last long. I come home in the evenings with dragging feet. Bear with me?