Trader Joe's and a sweet visitor

Can someone tell me what the attraction is at Trader Joe’s? I’ve been hearing about this store for a year, mostly from friends in Ohio. A four-page invitation to an opening in Charlotte came in the mail today and it’s hanging on my refrigerator door. Should I try something new?

About 5:00 p.m., I put a plastic bag in my coat pocket and headed outdoors with Chloe and Bella. It was time to do poop patrol. The peanut feeder needed filling, too. I wondered why the peanuts were disappearing so fast (those darn Starlings) and as quickly as I wondered…

What’s this? A female Downy Woodpecker scaled the feeder pole. She’s not a lifer, but she’s a new visitor at my house. She didn't notice the suet two feet away and headed straight for the nuts.

I needed the joy of a new visitor.

“Ok, Mary. Get a grip.” I began to quickly tip-toe inside the house for the camera and remembered it was already hanging around my neck. Dammit! Wasted time! I didn’t expect to use it since I had not taken any photos in two days - a long time...

The sun was setting too fast. I did not move from where I stood on the deck. Thoughts through my head… “Just take some photos, relax. If Bella charges with the hula hoop, I’ll freak out. Be quiet. Take control of the settings on your camera. You are out of the auto mode now.”

Thinking, “Breathe. No, don’t breathe. This low light setting might work. Snap away.”

A few Brown-Headed Nuthatches arrived. Ms. Downy continued to work it. Yeah!

Ahhhh.

And a bonus,

Mary merrily finished poop patrol, played hula-hoop with Bella and threw a few golf balls for Chloe. She skipped inside and made a fabulous dinner. Not fabulous, really...mediocre at best.

What a great ending to an uneventful day. Now I'm off to put some clean laundry away.

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My days have been too action-packed and I'm surprised I posted on two consecutive days. Early to bed is important lately. I'll be visiting when I can. I miss you all.

Mid-Week Frustration with Nature and a bit of Good News

Since record-keeping in the 1870’s, we’re in the driest year. I found these Juncos enjoying a parking lot puddle on campus after less than a quarter of an inch of rain fell on Monday. Many of us forget about the water deficit when the nights and days are cooler. I admit to spending a little extra time in the shower on cold mornings, too.

A muddy puddle is all they have. They should move to my house where there is

fresh, clear water - every day.

Often, I rush around town buying twenty pounds bags of black oil sunflower seed and everything else the birds eat. Will I need to find a part-time job to afford their increasing appetites? If necessary, I would. What irritates me is that I rarely see the birds lately. By the time I get home from work, I only have time to fill their damned feeders while the shadows are getting deep and dark. It’s like putting your dollar into a vending machine and pressing B-6 to see your candy bar get lodged inside and you get NOTHING in return. Arrrrrgh.

Tonight, I’m enjoying seeing my oh-so-common birds that I saw over the weekend.

I like this photo, even though there is not one thing outstanding about it. A variety of locals. (click to enlarge)

One of twenty or more (woo-hoo!).

The following photos are of birds being patient and also feeling a sense of entitlement while waiting for me to finish filling their feeders. I dragged my feet purposely, making the chore last longer than usual.

When I get home in the evening, it’s “Mourning Dove Time”. They are thirsty and oodles of them cover the feeders and pond.

It’s odd to see a White Throated Sparrow perched in a tree. Sweet.

For about six hours last Saturday, I was in Lifer Heaven. I was absolutely and undoubtedly certain I photographed a Red-breasted Nuthatch and I just couldn’t wait to post about it!

Ahhhhh, the despair. No such luck! After downloading and examining ten photos, I sunk in my chair. The wings revealed a Carolina Wren. It was a nice thrill, although short-lived. Pout. It was dark.

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Referring to my recent post, When Your Photos are Violated, there is good news. I don’t have PowerPoint at home, so I spent extra time at work to make my own slideshow. It’s been chosen to be presented at the graduation ceremony next Tuesday! It’s a nice dedication, consisting of over one hundred photos that tell a chronological story of their training and I added a Police Officer’s Prayer at the end of the show. With help from others, I’m adding some great music. Each Cadet will receive a copy of it – a very nice keepsake.

The slideshow made by another, with the clip art, shooting guns, and bombs blasting, will be an additional keepsake for them. Hilarious.

What the Dog Harnesses Mean...

Action! A ride in the car! A WALK!

The sound of me unhooking their harnesses from the rack on the back of the laundry room door puts them into a frenzy. They didn’t know that I was hitching them up because Stanley Steemer was due to arrive and I’d need to haul their little bodies into the bedroom. HA! I enjoyed their anticipation and competitive spirit for a while…

Bella made the first move. In her Winnie the Pooh Piglet voice,
Come on, Chloe. Let’s g-g-get ready to rumble. Shall we?

Chloe wasn’t interested in silly fun and games, yet…
Get away from me, you immature chunk.

Lighten up, Francis.

How ‘bout a little n-n-nip on your skinny l-l-l-leg?

Go ahead, stupid, MAKE…MY…DAY!

Bella screamed, Roo Roo Roooooo!

You don't s-s-scare me!

Chloe snarls, Bring it on, jelly belly.

Want to wear studs, porky? Hold still while I pierce your ear!

Let’s p-p-play vampire, Chloe!

Got yer leg Chlo! Let’s g-g-go!

Bella is lightning fast, but at age 11, Chloe can still outrun the Roadrunner.

Chloe's evil snarl: Catch me if you can, fatty. Make…my…day!

Bella: Hey, I’m not f-f-fat! I’m big boned!

Michael wanted to please them.

I prefer the lead attachment that keeps them together so I can hold only one lead. Michael would rather

keep them under control the hard way. We perform for the neighbors. We skip, pirouette, and wrap ourselves around mailboxes and trees.

Chloe is a leg lifter. I wish I could have taken a photo of her squeezing that last drop of pee, as her calling card, and her territorial thatching of grass with her hind legs.

Doesn’t take much to shock pea-brain Bella.

Whoa! Are You My Mother?

No! We don't want to cross the street and go home yet!

So they kept going, noses down, snorting all the way.

Uh-oh. Is that my Mother again?

Up the driveway for a drink and a cookie.

Our driveway is so steep that in about ten years I can imagine myself in an electric chair lift taking me to the mailbox. I’m not kidding.

Sometimes disobedient and embarrassing but they are

sweet and loving Soul Sistas.

Black Friday and Leftovers

The Robins returned this morning. Heck, they might be here every morning but I wouldn’t know it… One false move from me out the back door and they're history, so I stood in the garden tub again. I've enjoyed the few days off and have a lot of blogging fodder to share for the next few days.

Thanksgiving was good with Gina and Billy here, and my turkey was the best I’ve roasted. Our main course is homemade ravioli and turkey is the side. Weird, I know… By the end of the day I felt as limp as an old stalk of celery from the bottom of the vegetable keeper. Tired? No matter – I kept a promise to shop on Black Friday.

I had forgotten how much I disliked retail on Black Friday because it’s been at least six years since I sucked it up and faced the crowds. Only for Gina… I wanted to get a good deal on Christmas decorations for her new house so we visited one of the largest malls in North Carolina, only ten minutes away. Concord Mills on Speedway Boulevard near Lowe's Motor Speedway. Wow. Right off I-85, we see license plates from four or five surrounding states.

Park a half mile away, listen to toddler tantrums or infants screeching and watch parents who are either oblivious or are at their wits end with them, see a young child vomit with an ear infection, listen to non-English speaking holding up check-out lines – count to ten! Shopping carts collide (they’re called “buggies” here, not "carts" as I learned farther north), creating roadblocks in aisles and all eyes roll. I get hot and take off my coat, wanting to carry some long rolls of wrapping paper to whack away at slow-pokes on my way through… Sure glad I saved 50% and we left the store with nice decorations. Covered in glitter on hands and faces, we were out of there! Phew!

Leftovers are great, including some leftover, odd photos I took on my glorious day off on Wednesday.

I was so quiet… I didn’t even get out of the car for this photo. Approaching the pond near the grocery store I drifted in at 5 mph, radio off, ignition off.

Slid out of the car, leaving door open. Intending to tip-toe closer, using full zoom. DRATS!

Have you ever chased a Belted Kingfisher or another elusive bird, in your car???

The odd sounding bird flew to the other side of the pond, perched, and waited for me to get back into my car, drive around the loop for sixty seconds, and coast to a stop.

Twenty-five feet away and this is the bet I could get. The antsy bird took off and I watched it disappear behind the grocery store.

I turned my attention to a more friendly species

and enjoyed the view, wishing I had days and mornings free to relax, look, and listen.

I posted this photo on Wednesday and want to post it again. I love glitter and stars… It’s one of my favorite photos.

Back home:

What’s with the Chickadees? I struggled with them for so long!

My goal is to work on photographing birds in flight. Hmmmm. I don’t even know what I was photographing! It's probably the Cooper’s Hawk who visits every day.

Clouds rolled in tonight and rain is predicted tomorrow! Time for a rain dance wiggle ;o)

I am so thankful...

for a day off from work and to wake after sunrise.

I raised the bathroom blind very slowly and quietly,

wiping the sleep from my eyes.

I stood in the garden tub with my camera to see

an American Robin on the pond. What a delight.


And twenty more, I discovered.

I am thankful for surprises.

Cedar Waxwings joined the Robins for cocktails and a bath (upper left, click to enlarge).

Simple blessings through the bathroom window!

Quiet.

The dogs were still snoring under the covers.

Can a Robin be thankful?

There was a Robin party at my house!

For her black leather nose pasted with rawhide, I’m thankful, and also for




my Gremlin.

I am thankful for a routine trip to the grocery store this morning and taking time to see




glorious color on the big pond.

We have a minuscule amount of time to live our lives.

Let’s also be thankful for…

our senses - to feel, hug, and touch others’ lives, somehow;

the emotions we possess for crying tears of joy, or anger and despair, and for belly laughs, while we are here;

the ability to make someone smile along the way and to love family and friends unconditionally;

those who are compassionate;

our gift of sight for the endless, and often overlooked, beauty on this God-given good earth.

I can’t get enough of it. I’m thankful for life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Looking for me.

Chill descends deeply
Koi succumb to their nature
Drenched in cool slumber.

Evenings get quiet after dinnertime. It’s the time when I finish mundane chores like putting clean laundry away and playing with Chloe and Bella for a while before I sit here and post, or think about a post, and see what everyone else has been doing.

For weeks, my fingers rest on a-s-d-f-j-k-l-; - immobilized.

I’m reading blogs when I have time but can’t even come up with decent comments.

My photos from the weekend have been posted on Flickr already but I wonder, where’s the beef? Where is the meaty post I usually cook and dish out in an hour or two? My lazy mouse slowly crept toward my sidebar and into my archives, taking me back to a time I laughed and cried while arranging a post. I read several of them from early spring and throughout the summer that made me smile and cry once again.

Feeling the way I do now - worn out and fearing the demands of the holidays approaching, it was refreshing to read about my life and times during the days I posted five or six times a week! Meanwhile, I’ll keep plugging away and looking for “it” - whatever it was that was me.

When all is dormant and brown, there’s still a bright spot…

Not much excited me this weekend, other than a forty-five pound bag of Sunshine Pistachio Nuts that Michael brought home from Sam’s Club and getting my nails filled with Gina yesterday. Oh, and the seven foot tall, wide hunk of a mean looking woman who took a seat at the station between us at the nail salon. She probably had gold teeth but I didn’t dare look too hard. Gina and I traded wide-eyed glances before the monsterous woman sat down and completely blocked our view of each other. I scooted my chair away from her a bit and moved my handbag closer to me with my foot. The tiny Asian female technician looked quite serious as the woman with a head twice the size of mine furrowed her evil lined brow and warned, “I’d rather you soak ‘em off. You can try to pull them off, but if you hurt me…” Yikes!

Feeling relieved about my workload at the office and looking forward to a two-day work week, I felt lighthearted enough to get outside and work around the pond today.

The fall colors have peaked beautifully. I noticed a small bird on the highest limb…

I've counted six Brown Headed Nuthatches at once on the feeders. They're fearless!

Chickadee laughed all the way to the closest tree.

Something caught Bella’s attention on the other side of the fence that made her shriek.

Cat: “You need medication, fool.”

“What cat? Where?”

This breaks my heart because she can’t see well anymore. Chloe always lived to chase and capture…

IF BIRDS COULD SPEAK ENGLISH

What in the hell are you looking at?

Haul it out, Big Red. I’m moving in.

Where did he go? Big sissy…

Oh, it’s you again. Want my picture before I terrify your precious little birds?

For you, my best side.

Will you stop playing with that camera already?

Now tell me, who is lovelier?

When your photographs are violated...

There is little story I want to share that will explain why I’ve put blogging on hold lately. Oh, I so want to read blogs and post comments but until things settle down, I can’t. The office job I have is beating me up lately and making me hit the sack at 9:30 p.m. It might be a week before I can relax and read again.

Before I tell my story, look at the newest gift to myself from Wild Birds Unlimited.

Eagle Optics is sweet. It fits in my pocket and is perfect for the backyard. Next on my list is the big pair!

Again, another Goldfinch, holding on against the cold north winds that are howling through our region today.


In August, I was asked to photograph and follow the police cadets during their semester of training for a slide show presentation at graduation in early December. I’ve taken several hundred photos of the group, including their first formation and training in martial arts, classroom, search and rescue, traffic stops, crime scene, public speaking, driver training, hazmat, tear gas, physical fitness, crowd control, and every day routine (I missed the firing range…darn!). My photos show them growing as a team, as well as on a personal level. My heart was in this and I’m so proud of what I can show.

The other part of the agreement was that our applied forensics program developer would create a slide show using my photographs. He loves PowerPoint. OK. I’m spending hours in the evening, lovingly, choosing about one hundred of my best photos that show group action, personal grief, and triumph. All of my photos show each cadet growing into the police officer they will become.

What has the PowerPoint lover done? I saw his work in progress today. His intention is to make it entertaining with animated inserts on my photographs of bombs exploding, stop watches ticking, and other horrid and hilarious stuff he grabbed from the internet that distort my images. He also added his own photographs of dummies with gunshot wounds, blood splatters, and the boring campus instead of filling it with mine that tells a great story. It’s supposed to be all about the cadets! NO! NOT FUNNY! THEIR FAMILIES AND CLOSE FRIENDS DON’T WANT FUNNY! Sorry to yell...

Graduation is a gift. It’s a ceremony deserving of reverence and calm dignity with appropriate music – not the theme song from “Cops"…Bad Boys, Bad Boys. I’ll be damned.

Look at that face. That was me today after I got back to my office. He is unintentionally raping my photos. Next semester, he’s out of the deal because he obviously doesn’t get it.

God, give me strength to take care of this with diplomacy and tact because I don't want to insult him or hurt his feelings. He is a wonderful man but I need to make it right. The cadets are expecting more from me.

Goldfinch Glut

Good morning. 7:04 a.m. today, on the road. Power lines in the view didn't bother me one bit.

Last winter, I took a stroll in the neighborhood and found a feeder station down the street that was loaded with American Goldfinches. I stood beyond that fence and watched them for a while, snapping a few photos, too. Green with envy I was, because my feeders were new and I hadn't seen a Goldfinch land on one of mine.

Two seasons have made a difference and now I can’t keep the finch feeders full. I never dreamed the Goldfinches would outnumber the Mourning Doves and House Finches here.

I'm not looking for them. They show up in every photo I take.

This is a new little finch feeder that replaces my red hummingbird feeder until April 1st. Sigh…

Nearly every day, I read posts of friends who always seem to have migratory newcomers that fly in and perch for the perfect photo. I admit to being sorely jealous sometimes. My birds are featured on pages xviii through xxiv of the Stokes Eastern Region Field Guide of Birds, entitled “Most Common Birds”.

Many of my blogging friends participate in Project Feeder Watch or keep lists and makes notes of the birds they see. I've never made a list or documented anything, so I thought I’d make a very impressive list of the birds I’ve seen around my house during the last four days. You had better sit down and brace yourself.

Cooper’s Hawk
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Pine Siskin
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Brown Headed Nuthatch
Song Sparrow
White Throated Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
Mourning Dove
Pigeon
House Finch
European Starling

Woo-Hoo!

Where are the Woodpeckers? Haven’t seen one in a few weeks!

As the days, weeks, and months go by, I see more birds here than I ever thought possible. They rely on what I offer so willingly.

Here are a few random photos taken since last Saturday. Same old, same old…

This new feeder was intended to help the small birds. HA!

They love an audience.

Love them all. No complaints. Their distinct personalities make me smile - every same old, same old day.

Frost on the Pond

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow is playing on the radio as I write this but frost will probably be the most we’ll get here. I’ll count on living through virtual snow storms with my friends up north.

Our days are still in the fifty to sixty degree range but the night dipped to twenty-eight. The ceramic floors in the bathrooms are numbing to bare feet in the middle of the night which makes for a mad rush back to bed!

The summer I thought would never end is a memory now as autumn is in full color and showing just how beautiful it can be. I had quiet time walking outdoors this morning, right out of bed, in my slippers, fondly remembering the pond being completely covered in green, the sounds of the hummingbirds, the variety of butterflies, the bright Zinnias, Marigolds, and other hardy flowers that battled this drought and survived through October. I forgot to mention the sweat on my brow and the beauty of it all. It ended so abruptly.

Saturday was a long day, on the go, and I missed the yard. I woke up this morning knowing what my priority would be today.

With a roll of paper towels, window cleaner, and Lysol in my arms, I headed for my bathroom. See the view to outside?

This is why it took two hours to clean only half of the bathroom. Two photos taken through the window,

and I can see a drink dribble on her chin.

The pond needed a good clipping.

The tall Cannas that shielded the filter behind the waterfall will return in about five months. Most of what we cut today is piled beyond the fence and near the feeders as a safe haven for the birds in case an ice or snow storm might happen.

My first thought was that I would need to fasten a screen over the filter to prevent debris blowing into it

but I think I have changed my mind because this lovely Song Sparrow seemed to enjoy the new pool.

If you know me at all, you will know the following photo was a highlight of my weekend. Yes, I did smile from ear to ear!

Taken Saturday, just before sunset. I was filling the feeders.

An impatient Carolina Chickadee was watching.

Fashion Trends and Snarls

Thursday: Registration counter at the college.

I couldn't resist sneaking a few photos from my seat on the lobby sofa.

I…just…don’t…get it. What is the attraction to this ridiculous fashion trend? I need to gather a group of these sorry looking young folks who are too close to adulthood and pick their brains. Have a Pow Wow. Maybe I’ll find out what it all means – the stigma attached and why they think they are so cool. This young man isn’t the worst I’ve seen. Without the jacket, the look can be obscene. Of course, I don’t expect them to wear their pants Pee Wee Herman style, the other extreme.

The young gals can top the guys with their spaghetti straps, mesh-type dresses and see-through underwear, making it difficult for male students to face the instructor. The Dean escorted a little lady out of the building.

“You are nude.” said the Dean.
“But I’m late for class!” said the nudie.
“You are not going to class. Go home and put clothes on.” said the Dean.
The flirty exhibitionist never returned to school. Good!

He can only take baby steps, for crying out loud! I would have loved to yell “Fire!”

Proposed legislation in local county and state to ban this type of clothing in schools and anywhere, for that matter, has been fruitless. Do parents have the authority and guts to tell their children how lazy and immature they look? Do they introduce shampoo to them? Obviously not.

Many educators are taken aback by these sights and hope this fashion trend changes, as well as the minds of these rising adults.

On a good note, the work on our campus Wildlife Habitat has been put on hold until spring due to the drought and water restrictions. The Dean wanted to start work in some way, so we drove to the nearest Lowe’s Home Store and bought six feeders (Dean’s choice), hangers, suet, and black oil sunflower seed. She’s hot on a bird bath/spa. We’ll have one soon because the Dean gets what she wants! I couldn’t convince the group to shop at WBU because our budget is small. What does all of this mean? Mary will be working in her office at a furious pace to afford time outside during the workday! If I’m not in my office, everyone will know where to find me...filling feeders and cleaning the spa. Yes!


The mood of the day was obvious – cynical, feisty, energetic, bold.

Before sunset, I filled the feeders, stood back several feet, and waited for them to fly in.

My thought: “You know me. Come on, chicken-finches!”

And I waited longer. The leftover meatloaf in the oven was baking from golden to dark brown but I didn’t care. Dammit.

Chickadees were swarming around and away from me.

“Jee-jee-jee-jee” meant “Hee-hee-hee-hee, look at the lady, look at the lady.”

My thought: “One of these days…one of these days…Pop! Right on the kisser, you ungrateful twits!”

My thought, while listening to my camera groan and try to focus in a tenth of a second: “Oh, I’ll get you, my pretty, and the rest of ya’ll, too!”

This will be the last of the Brown-Headed Nuthatches I post – promise! While the Chickadees played catch-me-if-you-can games, the little nutties flew in five feet from where I stood.

Hello, lady! Thank you for the delicious nuts!

Take my picture!

My excited self fumbled with the zoom and this is the best I could do. Hmmm.

Snarly female Cardinal.

My thought: So, you need an attitude adjustment, too, eh?

Let’s Dish.

Long Shadows

On my drive to the office I can see sunrises now instead of darkness and headlights approaching. I laughed at myself this morning while I drove around like a mouse in a maze, chasing the most spectacular sunrise I’ve ever seen. Minutes and seconds make a notable difference in the changing sky when clouds are involved. After one U-turn and venturing onto some side roads I’ve never visited, this is all I could get. Too late. Dang.

Five minutes was wasted on that lost sunrise. I leaned on the trunk of my car feeling defeated, looked another way, and saw an abandoned house covered in foliage and vines. I stared at that house for a minute, wondering what lives inside now and who had once made it their home.

Baby, it’s getting cold outside.

I found Bella burrowed in our bedspread when I went to bed last night. It was the first night we dipped below freezing but turning the furnace on sounds so ridiculous to me. A little over a week ago, we were thankful for air conditioning. Now I wear a coat! Fifty degrees makes me shiver in the Carolinas compared to fifty degrees up North which was considered a tropical heat wave in November.

Before dinner hour this week, the shadows are long in the back of the house, dimming the feeders and pond. What I hoped for during the blistering summer was this. Now that it’s here, I’m moping because I’ll have very few backyard photos for a few months. Daylight is so good. It keeps me feeling alive.

If I can get outside quickly after work, I can catch a few sunny photos.

A few tall trees are still sunlit at 5pm.

My heart says Purple Finch but my mind isn't sure... I used to wear the same shade of lipstick. Looks quite nice on him, too!

Unmistakable backside!


Yes, the shadows, deep and long, will limit my fun for a while, but the weekends will be divine!

Let’s not forget about the Pigeons!

What is the point of this post?

I already miss the long days of summer.

Messy Italian Cooks and a little eye candy

Lynne was on my mind when I saw this tiny red rosebud today. It’s for you, Linne.


Every two months, my husband makes homemade spaghetti sauce and it’s not the kind you get in most Italian restaurants. It’s rich. When you pour it over pasta there are no fat chunks of tomato or watery puddles on your plate. A supply that will last us through Thanksgiving and Christmas simmered on the stove today for several hours. The pot is loaded with sauce (we call gravy) derived from his Mother’s recipe and lots of garlicy meatballs, mild Italian sausage, and pork bones. He begins his cooking before sunrise, usually. The aroma wakes me.

His Italian family includes several restaurant owners in downtown Baltimore’s famous Little Italy where you can have a great meal and watch a bocce ball game under night lights. Many of the best cooks have passed on over the years, including his Mother, aunts and uncles, and their famous meals have been taken over by newer recipes and menus. Little Italy is timeless and will always please.

His sauce is delicious. I appreciate it. He thinks he cleans up the mess but he doesn’t, really. When I cook, I clean very well as I go. It’s tradition that I do the final clean-up when the sauce is simmering. Well, I wonder… did he sneeze with a mouthful of sauce that speckled the microwave, stove top and the ceramic behind the oven? A film of olive oil and grease coated all of the surfaces. How nice. As I walked around the kitchen assessing the damage, I crushed bits of garlic underfoot and tracked fresh parsley into another room. After the week I had, it was just too much to take. I had to get out of that kitchen for an hour in the sun.

The water temperature is below 50 at night but I fed them a little anyway. Already, they are sluggish.

Sweet eye candy.

Very sweet. I remember fretting over not having Gold Finches when my feeders were new last winter. They know me now!

Thank you, Goldie. I needed you.

The White Throated Sparrows are back! Oooo, I’ll be back to see you later! Juncos have returned and the activity around the feeders is entertaining. I’ve heard new bird songs but I need good binoculars to find them. Sigh…

Oh, I guess thirty minutes slipped by quickly when I heard the screen door open…ugh. The messy Italian cook let the dogs out. I stomped my foot!

They only wanted to be with me and to scare the pigeons away.

Sweet, kissable Bella. She’s so soft. Still limping, because Bella needs to learn to stop flying off beds and chairs and sofas.

Our dear Chlo, aging gracefully and becoming more loving than ever.

Everything Happens for a Reason

So they say.

Blogging? No time for that lately. Because of an exhausting trip last weekend, an injured dog, a crushing amount of work at the office, and other job-related issues explained more fully below, I’ve been absent. Absent-minded. Yeah, that’s it. I would need an alarm clock to wake me after a fourteen-hour stretch of sleep.

It will feel good to get into my old blogging style again but I can’t count it happening soon. Time Warner was here today because we have a problem outside causing an intermittent lost connection. I’ll be on pins and needles for three or four days before they can get out here and give me some service.

After Time Warner left today Michael lifted the desk, where I am now, to cozy it back against the wall. The hutch tumbled over, spewing phone books, lamps, golf knickknacks, and photo frames to the floor. Four keys on the lap top cracked and flew away. I was just stunned…my jaw tightened. Then it happened again. The crash. It was a horrible end to a horrible week, but for now, I plan to get a post published!

American business culture can be ruthless. As a valued employee, you are there one day and gone the next and no one in that distant corporate office gives a damn.

My husband, along with all of his colleagues in administration and a large crew of electricians including my daughter’s boyfriend Billy, were given a one-hour notice this week. Their company filed Chapter 7 – no warning, you are paid for today but not tomorrow, pack up your stuff losers, no vacation pay, no severance pay, no pay in any form, good luck and good-bye. A young woman in the office sat at her desk and cried, one day after settling on a new home. We moved to Charlotte for a good opportunity with a great company. Don’t ever feel so secure…business conditions change like the wind.

The night hours magnify my worries. I went to bed that evening wondering if I should get to the Food Lion and sign up for a free Thanksgiving turkey. Otherwise, might we enjoy fancy hot dogs on the table or spaghetti with Ragu sauce? Oh, and I need a night cream. Good-bye Lancome, hello Oil of Olay. Then I had visions of the young employees with big mortgages and little children to feed. Oh, I was so unworthy of worry.

News travels fast in the electrical construction industry. In less than a day, Michael received a few job offers. Billy, an apprentice, was hired to start on Monday. Michael interviewed a few times yesterday and has been hired to start on Monday, too. Both of them have fine reputations and for that, I am so grateful. Good men.

After I received the initial call from Michael, who was packing up his office, I prepared a mediocre dinner and took myself outdoors, hoping my head would stop spinning.

A visit from on of our Cooper’s Hawks is what I needed. I can’t take my eyes off them.

It landed on its perch after flying above my head with lightning speed. I thought I heard it soar.

It spun around quickly. I wonder why it stands on one leg and holds the other close to its chest?

Surveying… The feeder birds were so silent. The sound of the pond waterfall and my camera zooming and focusing is all that I heard.

A 360 degree visual tour,

to see all, at every angle. Patiently waiting for a meal.

Back again, to see that irritating woman at the bottom of the hill.

Had enough of me and the quiet. Gone in a flash.

Bella, the streak, can run 200 mph and pivot on a dime to snag a runaway hula hoop. On Tuesday evening, she raised her right front leg and hobbled on the other three for almost two days. I could not stand it, so off we went to see Dr. Mark.

I think I know where I’m g-g-going. Uh oh.

I can see the s-s-sky.

We should all look upwards...when feeling down.

After a few days of quiet and beef-flavored anti-inflammatory tablets, she’ll be streaking again. Dr. Mark suggested “quiet” for three days. We both laughed about such a ludicrous prescription!

Job security may come and go and life may go awry, but beauty remains.

And a sense of humor can really heal.

I’ve shown pond lilies many times but this might be one of the last to show since frost is attacking the last few signs of summer.

It’s time for a glass of wine to warm up my cold and sleepy self. Have a wonderful weekend.