Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Hawks and Holiday Cheer

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After the exciting return of the feeders, the rain came in non-stop downpours for the rest of the weekend. I know Coopers and that’s not a Cooper.

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A very small hawk. Science Chimp helped me confirm a Sharp-shinned. He’s a sparrow lover and a lifer for me.


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Has the patience of no others – perched in the same spot for over two hours.

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Cute little fellow, right? Did he have a meal? I don’t know…

This will be brief. I woke this morning with an eye stye the size of half an egg and large enough to close my left eye.

I can’t see very well.

Now, because I procrastinated I have a consequence to face. I have a PowerPoint slideshow to finish by Friday, after viewing, editing, and saving 150 photos out of 1,100 I took of the Police Cadets since August. They graduate next week. This slideshow comes from my heart and will be seen by their families and friends during the ceremony. The Cadets will take a copy with them.

So, I’ll be squinting for the next few nights between hot compresses and a teabag taped over my eye. No blog reading. No posting. I’ll be catching up with everyone over the weekend, I hope.

On the way to work this morning I was following a vehicle traveling consistently ten miles below the speed limit. I was already irritated about the eye thing but I sang lightheartedly through a song by Amy Grant,


It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle-belling
And everyone telling you
Be of good cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all

Then, knuckles white on the steering wheel, I shouted,

WILL YOU STEP IT UP MISTER,

OR I’LL BLISTER YOUR REAR?
(Idiot A-hole.)

I lost it. So much for good cheer and good will towards men.

See you in a few days. :o)

32 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

May- Are you an

A-hole jack attacker?



snort...

Ruth said...

Sorry about the stye. They are very unpleasant. That is one wet hawk, but what a great picture. They do resemble a Coopers but I don't think I have seen one although they are frequently reported in the area.
Take care of yourself!

Anonymous said...

Mary, these are awesome Sharpie shots. I’ve never been able to get in this close. I look at the tail. If it is short for an accipiter and squared off, and the bird is on the small side, it’s a Sharpie. This poor bird is soaked to the bone and puffed up making it difficult to tell without consulting the field guides. Thanks for sharing.

thailandchani said...

As always, the pictures are beautiful! I think I'll just leave them up on the screen for a while and look at them. :)

I'm sure your slide show will be wonderful!

Will hot water packs get rid of the stye?


~*

Corey said...

How funny, I saw a Sharpie flying this morning, first one I've seen since my trip to VA. He's a cute little guy, looking very "puffy". Huh . . that's probably a bad choice of words right now, isn't it? Sorry.

I just LOL'ed at my word verification. "OSONSUPE" Sounds like Oh Son, soup!

Kim said...

Sorry to hear about your stye. I get them too and they hurt a lot! I feel your pain with the PowerPoint too. One of my many functions are financial presentations and they can take days! I am sure it will be wonderful judging from the pictures I have seen here.

Awesome hawk photo! He looks so cute but regal at the same time.

Dog_geek said...

I think you are going to have to post some pictures of you with a teabag tapes over your eye. That's one of those things that you can't just put out there and then not show pictures.

Alan Pulley said...

Great hawk photos Mary!! Hope your feeling better soon.

Anonymous said...

Great hawk photos - I, too, like the close-up detail of the tail feathers

NCmountainwoman said...

Hardly seems fair. First a miserable cold and then a miserable stye. Bummer.

You sound like me when I drive. I talk to almost everyone on the road, especially the Floridiots who put on the brakes GOING UPHILL around the curves!

Nice photos of the Sharpie, one of my favorite hawks.

Feel better soon.

Peg Silloway said...

LOL! Mary, you are a genuine delight. Take care of that eye while you create that memorable gift for your cadets. Santa had better be extra good to you this year - you've earned it!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Nothing worse than following someone on a leisurely drive when you are on your way to work. I hope that ole stye in the eye goes away quickly. Just looking at all your gorgeous birds should make it heal quickly.

Susan Gets Native said...

A Sharpie??? Yay!
See? Putting the feeders back up is a good thing. Hawks gotta eat, too.
Hard to tell if that Sharpie has eaten or not, he's so floofy. But you can tell if a hawk has eaten recently if their crop is bulging (the area between their throat and their chest). They eat more than their stomachs can hold.
A very good bird to have around. Eat all those HOSP!

Carol Michel said...

We had ice this morning and I watched someone spin around and end up facing the wrong way, so I drove slower than usual to work. Was that you behind me all impatient? I hope not, I'd hate to have you mad it me and give me a long stare with your sty eye!

Get well soon and I'm sure it is going to be a wonderful PP show.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens
P.S. I posted about birds today!

Beth said...

Feel better soon, Mary. And I agree with Dog Geek - I want to see a picture of you with a teabag taped to your eye! Consider it our Christmas gift! :)

Beth

Jayne said...

Ouch Mary. Hope the eye is feeling some better today. I think it's so wonderful that you do the whole slide show presentation for the cadets. :c)

Cool sharp shinned!!

Kerri Farley said...

Hope your eye is better soon!!
Fabulous shot of the HAWK!!!

beckie said...

He looks so regal sitting there-as if he were the lord of the manor and expects the other birds to come to him. Such wonderful pictures, Mary! A sty is no fun and can be a sign of diabetes or needing vitamins. Do be careful with yourself. The Holiday cheer will come and even a bad driver won't make it go away. Take care!

Q said...

Dear Mary,
Your slide show gift is so wonderful.
Hope eye is better soon. Sending calm...
(For me part of the photos are missing... darn it donut! I bet they are great)
hugs,
Sherry

Tina said...

Mary,
You poor girl...first that awful cold and the otc meds situation and now a sty..ouch! Hope you feel better soon. Definitely have to take some self portraits with that teabag!
Great pics of that hawk! He sure looks chilled. May you have a sunny day tomorrow and get all your power point done with time to spare for some rest and a hot cup of tea!!

Kathleen said...

Eye-yi-yi! I hope you mend quickly. Good luck with your power point. I'm sure it will be as awesome as your photos!

Unknown said...

Power points can be such a drag ..., until you get close to being done, then it's fun ... or scratch that, after you're done giving the presentation, then it's fun ... scratch that again, actually 1 minute into the talk it becomes fun, and all the jitters slide away. Good luck!

BJ said...

Oh Mary! I'm so sorry to hear about your stye! But then, when you started about blistering the mister.....gees....I just lost it and slid right down on the floor laughing hysterically!

I have to agree.....a teabad taped to your eye....very different...but worthwhile seeing a picture of.

Get well soon honey! And good luck with the power point!

Naturegirl said...

Mary you crack me up,you always speak your mind!!
Boy that Cooper is patient..2 hrs...
Take care of those eyes..you only have two.LOL

Unknown said...

WOW...that bears such resemblence to the Shikra we find in India. They are almost identical...Thomas

A New England Life said...

I hear you on the holiday cheer! I feel the same way sometimes.

Wonderful bird! We had one very similar in our yard that I need to post. Should do that today . . .

Glad someone was able to help you identify yours because I still can't figure out what mine is, and I usually don't have too much difficulty.

Good luck with the presentation! Nothing like a little extra stress in December ; )

dguzman said...

Definitely need to see your tea-bag-eye, Mary!

Nice Sharpie shots!

Cheryl said...

Hi Mary......So sorry about the stye...painful and irritating. I do hope you manage to get your work done.
I love the hawk.....aren't they amazing birds.....

jason said...

Good luck with the presentation, Mary. I know the eye trouble won't help, but I also know you'll pour your heart into it--and that's what matters most and that's what the cadets and their families will remember.

As for the hawk, what a marvelous encounter and what great photos! Birds of prey--and perhaps all predators--seem to have a special aura about them, the patience of a rock, the beauty of a cunning killer dressed in Sunday best, power seething beneath the surface even as they show their most stoic side. And you captured all of that and more. Fantastic!

Robin's Nesting Place said...

The Coopers are coming here now and they don't stick around long at all. With the slightest movement from me they fly away. You were able to get some great pictures with your patient Sharpie.

Sorry about your eye. It sounds painful.

Julie Zickefoose said...

Mary, here's to you for NOT posting a picture of your lousy egg-sized sty. There are some things a girl just doesn't have to do. Ugh! Liam has had a little one for weeks, it seems. Little boys aren't much on hot compresses.

Super sharpie shots. I sure hope he sticks around. He's the best HOSP policeman you could want.

Hope your slideshow went well. With your photo skills it's bound to be a killer.

RuthieJ said...

Hi Mare,
I'm behind in blog reading too, but have no excuses :-(
Hope that stye is shrinking fast and you've gotten all your other important stuff done by the time you read this.
I love that little sharp-shinned hawk. They never sit still for that long in my backyard.

word verification: ampons