Wordless Wednesday

It's killing me to post without words but after last night's fiasco I need time to fold some laundry and kick back for a while. Yep, I blew it on "Wordless Wednesday". No surprise... ;o)

When you want to be heard, SPEAK.

One of the first things I do when I get home from work is to watch the feeders while letting Chloe and Bella out on their business trip. Today, what I saw was different from the normal activity I usually see. Where were the birds? Little food disappeared from the hopper. I wondered if the hawks are gearing up or if there is cat on patrol. A little later, I heard some squawking and I found a lifer. At my age and after years of watching the birds, it’s a shame I have never tried to name them and now I am calling a Common Grackle a lifer. I’ve missed too many years of fun, but I guess it’s never too late to start enjoying a bird’s characteristics and lifestyle.

This bird had an attitude and similar the one I could have had today. My unhappiness at work, described last week, isn’t a good thing for the mind or body and I drove to work on a mission. I needed to fix something, for my own sake. And I did. I'm glad I didn't sit and boil, wearing myself out.

Our temperatures are way above normal at 85 degrees today. It’s dry. We need rain to wash away the thick layer of pollen dust that’s causing people to sneeze and gag. The weeping willow is not mine but I enjoy its beauty. Well, guess what? I lost the photo, thanks to this damned stupid keyboard so to hell with it.

I examined the river birches last night and there were no leaves. Not one. Progress in less than 24 hours! This is where the hummers flitted and perched last summer!

Our builder planted these pretty evergreens on trellises and I don’t even know the name of them. Look at the color and softness of the new growth.

It’s hard to believe that just nine days ago we had two very damaging frosts. Spring is bursting like there's no tomorrow.

She’s wary of me. I don't even want to see more house finches this year and wish the barn swallows would return to claim their territory. Maybe but it’s possible as they nested here last June. I miss the swooping, trusting swallows. It was the first real relationship I had with bewds.

See? Even with this frikkin’ keyboard, I can’t be brief about it. This post was a nightmare. I’m still cussin. I'm wondering if I can deliver a wordless and pictureless Wednesday. HA! I'm clicking "publish" right now without looking back!

A Lot of Inconvenience

This is a disappointing announcement of something that happened right here on my blogging desk. It happened on Saturday while I stifled the scream of a PMSing crow. I felt as if two of my fingers on each hand were removed. My first thought was, “How will I post on my blog?” An hour on the phone with the Dell technician resulted in him pronouncing my laptop remote mouse and keyboard dead. It might be up to a week before the replacement parts arrive, so, until then I’ll be reaching for my poor, motionless mouse and cursing to high heaven. Speaking to an English speaking-challenged Dell technician for over an hour who just couldn’t get the service ID numbers right nearly put Michael and I over the edge. Michael must have flipped the laptop over six times to clearly and loudly recite the ID numbers too many times, using a lighted magnifier lens to read the ridiculously small print. “C as in Charles, N as in Nancy, K as in Kevin…and it went on and on…

Why am I so upset? I learned to type on a manual typewriter (another age reveal). Speed and accuracy have always been my goal. My fingers fly over a keyboard while I gaze through the window. Laptop keyboards aren’t the same. When I see people using a laptop keyboard, I imagine they never really learned to keyboard at all and they just hunt and peck with four fingers at 20 wpm. How pathetic. I’m probably dead wrong but I can’t believe high school students have the type of keyboard proficiency I have learned.

On Sunday I discovered how challenged I am in this new situation. With my arms and elbows held high above the desk, I had trouble typing simple three letter words and just couldn’t keep my pointer fingers on the F and J keys. Then I had the bright idea to raise my chair six inches. Duh... I had planned to work diligently on my template but that will have to wait. It’s still slow going.

Perhaps after a week of weaning from my traditional keyboard and mouse, I’ll step into the year 2007 and start pricing one of those wireless laptops that I can carry around with me. Now, what type of gear would I need on a daily basis to carry a laptop, binocs, and camera to the grocery store?

A weekend highlight was the temperature. The pond is in bad shape after a drastic change in temperature with an algae bloom of the string and free-floating variety clogging the filter and pump. I'll need to purchase some chemicals very soon.

We haven't had a chance to shed our winter coats! The warm temperatures offered some tongue wagging smiles. These photos were taken as the dogs were resting.

No googly eyes on this Boston. Bella exudes sweetness in her expression.

Mr. Biggins came to visit and I wanted to grab that slab of a tongue and if I did, he wouldn't care at all. He's a very sweet young man.

A googly eyed girl. Chloe has been transformed into a puppy again after her surgery in February. Have you ever seen a wider grin on a dog? What a comic.

I...just...can't...resist these little Chickadees. I'll take their photos until the end of time.

This red-bellied woodpecker visited on Friday and Saturday. Although he is not as brave as the others, I used my stalking skills to get this shot. I'm so thrilled.

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It might delight some of my readers that I won't be posting in my usual long-winded style this week. This post took longer than I thought it would since I'm keyboard challenged tonight. I tried, though. Gee, this is hard. I just reached for my dead mouse for the 50th time.

Simple Beauty often Unnoticed

It's Friday and I'm flying freely (well, with laundry in the tub...).

Thank you, camera, for slowing me down this afternoon and allowing me to notice simple beauty that many of us notice but don’t always appreciate. Sadly, much goes unnoticed. One day I’ll learn how much more you can do for me and I’ll take you off “auto” mode.

I’ve never seen a banded bird before. Robins: Trusting? No. Nervous? No. They eye you up and think about it before fleeing. I was waiting for him to scoot into the sunlight but I waited too long.

Butterflies in flight make me work with the camera. I’ve never attempted to photograph butterflies before. (Is it a moth?)

I can’t imagine how much fun I’ll have this summer with the Dragonflies and Monarchs.

Bee: Hard working but delicate.

Gymnast, performs at any angle.

Suspended, in route. Lovely nature at work.


At the very moment I thought about how discouraged I am becoming with seeing the same birds at my feeders every day, I was graced with a sight that made me quietly scamper around and call the dogs inside. In less than thirty seconds, I captured a shot that I’ve been waiting for… and then, poof, he was gone. I am still shaking my head and smiling! Happy Dance! It’s Friday and Life is Good. I hope you are graced with beauty and a nice surprise this weekend.

Great Opportunities

For great reading and a wonderful display of relationships between birds and humans, check out Journey Through Grace. Jayne did an outstanding job hosting I and the Bird #45. She also celebrated her 45th birthday! I am honored to see one of my posts exhibited in her wonderful display. Thank you, Jayne, for your time and talent.

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Writing about work at the office again was not on my agenda but I need to make an exception today. Several of us at the office are working long hours and are under a lot of pressure and stress. There are many, though, who are working on easy street which offered me a grand and glorious opportunity that I could not pass up!

This is what my desk looks like. A mess, determined by whatever happens lately. I do know where everything is, most of the time. As I flew out of my office on an urgent work-related errand, I stopped dead in my tracks. Holding back a roar of laughter, I tiptoed into my office and grabbed my friend (the camera). I am so cynical sometimes. What did I see?

A dreaming fly catcher, right across the hallway. Oblivious to the world around him.

The people who accompany me in this sea of stress gathered around to see the view on the camera. The resulting belly-splitting laughter was the best stress reliever we could receive. Tears streamed down our faces and we were exhausted after that much needed release. The gentleman I photographed is one who has nothing to do on the job, apparently no work on his desk, but he was gracious and actually reveled in his popularity.

A good day. I am so tired...

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There has been little time for my walks or photographing birds lately and this is the only photo I have to offer. Taken in low light this evening - a mockingbird ready to dive into the suet.

Home Sweet Home

Home is where your heart is and have I left mine in several places.

We met with Gina, Billy and their real estate agent last night and walked through a house for sale with them. On the way home I was quiet in the car as I recalled the first house we bought, back in 1977.

It was a modest duplex under construction, in Millersville, Maryland. Thirty years later, I can still recall the smell of the sandy soil and fresh pines we breathed as we walked the lot during the hot summer months and made a list of errors in construction. That house holds seven years of memories. We brought Gina home in that house, two days after her birth in 1982. We lived with three cats – Muffet, Mini, and Maggie. Sadly, we lost Muffet one year earlier to the day that Gina was born. The house was small inside but the backyard was a little, tree-filled wonderland. I remember doing our first painting and wallpapering jobs there and the fun of shopping at all of the home stores every weekend. I particularly loved the glossy wallpaper and Hollywood lights we hung in the only full bathroom in the house. Gina’s nursery was painted white and the largest wall in her room was papered with cute little sheep in bright, primary colors. Pretty yellow Priscilla curtains hung at her window. I remember so much…

Our next house, in Pasadena, Maryland, holds five years of memories. Maggie died and another cat, Ralphie, joined our family; Gina finally started sleeping through the night at seventeen months in her big girl bed; I decorated a 14-foot tall Frazier fur Christmas tree that needed to be tied up because it was so large; we bought our first sunroom; I returned to work after a three year leave; we celebrated Gina’s first birthday and she entered kindergarten; and, I loved those cathedral ceilings and the pizzazz inside. That home was struck by lightning twice but I’ll never forget how special it was. I drove by that house last Spring while my Mom was in the hospital and winced at the site where we had planted a “Gina’s first birthday” pin oak tree in the front yard. It had been cut down.

Fourteen years of memories are cherished in our home in Bel Air, Maryland. There are too many memories to list but a lot of growing and loving took place there. Gina grew up from a little first grader to a sophomore in college in that lovely home. Michael and I aged! We celebrated a First Communion, forty-two birthdays, and fifteen Christmases. We lost two cats to old age, welcomed Casey, a Cocker Spaniel who died at the age of five, and welcomed Chloe who is still kicking at age eleven. I’ll never forget how lovely that home was, even during those few years we grimaced at the poor paint choice I made in the living room. It was Pepto-Bismol pink. We built our first pond there and I met my first Great Blue Heron beside it. We buried at least two dozen gerbils down the back and buried our beloved cat, Mini, back there, too. Very few days or evenings would pass when I wouldn’t say out loud, “I love you, Mini” while visiting her gravesite under a large weeping willow tree. We buried her on a warm day in April and it was the first time that year I heard tree frogs singing. Whenever I hear tree frogs in the spring, I think of her.

We had three short years in Delaware in a very lovely golf course home. It was situated at the ninth tee and we were able to wave and say hello to those we knew while they were teeing off. Since Michael and I customized the floor plan, it was probably the best home we’ve ever had. It was wide open with many windows and the Delaware flatland sunrises and sunsets were spectacular. Michael’s Dad died while we lived there and we welcomed Bella in that home.

My current home is very special to me, too, and it’s equally as lovely as the others. I’ve only been here for one and a half years but it has a few memories attached already – the death of my Mother and the brighter memory of Gina coming home to be nearby after six years of living so far apart.

Once in a while, I yearn to see, feel, and smell my homes again. I would also love to see the home where I grew up and the homes my parents had during the past twenty years. The comforting smell of each one still lingers in my mind and I can visualize where the rips in the linoleum were, the size of the linen closets and pantries, and the places where I stored the vacuum cleaner in each house. I can still vividly remember every nook and cranny of every home I loved and can remember myself walking through those homes with a basket of laundry on my hip and hoping I wouldn’t trip over a cat, dog, or toys. If I were able to walk from room to room again (with a box of tissues), it would bring back the fondest and most heartwarming memories and emotions, even if our successors gave those rooms complete makeovers. Perhaps my curiosity would disappoint me.

There are people who move on from home to home and never look back. I treasure all of those four walls that embraced us in laughter and sadness. Have you ever longed to visit a home from your past?

Listen, Stop, and Look

Today ends my four-day weekend break from work and if you have read my recent posts, it was a break I needed in the worst way. I made a terrible mistake late last night and looked at my e-mail account at the office and found it to be dreadfully long and work-filled. Whenever I decide to take two days off, I pay for it!

This morning I needed to make a decision. I had already accomplished a few goals around the house over the weekend, i.e. cleaning the hardwood, etc. How will I spend my last day of freedom? How will I relax and rid the evil spirits at the office that haunt me? Go the mall and browse the new spring fashions and perhaps stop at the Lancome counter (love it!)? Or, shall I drive to the Latta Nature Preserve and explore a bit? My decision was a quick one as I am finding out that there is no better form of relaxation than to explore and experience natural places for the benefits of simplicity and quiet. Better yet, it’s free. One gallon of gas is all it costs.

The Audubon trail was slightly disappointing (I wanted bird shots) but I did see some unusual tree formations and met some fisherman on the lake. They were quiet and respectful men. I was alone and felt somewhat skittish but I overcame that feeling half-way through the hike.

Ok. It’s a Blue Jay, but I haven’t seen or noticed a Blue Jay since I lived in Baltimore. Honestly. I remember them attacking my Mother’s cat. Loud creatures, they are, but very beautiful. My photos stink today but it was fun trying. No waterfowl today, either!

The lake edged the trail and while I was thinking of how great this hike is for strengthening the ROM in my left foot (recent surgery related), I descended off-path and found myself in slow motion, gracefully slipping down an embankment. I heard voices nearby on the trail and while I was brushing soil from my butt, two Russian fishermen asked me if I was an employee and if I knew what time the parked closed. Now, how could they think a lady wearing make-up, a camera around her neck, and brushing off wet leaves from her ass was an employee?

Feeling a bit frustrated, after I listened, stopped, and looked that gave me little excitement with birds, I drove away from the Audubon trail but saw another on my way out. I knew I had to stop when I saw a hawk circling the parking area. It was an equestrian and hiking trail and screaming with birdsong. After a few minutes, I reached a spot that was incredibly quiet, motionless, and peaceful to the point I could hear myself breathe. All thoughts were away from what I’ll face tomorrow. Awesome peace, althought short-lived. Nice.

Being so alone in the woods can be eerie. I saw fresh dog dung, heard a bark, so I found a tree branch and kept it with me. Even though I’m a die-hard lover of dogs, a stray dog scares the hell out of me. Of course, a vicious dog would eat the stick and me, too. HA! I placed my walking stick against the split in this tree and wonder if it will still be there when I return.

There were woodpeckers busy hammering away and since they have decided not to visit my feeders, I took many shots of them. This female hairy was a treat. It was so nice to see her spiral the tree without caution. A lifer!

This red-bellied was also unconcerned and quite busy.

After a few hours, I headed home to enjoy my own backyard.

A pair of Bluebirds that I haven’t seen at home in a while.

Bluebirds are too darn special to be seen in the gutter!


For dinner tonight we are having soup I made yesterday - delicious bean soup with ham and some pumpernickel with real butter.

Am I ready to return to work tomorrow? Not really. Looking at this pot of soup gives me an idea, though…

Maybe it will serve as good ammunition to keep problematic people away from my office? Yes! (tee-hee)

"Read a book. Eat a banana."

What is this? It's a female house finch in the barn swallow's nest from last summer, under my porch roof. I haven't even cleaned it out yet. Could there be eggs already??? It's below freezing at night!

I caught a photo of her when she flew out. I think we have enough house finches around here. I certainly don't want to see more...

For the past week I’ve lost my drive and energy to post here. My sincere and underlying desire is to post, but the ideas and words are hard to find. When I think I have an idea, I quickly shoot it down. The plain truth is that I’m stuck in a rut. In a rut. Stuck. Stuck in a rut. Enough said?

Today, remembering when my daughter as a young child, I realized we were well matched in some ways. Unless we were physically active and busy participating, we were bored. We both had a “let’s get out of the house and do something” routine after the household chores were finished. We walked, swam, found time to be outdoors, and played every day. I used to budget funds during the summer months for a long walk to the snowball stand every summer evening with neighbors and friends. My favorite was Spearmint or Egg Custard with marshmallow and Gina's favorite was Sky Blue with marshmallow. In winter months during snowstorms, we didn’t watch from indoors, but ventured out there and caught snowflakes on our tongues and didn’t care to come back inside unless our toes and fingers were numb.

Days when we were trapped inside because of hurricanes, blizzards, or excessive heat, I always had a list of things to do around the house to keep me busy and Gina loved to work on arts and crafts with her little friends. However, now and then, the dreaded case of boredom would overtake her little soul and I’d hear her repeat, “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” My stock reply was, “Oh, go read a good book.” If I heard the same whine too many times in one day, I’d get exasperated and sharply reply without any sweetness in my tone, “You aren’t bored! Your problem is that YOU are BORING!”

Well, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black. I’m not bored. I’m stuck in a rut because I’m just plain B-o-r-i-n-g lately.

Speaking of stock answers, this reminds me of the very familiar complaint from children while they’re hanging on the refrigerator or pantry door, letting their little high-pitched whiny voices be heard, “I’m hungry but there’s nothing to eat in this house!” Another stock reply I gave - “Have a pickle. Or, better yet, eat a banana!” I’ve been pushing bananas for years. It paid off a few times, though. Whenever Gina ate a banana before a butterfly, individual medley, or breastroke race in a championship she’d win – not by a few hundreds of a second, but by a yard. I can’t say enough about bananas and their benefit to your heart and body.

Back to being boring.

Great photo, ey? My next door neighbors, to whom we have only spoken about five times in a year and a half, just listed their house today. I’m not sure, but I think their names are Beverly and Ken. Are they moving because of their boring neighbors or because they’re tired of the blonde woman snapping photos of the trees in their yard? I’m sure that’s not the case since they don’t socialize, but it did enter my mind for a fleeting second or two.

Over the weekend, I tried to correct my boring self and ventured out in the sub-freezing wind chill to catch some glimpses of nature but failed. What I gained from that effort were reddened, freeze-dried face and hands. I also missed the best photo of a hawk. It would have been fantastic. The hawk saw me pull over and before I had my hand on the gear shift, the blankety-blank flew away. See the speck with a white belly in a photo taken two city blocks away? Could be a woodpecker... I am starting to curse at the birds.

My job is boring and a source of frustration, I'm tired of worrying about people and things beyond my control, I'm tired of my blog template, and my backyard birds are boring me to tears. Here's an example:

I am laughing out loud! If that's not enough, here's another:

Even my entertaining, begging for food, pestering, loving and farting dogs are boring me:

If, after all of this boring talk you are wondering how it relates to the subject of this post, “Books and Bananas”, you have company. I’m clueless, too. I should change the subject to "Self Help". And you can bet your sweet bippy I will do it (help thyself). No more boredom for me! I CAN'T STAND IT. I just need a little time and a few more rants in between.

Welcomed Relief!

The temps plummeted forty degrees today and the rain pounded for hours. Three inches of rain? Ten inches? I haven’t checked the rain gauge yet but it was loud on the rooftops and on the way in to work in the morning darkness, the visibility was poor enough to pull over a few times.

This has been a week I’ll be trying to erase from my memory for the next four days, referencing “the office” and my venting yesterday. The saga continued today but as of now, I feel there might be a mutually acceptable agreement in the near future. I’ll insist on it.

My four-day leave from work began early this afternoon! When I walked through my garage door into the kitchen I saw tiny ants on a trail to the dogs’ food dishes and in a few other places in the house. Argghhh! The can of Raid zapped them good but I wondered if this would be an omen?

Soon, I could feel my mind and body sort of collapse into a semi-relaxed state but I wanted more relief. I missed my walks and the birds this week. It didn’t matter if the cold, wet wind sculpted my hair style and the rain spat at me. I needed medicine for the soul.

Pleading, “Just be still. I know it’s dark, cold, and windy, but please be still.” Three white-throated sparrows in one shot! Not bad for a lousy weather day. Thank you.

“Sit pretty, please, and thrill me!” Pairs of house finches are bonded like glue most of the time. Sweet.

It’s been a long time since I surfed the TV channels and since I had a few hours to kill, I browsed daytime TV. I find it to be less interesting than watching grass grow. Soaps? No way. Jerry Springer? Definitely not. Jewelry TV? Nope. TLC? Maybe. Lifetime? Quite possibly. I found…

Jerry Lewis in “The Nutty Professor”. Just what the doctor ordered, a mindless flick, full of silliness! Chloe, Bella and I snuggled on the sofa and soon I dozed off, surely with a smile on my face. I heard a little snore emit from my throat that woke me and I was glad to see that I still had more time for snoozing.

When I was in my early twenties, many people thought I resembled Stella “Purdy” Stevens or Tuesday Weld. Big sigh… How nice. Another sigh… I was so vain. I don’t think I’ll ever let vanity be a distant memory. Now and then, however, I do need to remind myself to embrace it once again. For a nice read about vanity, look at what Donna of KGMom Mumblings wrote this week. She’s a fantastic story-teller.