Embarrassed? Naaa...

Have you ever felt like you should be embarrassed but you didn’t feel embarrassed at all? I have, on many occasions. This will be short and sweet because it’s Friday and my wits are leaving me fast.

It all started on my lunchtime walk. Only one other person was on the trail for my thirty sacred minutes. He was a man about my age with a windbreaker tied around his waste and it was maroon and orange. I guess he might have been a VA Tech alum or had children there. He was power walking and I was just strolling. I’ll call him “VA Tech Man”. Perhaps he needed some stress relief, bless his heart.

Lucky me, I came upon birdsong that was deafening on a dark part of the trail. And I stood there, looking up. Camera ready. It was like I was suddenly in an Alfred Hitchcock movie with birds darting overhead faster than lightning. My eyes were wide, only seeing flashes, shadows, and blurs but I knew something was happening. Blue Jays and Cardinals and Crows and Sparrows were all around me BUT I COULDN’T SEE THEM. My hot hands were holding the camera as I stood in one spot and repeatedly did military about faces, right faces, left faces, over and over again and then I dashed from one set of trees to the other. I stood motionless and listened again. Then the VA Tech Man rounded the bend coughing his head off. It’s only a .3 mile track and I think he hacked and coughed and spit the entire time.

I wanted to yell at him, “Don’t you have any freaking cough drops, man?”

The sun was glorious but when I was seeing blue flashes soar right over my head, an enormous white cloud covered the sun’s rays. Great.

This is the type of photo I took today. Arrrrgh! See a patch of blue in the middle? A flock of these birds teased the living daylights out of me. I fumbled with the camera which was too darned slow for the action. I held my breath. I cursed. I ventured into the woods, backed up to get a view, put my camera on the low light mode, then lost my footing on pine straw and fell backwards on my bum. Pine straw is too darn slippery. The VA Tech Man was rounding the bend again, coughing his lungs out, and smiled at me as I was pulling dried pine straw from the back of my pants. I know he saw me land in the hole. He inquired if I was OK and I graciously replied, “Oh, I’m fine. Thanks.” But I wanted to say, “Screw you, and mind your own business. And thanks for scaring the birds away, you fool. Take a drink.”

HELP! Can anyone ID this bird? My field guide can’t. Bad photo, I know… Blue, yellow, black.

On my way back to the office, I cackled. I couldn’t stop laughing. That man probably thought “I” was an idiot. HA! No, but I do like the sun shining on the wings of bumble bees.

This is the Chipping Sparrow photo I wanted to post yesterday but I made a mistake and posted a Field Sparrow instead. I didn’t know it was a Field Sparrow but the Science Chimp caught it right away! A Chipping Sparrow visited my yard AND a Field Sparrow! I love both of them. Small and sweet.

He doesn’t need a better set of lungs. Here, he’s singing and raising himself UP. The loudest bird in the group tonight. You Go!

It’s been a very long week and I’m glad it’s over. I wanted this post to be short and sweet. Maybe next time…

Sunrise, Sunset, and Thoughts in Between

Resisting the urge to stop my car and capture this sunrise was impossible this morning. I still made it work on time.

My mind is tired during this busy time of year at the college but it was on overdrive today about recent happenings and current events while I stopped to admire colorful weeds during my daily walk. Mundane things, like, "What will we have for dinner tonight? What’s the status of my laundry? I wonder how the baby finches are doing?” Foremost in my mind was what happened yesterday.

I know the media is haunting and killing us with too many details about VA Tech and we are getting tired and annoyed with it all. It’s time to be quiet and let the issues take their course with those closely involved and to quit reminding us of the horrid incident. Privacy to those families matters now. In advance, I apologize for once again writing about an unpleasant matter but this one is very close to home for me.

While I was on my campus walk yesterday and thinking about the scent in the air and the beauty around me, something very critical was happening during those minutes. I was unaware. Less than one-half mile away from where I was walking, four schools were in lock-down, including a high school, middle school, elementary school, and a charter school.

On the high school parking lot, a sixteen-year old male student carried a handgun and threatened to use it on two students. Supposedly, he had an issue with a girlfriend. Police followed him to a nearby gas station and when the boy was asked to release his gun, he refused, and shot himself in the head. He died later at the hospital. My daughter works in the same company with that boy’s Mother.

Did I deserve a nice walk in the park at the very same time a young boy took his own life? It seems so unfair…

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On to more happy thoughts!

This afternoon when I was sweeping my mailbox, I saw and heard some little kids near me stomping on caterpillars for fun. Sweet little kids but obviously clueless. After their lesson from “Miss Mary”, they promised never to harm a caterpillar again. No one told them. I think they really got it and also realized their Moms wouldn’t appreciate caterpillar guts imbedded in the soles of their sneakers!

I’ve been eyeing up this arrangement for a while. It’s “Nature’s Arrangement”.

Before the clouds rolled in tonight for expected storms, I was breathless when I saw a new visitor at my house. I saw Chipping Sparrows on campus last week but I never saw them in one of my trees! I thought I heard a familiar song… If these tiny little birds had cheeks, I’d want to pinch them. I think they are the cutest sparrow on Earth.

Many times over the years I said that if I didn't have a full-time job, I'd be bored and would spend too much money in my spare time. Now I know it isn't true.

Chloe watches TV. She’s gained interest in TV in the past few months. Shows like COPS and commercials really intrigue her. Last night she enjoyed American Idol for a while. Does anyone else have a dog or cat that watches TV?

Bella has no interest in television. Her main interest is putting her mouth around something edible and her waistline confirms it.

The rain and cold will return tonight. This sunset is chilling, I think.
All around the world we have different views from our front porch but we all share the brightest star in the universe.

Sherry at Q’s Corner has a way with the camera that is so beautiful. For some smiles and wonderful photos, scroll down to “Mating Doves” she posted on April 15. Enjoy her bees and butterflies, too!

Hit and Miss

The stormy weather moved out and the winds calmed enough to take a nice walk at noon. The sky was a clear blue canvass and the rain-soaked ground smelled of fresh dirt with a floral hint. The pine trees swayed in the light breeze. Ahhh, the smell of fresh, moist pine.

It was a refreshing, heavenly walk around the track that circles the playing field and park and I could have walked all afternoon. That is…until…the people came. All in about ten minutes, two school bus loads of kids arrived at the park. On the trail, one soccer ball dribbler, three walkers, and three joggers were whizzing past me and scaring the birds away. I couldn’t help but glare at these people after their backs were facing me. A recreational park employee started weed-whacking under the spectator bleachers. I wondered, “Is this a JOKE directed towards me?”

Feeling desperate for a few photos, I zoomed in on a black trash bag I thought was a crow and a leaf on the grass that had a little wind under it. Drats!

I did see a lifer, though. Somebody up there likes me and offered me a view of a Brown Headed Nuthatch! A swirling little bird that's in and out of sight in a flash.

Another type of lizard was sunbathing at the bottom of the downspout on my driveway. Heck, I don't know much about lizards except that I love them for their patience and cooperative spirit in front of the camera. My opinion might be unpopular, but I think they're very cute!

“Well, hello there. Move in a little closer. I promise not to blink.”

I poured some bottled water into the splash block and he loved it! "Thank you, ma'am!"

It was time for him to find some dinner. My neighbors can watch me through their bedroom window as I lay across the concrete driveway. I guess by now nothing surprises them...

For almost a week, I’ve been concerned about the nest of house finches on my front porch since I hadn’t seen Mother near the nest for several days and she stopped resting there at night. I was certain the babies died although I saw more sacs of poop surrounding the edge of the nest. I learned that house finches don’t clean up the mess. Before I went to fetch a step ladder to check on them, I peeked at the nest through the window and thought I saw a little scrawny head looking out.

There are two! I climbed onto the bench and took their picture. These babies didn’t flinch or move. They are very quiet and sort of lifeless so I hope they are thriving. Standing on the bench with the camera around my neck, I spoke softly to them, “You know, little babies, I think your Mother is a whacky, unattentive lady and not very good at housekeeping, either. But she must be doing something right.” I am still concerned as I saw a house sparrow at the feeder this afternoon. A month ago, I saw one and it didn’t return until today. My reaction was to throw a hula hoop against the fence to scare it off. And I did.

There are times of despair and there are times that despair turns into a smile at the sight of very small, precious life.

Blue Day Here and Around the Country

On my drive home from work I heard of the horrific tragedy that struck Virginia Tech this morning. As I write this, hundreds of parents and families are dying a slow death and scrambling to learn of the welfare of their loved one. They are on the road and booking flights across the nation. I can hardly imagine the fear and trembling they are feeling right now.

Images of the numerous students I know personally who attended Virginia Tech rushed through my mind and the only consolation I have is knowing that they have graduated from the college and are safe from a crazed shooter who has killed thirty-three thus far and injured as many ~ the worst killing spree in U.S. history.

I am sick and grief-stricken. Few details are known and I’m still processing, in my mind, this awful crime. My anger can’t be suppressed right now.

In 1999, the deadly massacre at Columbine High School shook the nation. The high school in which I worked, and where my daughter attended that same year, took immediate steps in developing a crisis management plan. Safety lock-down doors were installed but the main entrance was open with a sign that read, “All Visitors Must Register at the Main Office”. No help there.

For a few years, until 2005, I worked in a State office building for the Delaware Department of Education. All four entrances to that building were open to the public during working hours. At one of those entrances, my cubicle was the first stop for the general public and on a daily basis, the scum of the streets would enter the building and approach me to ask for directions to the nearest restroom. It was my restroom they wanted to visit, so I had a hard heart and directed them back onto the streets. Were they disease ridden? Were they packing a revolver? I put that thought out of my mind and took my chances on receiving a possible conflict.

There are grave failures happening in our society. Is the media responsible for the sensationalism attached to violent crimes that triggers repeated scenarios in the minds of potential killers? Will gun control laws inhibit these crimes? Or, do “family values” fall short in raising respectful citizens? It’s so complex and miserable.

Let’s face it. We are all sitting ducks. That’s why we should tell our loved ones, as often as possible, just how much we cherish them. A simple, “I Love You” will do at least once a day.

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The weather is wild. In my area, sustained winds are at 30 mph, with 50+ mph gusts (70+ mph in the mountains, not far from us). There has been terrible damage in the surrounding areas. This is the first time my feeders flew off the station.

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It hasn’t been a good day but it’s my birthday and I’d like to end this morose post with something a little light-hearted.

I’ve been admiring the childhood photos of blogger friends I’ve seen in recent posts. After looking for a few of my own, I realize that I don’t have many childhood photos that my parents kept. I’ll find them on my next trip to Maryland! There is one color photo that my Mother had taken of me, around a year of age, sitting near a stream of water and I was examining a tall weed next to it. I can't find that photo! I didn’t walk until I was about 16 months old, I think, because I was the observant type and was content to sit and contemplate pools of water and grass. I haven’t changed much! (Gee, I wish my scanner would work. I've been technology challenged lately...)

I guess it was me who found an ink pen and marked myself up.

Around the age of three, just inside the Baltimore City limits. Rowhomes were new. Never one for wearing dresses, I smelled like dirt most of the time. Yes, I haven’t changed too much!

Wild Weekend

The sunset on Friday looked like a warning. The storms didn’t arrive until Saturday night and dumped two inches of rain while we slept. That’s the way I like it. We need the rain but I’m glad I didn’t get blown away during all of my running around over the weekend. Gina and I went to the most beautiful bridal shower and the two days flew by. I did manage to schedule time for an hour nap each day. It was heavenly! Naps should be a requirement for healthy living.

Bella took a ride to the vet for a manicure. She’s the only dog I’ve owned that sits in the passenger seat quietly without standing at the window and watching the world go by. I encourage her to enjoy the scenery and savor the smells of fast food wafting through the air. No. She keeps her eye on me and the floor of the car. Sweet thang…

What a sissy man-dog. Mr. Biggins loves to visit and I don’t know why. My two girls play mind games with him and his treatment here is quite pathetic from a guy’s point of view. They tease him with toys and rip them away before he knows what happened. He just loves the females, no matter what!

Chloe is missing from this post. I’ll be sure to include my lovely old girl next time (as if she knows it…). Sorry, Chloe!

Gina and Billy bought a house and will go to settlement early June! One of the highlights in my lifetime was buying “our first house”. As to be expected, they are feeling overwhelmed and scared but they are very excited at the same time. I wonder how many hours they've spent in the home stores and furniture stores, dreaming of what they will do to make this house into their first home and castle.

I met them at the house this morning with their agent while they took window measurements and signed the final contract. Gina contracted ME to help do a thorough cleaning and put some paint on the walls before they move in. Billy and Michael will take care of the garage stuff, fence, and lighting things… I’m anxious to help them with some landscaping and…perhaps…a bird feeder station as her first housewarming gift. She said, “Mom! No feeders! I need blinds on the bathroom and bedroom windows first!” I understand that, but how can they resist seeing this from their kitchen window?

Or how about this view of an overweight Mourning Dove and a Red Winged Blackbird sucking the feeders dry? Ugh.

She’s getting a feeder from me and she’ll like it. My rule.

This morning the weather seemed calm and warm despite heavy storm clouds passing through. Later in the afternoon, the temperature dropped twenty-five degrees in one hour and we were pelted with heavy rain, wind, and hail. Very strange.

All Dried Up

It’s April 13th and snow storms are still raging in the northern part of the country. Winter arrived late and is refusing to leave on schedule. Should I complain about the recent freeze that sucked the life out of the bright green leaves on the Crepe Myrtles? No, I shouldn’t. But I haven’t seen so many trees and plants take such a beating in mid-April.

I walked the campus today, thinking of a possible site for the Wildlife Habitat I’m organizing with the college. A naturalist employed by the State of NC will be meeting with me and a small group of campus employees for a tour of the grounds to determine a few good sites for our project.

There is something about new, bright green, moist leaves in early Spring that shakes me up. There is a lot of life around. It’s been put on hold, that’s all.

Of the six campuses, we are the only campus without a water supply. There is a creek bed behind the buildings that is swamp-like and dries up completely during summer months. To gain certification for a Wildlife Habitat, we need water! The small amount of money we've been granted won’t even cover a truckload or two of mulch, so installing a water feature is out of the question unless we rely on community partners/donations.

The Japanese Willow on my pond survived the freeze very well! Ahhhh… It’s a young tree and is quite beautiful!

I took the afternoon off and went to buy some sunflower seed and stopped at Target to buy stuff to wrap gifts for a bridal shower Gina and I are attending tomorrow. The cold rain is gone so I wiped the feeder ledges clean and enjoyed the sunshine but my wedding anniversary post from last night kept haunting me.

Why does Old Man Winter do this? Was that me in those photos? How can that be me when I see myself in the mirror now? (really profound, huh?) The thought behind that post and choosing those photos invoked some emotions that I didn’t think I had. I’ve never fretted over aging and always accepted the inevitable. Now I’m heartsick, missing that young girl I once was and a few times today I was on the verge of tears.

What saddens me more is that I regret being so critical of myself and insecure at that young age and for many years after. Why didn’t I enjoy the youthful beauty I owned? A harder question to answer: Why don’t I just accept my age, shut up about it, and take better care of myself? I always embraced a phrase I heard before, “A woman is like a bottle of wine, aging better over time.” Well, that’s a crock. I miss having one chin and resilient skin. My eyelids are beginning to rest on my eyelashes, the lines on my face are beginning to look like a road map, and my waistline disappeared years ago.

If someone tells me I’m silly and that I don’t look like a dried up hag, I won’t buy it. I know what I need to do to reverse aging and it doesn’t happen at the cosmetic counter, either (but it helps…). I have work to do to reverse some damaged I’ve unintentionally done to myself.

When I’m down and want to be alone, there are two little angels by my side that are always providing reasons to smile. They’re interested in bunny poop in this photo. Can you guess which butt belongs to whom?

We switched from rolling real golf balls in the house to throwing small Air Dogs that squeak! I can't figure why Bella looks taller than Chloe in this photo...hmmm. She's much wider than Chloe but a bit shorter.

A little while ago, I fed the pond fish and three Chickadees landed around the feeders. Did I have my camera? No. I shouldn’t curse under my breath to birds I love so much…

I feel so much better now.

A Kiss for Luck and We're On Our Way...

Through laughter, joy, grief, and tears, we made it.

Through harmony and discontent, we made it.

Through dreams that came true and those that were shattered, we made it.

Through thirty-two years of living as one, we made it.

Through compromise, we made it.

Through a love that has evolved to a deeper one, we have become true friends and companions. We made it.

On April 12, 1975, we were so young and I couldn’t even imagine what my life would be like thirty-two years later. I don’t even think I thought about it. Today, here we are, still together, and I wonder, when I look back at a flash of memories, where did the time go?

Does anyone remember 6-inch clogs, polyester Leisure Suits, fat ties, and sideburns?

For some of us, a successful marriage is a work in progress. An on-going effort in remembering to have compassion and a little selfless caring will get you there.

It’s been a wild ride and we’re still hanging on!

Wahoooooo!

Birds: What makes them tick? (second try at posting)

Please take some No-Doze before you start reading or have a cup of coffee, at least. (This is the post that crashed on Tuesday night…sigh...maybe because it's dreadfully long.) Regarding the photos below, I've already used my "best" bird photos in other posts. These are just second or third best and I'm OK with it.

TIME. It’s so important to allow some time every day to enjoy things you love. Today I only took two photos because time wasn’t on my agenda. How could I have botched it up? Silly me… Since the weekend, I took many photos but didn’t schedule time to view them until this evening. I really don’t have the time to be sitting here tonight but I’m putting off some things so I can post here.

I’ve been thinking about this passion I have for birds. For years, I’ve been digging out blizzard-deep snow to fill the feeders and slosh around in heavy rain in the same pursuit. It seems I’ve become fond of something of which I know very little. Should I read more? Yes. Do I make time to read more about the birds? No. So, I just take in the view. And watch. Today I’m commenting on my observations of some birds that have visited me recently. Some of them are new here and others are constant houseguests.

Starlings have been visiting because they’ve discovered the suet and they love a riot. Hmmmph! I call my dogs when I see them. I am seeing that as the seasons change, birds change accordingly.

I listen for birdsong when I take a short walk around campus in the middle of the day. For the past month, I’ve been wondering where the bird is with the huge lungs. A constant, loud call made me scan treetops with no luck in spotting this unusual bird. Until…last Friday I made the connection and what a surprise it was! The sweet chirps I heard all winter long have changed into a boisterous chain of musical notes from a male Cardinal. I saw its throat bulging while he cranked up the volume. I felt so uneducated when I discovered this bird dwells twenty-five feet from my bedroom window.

It would be a terrible shame not to acknowledge the beauty of a female Cardinal. They’re just plain gorgeous!

This afternoon I saw a little glimpse two tiny beaks in the House Finch nest on my front porch! I thought they might be hatching since the female has been sitting higher in her nest for a few days. But where has the mother been since I got home from work a few hours ago?

Out socializing with her Sugar Daddy! I caught her! What about those babies with enough strength to look for food?

The finches residing in this nest are disappointing to me. A pair of Barn Swallows worked their little tail feathers off to build that sturdy nest last summer. They worked together for several weeks until the fledglings took their first flight. I admired their devotion to each other and their family as they completed an exhausting job. How do these relationships form between two birds? I think humans fail at relationships at a faster rate than two small swallows! Two weeks ago, the finches moved in. When they leave the nest, I’ll clean it out and hope the swallows return. The swallows were a pleasure to live with and they knew me well.

Speaking of love and devotion. Here are two soul mates. They perched and preened together on the same branch for almost an hour last night. Reciting poetry together, perhaps?

Speaking of TRUE love and devotion. Bluebirds include exude romance. I could go on with more but...enough said, ey?

No story here. I just like the photo.

A Brown Thrasher has been visiting. It’s always alone but mixes well with the others who are foraging around. It reminds me of a Towhee “thrashing” with loads of energy. It pounds its beak in the brush like a miniature jackhammer. Do birds get headaches?

I can watch birds for hours. Those hours are broken up in small increments, though. Feed fish – watch birds. Play with dogs – watch birds. Throw dinner in the oven – watch birds for five minutes. Throw a load of laundry in the tub – watch birds for five minutes. Oh, I need a part-time job!!!

When you look up “bravery”, “egotism”, or “camera hog” in Merriam Webster’s dictionary, you should see an illustration of a Mockingbird. I saw two or three Mockers attack and chase a Fish Crow out of my yard and did it successfully. I’m learning to respect them despite their early morning wake-up calls. They dare me to get closer when I have a camera around my neck and it makes me laugh!

Birds of a feather flock together but unlike humans, they’re able to peacefully gather at the same table for a meal despite the number of species present, i.e. ethnic origins or races. Oh, they do squabble! I don’t think they hold grudges, though.

It took one Common Grackle to visit. Then he spread the word to his first, second, and third cousins, plus all of his other distant relatives to visit the suet. Large flocks of these seemingly starving birds arrive and the suet flies like over-popped popcorn all over the stove. I call my dogs out to play in the yard. Enough, already!

Grackles remind me of some managers and directors I’ve worked with in the past…

They have been away on a business trip for a while.
They fly into town and arrive at the office screaming, shouting, and pissing everyone off.
After raiding the office and pooping all over the place, they fly out again on another business trip.
We all think, “good riddance"!

My lovely little favorites weren’t featured in this post. I would only want to show wonderful photos of Chickadees and Titmice. Check out Jayne’s blog for great photos of birds. Her sidebar includes these two eye pleasers.

I don’t know if any of this will make sense to others but I know what I’m learning. Every day.