Category: Musings

Winter Birding

I mentioned previously about taking a sparrow class in an attempt to demystify some of the little brown birds that all seem to look alike. Our instructor, Dr. Birdie, has great knowledge about these members of the bird world and did a great job of imparting his knowledge to us. We would meet Wednesday nights  to discuss and view different sparrows common to the Austin area, learning their markings, differences,  and preferred habitats and haunts. The field notes provided were used by me to sketch and paint the different birds in my attempt to help my brain remember some of those characteristics.

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On Saturdays, we had our field trips to different popular birding areas in the Austin area to try to actually locate and get up close and personal with some of the birds we studied. Some of the ones we were chasing were obvious…black throated sparrow, rufous crowned sparrow but others are so similar that I am still having difficulty determining the accuracy of my sightings without Dr. Birdie there to help guide me through the identification process.

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Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Small birds move quickly, darting in and out throughout grasses, bushes and shrubs. This rapid movement makes it challenging for my identification skills. We trudged our way through waist-high grasses and tried to surround one La Conte Sparrow for at least 30 minutes. In the end the sparrow won, flying easily away each time we though we had cornered him leaving behind some very tired and frustrated bird searchers. Did I see the bird…yes. Could I identify him again if he sat still long enough for me to study his markings…perhaps. The only thing I “caught” for sure on that particular day were some chiggers.

I have learned over the past few years that improving my bird identification skills is a long-range process. And slowly but surely, I am getting better. But at the rate I am progressing, I will probably expire before I become a super expert. That really doesn’t bother me though because I still get excited with each bird I see, my eyes constantly scanning my surroundings just in case something new and different or old, tried and true appears within my scope of vision. You see, it is the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the sighting and the satisfaction of making the identification that bring an immeasurable amount of  joy into my life.

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Debris on the banks of Lake Somerville

Happy winter bird searching!

 

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Новый образ жизни-A New Way of Life

So, I am attempting to adjust to a new America and I am equating it to taking my medicine. I don’t particularly like it, but it is a necessary evil. Like medicine, I can only manage it if the dose is  small. To that end, I am trying to force myself to watch at least 15 minutes each day of Fox (Fantasy) News in an attempt to gain insight into the Orwellian alternative world of alternative facts. I think that this may be beneficial to me in maintaining my sanity and retaining my grip on reality and true facts.

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I have also decided to increase my alcohol content each day with a shot of vodka. I think that in the near future imbibing in the national drink of Russia may help me to blend into the new America/Russia alliance. If nothing else, it will ease the pain of the birthing process of our combined nationalism and assimilation.

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And thirdly, I also think that a handy survival skill will be knowing how to speak Russian. So to that end, I have begun to learn a new Russian phrase each week, a phrase that may help me survive in the new world. Is it easy? Het! (See I have already begun!)

Bozhe, khrani ameriku

I still remain hopeful, that saner minds will put country before party and remove someone who has demonstrated that he is incapable of leading our country and keeping us safe. One has only to listen or read the entire transcript of his latest “press conference” to see  clear irrefutable  evidence of his illiteracy and incompetence. Heil President tRump…I mean Bannon….oops Putin. So confusing right now! I think I need more vodka!!!

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Torn, battered, but still waving!

 

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What is Your Tipping Point?

 

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When is it enough? When will Trump supporters say this is too much? When will they realize that their rights as citizens are being violated and slowly but surely eroded? When will they recognize that their world is changing in ways they may not like.

Will it be :

  • When the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines are built across sacred tribal Native American land?
  • When he bans immigrants from Middle East countries but conveniently exempts those nations where Trump has financial interests?
  • When the VA is banned from hiring needed personnel to fix its problems?
  • When our National Parks are ravaged for corporate profit?
  • When all media access is lost? Our internet controlled?
  • When a gag order is placed on scientists who give us information on global warning?
  • When the Arts are defunded and Big Bird is dead?
  • When the President builds his own wealth by violating the Constitution?
  • When the largest source of women’s health care is defunded?
  • When women are dying from coat hanger abortions?
  • When the cost of a basic automobile is far out of reach for the average person?
  • When the EPA is silenced?
  • When real data and statistical proof of global warming disappears?
  • When alternative facts, AKA lies, are accepted as the truth?
  • When your right to vote is suppressed?
  • When your right to protest is gone?
  • When you lose your Medicare benefits?
  • When you are told that you have a pre-existing condition and it is not covered by insurance?
  • When the cancer drug you need to save your life is not covered by your insurance or you lose your home to pay for your life saving medications?
  • When they see a video that offends them?
  • When they hear words that offend them?
  • When your religion is attacked?
  • When your parents are deported or put into internment camps?
  • When you see your parent lose Medicare benefits?
  • When clean air and clean water are no longer a priority?
  • When your tax dollars go to pay for the “wall”?
  • When Meals on Wheels is eliminated for Seniors?
  • When evidence is produced that proves are government has been infiltrated by Russian sympathizers?
  • When it affects you?

Warning Bells are Loudly Clanging. Are Trump supporters listening yet?

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To the People I Love

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I have been having a hard time with the political firestorm, so basically feel like it is best to get my feelings and thoughts out. It breaks my heart to hear people I love rationalize what Donald Trump stands for and normalizing or making excuses for his abusive words and actions. I also think that telling me or others to “just get over it” or “it’s time to move on” is harmful to a relationship. Just as each of us must grieve a loss in our own time frame, please recognize that all of the people who didn’t vote for Trump (Democrats, Independents and many Republicans) are grieving what we see as the death of democracy as we know it. 

I love you all soooo much and care deeply for many people in my life who made the choice to select Trump as their President. I never once thought any of you were “deplorables” and truly believe that you voted for the person you believed would be best for our nation. I know you have seen my many posts and the fact that I still cannot accept him as “My President” and probably never will. I now feel like there is a wall between us because I can’t understand supporting this man. This is not like me at all. This is the first time in my life that I have felt so negatively about the winner of our Presidential race. And my chosen candidates have lost in the past. This is the first time in my life that I have feared for America and the democracy it represents to the world. This is the first time in my life that I find myself banging against a wall that looms between me and people I love. After the election I had hopes that he would become more presidential, but as each day passes, I am more alarmed at his unpresidential behavior. I am having great difficulty understanding how people I love see him as a great leader, the answer to all of our problems. To me, he is uneducated, inarticulate, has a scattered unfocused thought process and seems to be only interested in his own self rather than stepping up to the plate to be President for over 300 million Americans. Many of us did not vote for him and I have seen no movement on his part to try to allay our fears about his inability to govern in a responsible way, no reaching out across our nation to reassure his non-supporters that it will be okay. So just as you believed he would be the best choice, I believe that he is absolutely the worst person to lead our nation.

As I watch the Republican Congress make moves to dismantle health care for over 20 million people, one of which is my granddaughter who was born with a pre-existing condition, I am appalled that they think this is the right thing to do. And now I have two pre-existing conditions as well. They have had six years to come up with a better plan and for six years have presented no viable alternative.  I think all of us agree that the ACA is not perfect, but fix it! Or replace it simultaneously with a plan that doesn’t strip the rights of 20 million Americans  to health care. Please follow this link to read about how people with employer covered insurance will also be affected by its repeal.  http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2017/01/11/get-health-insurance-through-your-employer-aca-repeal-will-affect-you-too/    

His refusal to take daily intelligence briefings while President elect, his attack of the intelligence agencies in our country, his lack of veracity makes me fear for the safety of our nation. I pray daily that he will not start a nuclear war. 

Paul Ryan has had an agenda for years to privatize Medicare and Social Security. He is quite determined to do this. Repealing ACA DOES affect Medicare benefits as well. Cancer and diabetes screenings gone. Recommended preventive services without cost sharing through employers will be gone…so mammograms, flu shots, etc. I am pleading with you and others to please investigate and study ALL of the issues.

Pence is hell bound to get rid of Planned Parenthood and believes that we can use conversion therapy to “cure” being gay. Planned Parenthood cannot by law use federal funds for abortions and abortions are only a very small part of services offered through this organization. They provide mammograms, pap smears, pre-natal care, birth control options and many other preventive health care services for millions of low-income women. I don’t want us to go back to back alley abortions with coat hangers. Real people are affected by this. I also feel strongly that no man or governing entity should have the right to make decisions about my body. I have spent many years in maternal health care and never participated in any abortion procedures because personally I am Pro-Life. But, I will fiercely defend anyone else’s right to make that choice. I have NO right to dictate to someone else what they feel they must do. Their body, their life. That makes me Pro-Choice.  I also wonder why it matters so much to other humans that everyone needs to be the same? Diversity is what has made this nation great. Isn’t it enough to just take care of your own life?

My bottom line though is that I think he is a despicable human being, a homophobic, xenophobic, racist, narcissistic lying sexual predator who wants only to increase his own wealth on the backs of hard-working American citizens. I can’t erase the image of him mocking a handicapped journalist nor can I erase hearing the words he uttered while boasting of being a sexual predator. If he truly cared about being “presidential” and wanted to alleviate the fears that he has sown throughout the past 1.5 years, then release his tax returns, put his holdings into a true blind trust. At least make an effort to show me and millions of Americans that he is worthy of the job. I also ask Trump supporters this question….If any other Republican or Democrat running for the office of the Presidency did just half of the things Donald Trump did and said, would those who so fiercely support him, have given them a pass as well on any of the above outrageous words and actions? 

Sorry, but I have to go dark. I just cannot assimilate how to resolve the emotions within me. I am desperately trying to figure out how I can dismantle the wall that I feel exists between me and the people I love whose beliefs are so far from my own. I absolutely recognize that resolving this crisis in my life is definitively my problem. I am hopeful that I will be able to shatter that wall, but not sure how long that might take.  And Trump could facilitate this process if he would begin to adhere to his campaign promises of “not touching Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security” or giving us “healthcare for all” which should be a right for every citizen, not an option based on personal wealth. Sadly though, all I am seeing so far is implementation of executive orders allowing our environment to be raped for oil profits, anti-abortion acts being reinstated, and tax cuts for the wealthy.

Above all, I am an American. I love my country. Above all, I am a patriot, not a Democrat, Republican or Independent. As a patriot, I am doing what I believe in my heart is the right thing to do….Resist any attempt to normalize unacceptable behavior, resist any attempt to ignore the Constitution, resist any attempt to stifle freedom of speech, resist racism, resist homophobia, resist misogyny and xenophobia, resist any and all things that threaten the freedoms that so many have shed blood to protect and defend.

Millions of Americans are grieving right now. I think Lady Liberty is grieving as well.

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Bird Bullies

Some birds are just hard to love. One of those is the Mockingbird, the State Bird of Texas. They are quite versatile, easily identifiable, readily located and as their name implies, they are very capable of mocking or imitating other bird calls. They sing, sing, sing during the day and sometimes even during the nighttime hours. Mockingbirds are territorial and they will aggressively dive bomb humans, cats, dogs or just about anything and anyone to protect their territory. Some might call them the bullies of the neighborhood.

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Mockingbird

Remind you of anyone? The Donald has spent the past 18 months or so, imitating others, generally being a bully, name calling and tweeting out falsehoods in his attempt to aggressively conquer a large field of Republican aggressors who were also vying for the coveted Presidential nomination. He apparently spends a large portion of his time tweeting during the wee hours of the morning much as the male Mockingbird might sing during the night. Mockingbirds seemingly are more prone to sing during the night when the moon is full. Might be an interesting scientific experiment to document if his early AM tweets correspond with the full moon cycle.

Another garbage bird is a goose. Aggressive, unruly at times and they usually leave a tremendous mess in their wake. They honk and make loud noises about nothing. Some people find them annoying and others are actually afraid of them. The Donald is similar to the gabby goose. He spouts words with very little thought, if any, to the consequences of

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Canada Goose

those words. He attacks when he feels threatened even if no threat exists. America’s goose may be cooked if the Donald doesn’t start taking his responsibilities more seriously  as leader of the most powerful nation on our planet.

I keep waiting for my world to normalize. I read about other’s concerns and worries regarding the future of our nation and of democracy itself. As I have mentioned before, I sincerely hope that for the good of all Americans, I am terribly wrong. But….so far his choices for cabinet positions and his inability to “act” presidential are not instilling any confidence into my world. I worry for the future of my grandsons and granddaughters…will they be drawn into another senseless war? Will our planet be destroyed by the greed for monetary wealth from climate change deniers? Will public education continue to be available to all? Will freedom of the press continue or will our nation begin to disintegrate as our freedoms are stripped from us one by one. Will America continue to be the free nation envisioned by our forefathers? Bottom line….I cannot find it in my heart to accept a sexual predator, as my President. My flag, my country, but Never My President!

Hoping your world is peaceful and free from the bullies of the world.img_1353

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Balmy to Arctic Blast

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Great Blue Heron

I decided to make a quick trip to Burton yesterday to play Santa and deliver Christmas and birthday presents to my sister.  As with most people at this time of the year, time is short and tasks to be done are many. But the visit also enabled me and my sister to take a quick drive to Lake Somerville to check out any birds that may have preceded the arriving winter blast. And as anticipated, we enjoyed a large pod of American White Pelicans. All the old regulars were present of course…Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, a plethora of Killdeer, the ever-present black vultures and American coots. A short time shared with my sister enjoying the beauty of hundreds of American White Pelicans as they rested on the shores of a choppy lake prior to the blast of arctic air that blew through late last night.

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A Pod of American White Pelicans

 

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Burton Ernie

We left the lake and the 80 degree temperatures and returned to her home where Burton Ernie was strutting about keeping my nephew company as he covered tender plants to protect them from the arriving freeze. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at our favorite Mexican restaurant before settling in for a quiet evening of camaraderie. As we visited, her warm snug house was blasted by the arriving storm. Within minutes the temperature plunged and winter had finally arrived to our small part of the world.

 

 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and wishing everyone Happy Bird Searching!!!

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Con Artists of the Bird World

Con artists have permeated the world probably since the beginning of time. What is a con artist? How is a con artist defined in the dictionary? Con artist – a person who cheats or tricks others by persuading them to believe something that is not true. Or another definition…a person adept at lying, cajolery, or glib self-serving talk. Or another….a person adept at swindling by means of confidence games, a swindler. All of these definitions from dictionary.com describe people who use others for their own gain. But humans don’t have a lock on con artistry. In the bird world, con artists exist as well.

One of those bird con artists is the Shrike Tanager. A group of shrikes is known as a “watch” or “abattoir”. One bird in the “watch” of shrikes is supposed to be a “watchman” of sorts for the entire collective “watch”. So they trust their safety to one in the “watch”. If a predator approaches, the watchbird is supposed to sound the alarm so all the other shrikes can flee to safety. But sometimes the “watch” bird for the group of shrikes falsely sounds the alarm with the predictable result of a general exodus of the other shrikes leaving behind a plethora of food for the “watch” shrike to steal.white-throated-shrike-tanager-10

Our President Elect is supposed to be the watchman for all of America. All of America includes people of different color, different religions, different walks of life. All share one large common denominator…we are Americans. We live here, work here, play here and enjoy all the freedoms afforded to us by our Constitution. A Constitution that has been challenged and defended for hundreds of years by the willingness of journalists, protest marchers and military personnel who fought and many times succumbed, making the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives, so the American democracy, our privileged way of life so heavily endowed with freedoms, can endure.

Freedom isn’t free. It must be paid for. The price all too often requires a sacrifice….writing letters, protests, calling legislators, defending against social injustice and sometimes loss of life. It is hard work, this job of defending freedom, defending our Constitution, defending democracy. It is challenging, time-consuming and exhausting. Just like a chronic or acute disease, it must be vigorously fought on a daily basis to win the battle. Our democracy has stood the test of time because of the willingness of citizens to make sacrifices to “preserve, honor and defend” not only from exogenous aggressors but also endogenous ones.

To sound false alarms about different ethnic groups or religious groups, to perpetuate lies and untruths, to demean the freedom of the press or protesters right to protest, is to undermine our Constitution and America’s promise for millions of Americans. Just like the shrike who distracts and falsely sounds the alarm, our President-elect tosses falsehoods to distract Americans from perhaps his true purpose…to undermine our democracy and establish an autocracy. He appears to want all for himself but at the expense of others and like the “watcher” shrike he will grow fat on the lives of hardworking Americans who just want to enjoy all of America’s promise, the American dream.

Another bird that is a con artist is the cuckoo. Cold hearted and ruthless, they frequently usurp the nests of other birds, lay their own eggs and then leave their progeny behind to be raised by the surrogates who worked hard and built the nest stick, by twig, by leaf. They are the “users” of the bird world.cuckoo-bird-sitting-on-wood

Our President elect has a history of being a user like the cuckoo. He borrows money to build, hires workers to do the job and then abandons them without compensation for their work. All the while he is moving forward on projects to further his self-worth and aggrandisement. Like the cuckoo, he is a swindler, refusing to pay for goods received, spending his life short-changing the other hardworking Americans and leaving in his wake a mess for others to clean up.

Con artists are the “takers” in our world. In the bird world, little damage is done by these tricksters. But in our America, in our world on this planet called Earth, the cost might be catastrophic. Only time will tell if our cuckoo bird manages to destroy us or will rise up from the ashes of his incompetent, racist, misogynist, xenophobic narcissistic self like the mythical Phoenix and actually step up to the plate and begin to think and act as the office of the President of the United States demands.

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What is Your Job?

I am a nurse. I sometimes think I was born a nurse. Of course that is silly, but always within my heart, I have felt empathy for people who may be hurting, embarrassed, or simply disadvantaged.  I guess I was destined to take that career path. So as an adult, I immersed myself into studying for just that purpose.

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I began my nursing journey after a serious life threatening illness. The two private duty nurses that oversaw my care during my recovery, inspired me to go back to school and acquire the skills and knowledge base that would launch me as a Registered Nurse. So, I was formally trained from books, had the pathophysiology pounded into my brain in college, and clinically overseen by my professors to make sure I learned the practical part of my nursing job without putting any of my patients in danger. Mistakes I could have made were never allowed to be life threatening and the burden of knowing that my decisions and actions might adversely affect a “real live” human being, weighed heavily on me. I took it seriously, always rethinking and prioritizing my choices, asking colleagues for their opinion and double checking to reassure myself that first I would do no harm. I didn’t want to be that “clear and present” danger to my patients. On any different work day I might have 3-8 patients under my care…each depending upon me to do the right thing, make the correct decision. And after almost 40 years of nursing, I look back and can be at peace because I held myself to that high standard and delivered the best care to my patients on a daily basis. They were and still are my highest priority.

Now imagine if the fate of a nation and 300+ million humans depended on the balance of your knowledge and decision-making skills. Scary, right? This is our President-elect right now. And so far, I am frightened, very frightened because he seems to have little interest in schooling himself in the very things that will protect us from danger. Refusing daily security briefings, exhibiting signs of seeking favors from foreign governments to enhance his own business profits, choosing people for jobs who have lurked on the fringes of society instead of making choices from a well-qualified, educated and experienced pool of candidates who might help him guide our nation through the daily chaos of world events. We should be afraid and cautious. For our very lives depend upon it, just as your life depends upon the physician making the correct diagnosis, or the surgeon making the right incision, or the nurse giving you the right pill or chemotherapy infusion. All very basic. Would you be concerned if this was going to directly affect your body? Absolutely. You may not be poor, or homosexual, or elderly or Muslim, or a person of color, but that does not mean that you can just turn a blind eye to what is happening to those around you. We are and should be our brother’s keeper. It is simply the right thing to do.

Anguish, pain, despair, fear! They all have a smell, a taste and it is sour! I’ve witnessed this in many patients throughout my years as a nurse. Today and everyday since November 8, 2016, our nation is screaming in pain, anguish, despair and fear. It is palpable. It is visible in the protests occurring in cities across our nation and the world. I am one small voice, one small cog in the wheel of our great nation. It is my job as a nurse to try to sooth the pain, calm the fear and replace despair and anguish with hope.

What is your job?

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An Ordinary Day

As I was driving to work this morning I found myself thinking about the everyday minutia that comprises are lives…commuting to work, grocery shopping, putting gas into our car, cooking meals and actions as mundane as brushing our teeth.

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Killdeer

On workdays, I always set my alarm for approximately 2.5 hours prior to my “I need to leave for work now” time. I enjoy drinking a couple of cups of coffee, reading the newspaper and generally easing into my work day. Driving to work there is always the possibility of seeing a Great Blue Heron flying over the freeway or a Red Tailed Hawk perched on one of the freeway lights. And of course, the whole world abounds with rock pigeons, white wing doves and the ever-present grackles. At work we have many house sparrows flitting in and out of the trees around our building. Last Spring I heard a bird calling in distress and opened the door to investigate. I spotted a killdeer frantically trying to encourage her two babies back into the grassy area. Her chicks were so very tiny yet totally complete birds and they were running here and there completely unaware of the dangers that surrounded them. I cheered the parents on in their efforts to conjole their offspring, but I am sad to report that they were unsuccessful with at least one of them. These chicks were so small (very mobile, but tiny!) and as I watched,  a car passed directly over one of them. The car’s tires didn’t crush him, but the air draft from the car passing over him tossed the chick against the underside of the car and a tiny fragile life was instantly extinguished. I was devastated. I cried and cried, frustrated that I could do nothing to prevent it. Although I don’t know for sure the fate of the other chick, I prefer to believe that he successfully navigated back to the safety of his parents.

Driving home in the evening, I pass a football field complete with those extremely high lights necessary for illuminating a night-time game. On the platforms just under these lights, monk parrots build great colony nests and raise their young. I once spotted a hawk hanging out near them….great hunting ground for his dinner no doubt.

Once home, the birding from the balcony kicks in. With binoculars or my spotting scope I can watch the snowy or great egret or the Great Blue Heron as they fish for their last meal of the day before settling in to roost for the night. It is a peaceful sight.

Nothing really unusual about the day but since I started my birding adventure, my world has expanded greatly and my observation skills regarding my surroundings have grown exponentially. An ordinary day can be filled with extraordinary drama. I love the drama!

Happy bird searching in every ordinary day!!!

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From The Front Porch Looking Out

This past weekend I traveled to Burton Texas to spend some time with my sister and meet up with my friend Kathleen to explore the many wondrous objects being displayed for miles and miles as part of the Round Top/Warrenton Antique Festival. We scoured different booths at img_9009various locations for the past two days not really seeking anything in particular, but there always seems to be something that calls to me. I recently began rearranging a room in my home as an art studio and on this trip, baskets seemed to jump out and scream to be added to my studio as organizational tools for the wide array of art supplies that I have accumulated over the years on my artist journey.

Late afternoon we drag ourselves home to my sister’s house to review our purchases, share a meal and fall into an exhausted sleep in preparation for the next day when the scavenger hunt begins again.

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Burton Ernie

A frequent visitor to my sister’s home is a permanent “fowl” resident of Burton. Nicknamed Burton Ernie (a play off of Bert & Ernie I believe), he struts through yards looking for bugs and many times eats my sister’s kale, honks loudly scaring unsuspecting residents, and roosts on a neighbor’s shed roof each night leaving behind a predictable mess.

Early morning coffee on the “front porch looking out” gave me an exciting moment this visit. As soon as I stepped out of the front door onto the wooden porch, I caught a quick glimpse of a very large bird flitting around in a tree in the next door neighbor’s yard. It was very early, sunrise was breaking and there was Mr P.W. (AKA Pileated Woodpecker) out and about early looking for his breakfast. My binoculars brought him up close and personal and once again I was totally captivated by my favorite woodpecker. He flew across the street to another very large tree and off I went in pursuit, my robe flapping, binoculars bouncing and my camera on and ready to try to capture Mr. P.W.. He moved quickly from limb to limb and I had great difficulty trying to capture an image of him. But capture one I did. Not the best lighting and not the best photo I would have liked, but I managed to capture the moment….a moment I had been seeking for many, many months.img_8993

The birds were shy this weekend. Using the straggling leaves still clinging to limbs to hide and turning away from the camera shutter, Eastern Bluebirds, Cardinals, Black capped Chickadees, starlings, hummingbirds, red bellied woodpeckers and a squirrel busily collecting pecans to store for his winter’s stash, comprised a steady parade this morning from the “front porch looking out”.

My quest for the perfect Mr. P.W. photo-op will continue. But for this moment, I am at peace….

Happy bird searching!!!!!

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