Sorry for the rather uninspired title of this post!
Here I am nearly a month after my last post. I would like to say that I’ll be posting more frequently. I really would. I do have several photos I took on a recent trip, so I can do a sort of “What I Did on My Summer Vacation” post next. I also have several ideas percolating in my brain for future posts (and some pretty gnarly photos of mushrooms I’ve taken lately – you know how I love mushrooms). So yes, I will post again soon!
This post, however, is dedicated to “my” hummingbirds. Photos from my feeder here in Ohio and from outside my sister’s window in Connecticut.
You may know that only the adult male Ruby Throated Hummingbirds have a red throat patch. The juvenile males’ throat feathers don’t turn red until after their first winter. The adult and juvenile females tend to have either plain white feathers on their throats or some light gray streaking, and the juvenile males have heavier streaking. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether the above are adult females or juveniles (I tend to think most of them are juvenile males). Also, the adult male’s throat patch can look black if the feathers don’t catch the sun. In most of my photos of adult male hummingbirds, they look kind of like dark blobs. Next year it will be my goal to get some better photos of adult males!
It will have to be next year, because I think our hummingbirds have begun their migration south. I haven’t seen any birds at the feeder for the last two days or so. There may be stragglers, but I’m sure most of them have gone.
I promised you last weekend that I would be here this weekend, and here I am! Not sure what I’m about to write, but here goes…
The last several days have been full. We are in one of our quarterly busy times at work, and the load I have been given is pretty enormous. I thought I would have to put in some significant overtime (which I wasn’t really looking forward to but there are some pieces of clothing I could purchase guilt-free if I had a little overtime cash in the bank…) but it looks like that won’t be necessary. One of my teammates has stepped up to help me out – she has a full docket herself so isn’t able to do any super heavy lifting for me, but the amount that she has been able to offer has made a serious quality-of-life difference for me during this time, and I am eternally grateful to her.
In other work-related news, I was given the official word that my company wants me to continue to work from home until the end of September. They have actually asked me to temporarily move all of my things out of my cubicle until October because they have been in the enviable position of experiencing great growth during the pandemic and have hired so many new people that they will be expanding into additional office space in our building (which won’t be ready until October). I have mixed feelings about extending my work-from-home status, especially now that I am fully vaccinated. I have some dear colleagues that I miss so much. Still, I’m going to look at this time as a gift and appreciate all that it has to offer.
We had about 3-4 inches of snow last week. It was pretty crazy to wake up and see all that snow piled up on the hummingbird feeder – I’ll bet some of those early travelers are regretting their haste to move north – but I quickly knocked all the snow off just in case. The snow was gone by bedtime (replaced by another dusting the next day), but I still have no hummingbird sightings of my own to report. Soon (I keep telling myself)!
As you can see from my photos above, we have had some fox sightings lately. The little guy/gal cuts through our back yard regularly, sometimes carrying a small furry or feathered meal in his/her mouth. One of the “meals” looked very much like a baby rabbit, and I had to hum “The Circle of Life” to myself in order to stem the tears. 😉
I’m writing this missive from the couch of Sam’s apartment in Cincinnati. I drove down here yesterday in order to drive him to his second Covid shot, and I’ve stayed the night in order to do some serious mama-level-comforting in case he feels like crap today. The jury is still out on that, as he is still asleep. I might have to wake him up soon, because I’ve already cleaned his kitchen, taken out the trash, and tidied up his living room, haha. I do have to say that he keeps a very tidy apartment, which is amazing since he inherited slob genes from both myself and his dad. There must be a recessive trait at work here.
Well, gang, I think that’s all for now. You take care, and I’ll see you next weekend.
Yikes! It’s been four weeks since I’ve last written here. At the beginning of the year I promised myself I would write in my blog at least once a week – it was part of my one word theme for 2021 – “Tend.” The idea was to tend to all of the things that are important to me – family, friends, my health, my photography, my writing. Aye-yi-yi. I’ll spare you any excuses and just say I’m brushing myself off and getting right back on the wagon.
Although I’ve been absent from my blog, it’s been a fruitful four weeks for me . I’ve done a lot of reading – some favorites have been The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (gentle and lovely) and the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch (magical cops and river gods – super fun).
I’ve been faithful to my yoga. I’m up every morning practicing with Adriene, of “Yoga with Adriene” fame (here’s her YouTube channel). I’m definitely noticing a difference in my strength, balance, and general physical confidence after practicing daily for three and a half months now. In recent years I’ve found myself getting more tentative physically, and I don’t like it. Last summer Sam and I walked on a massive rock wall along the seashore, and I hated the feeling of fragility I experienced as I picked my way along the wall. “Don’t fall and break your hip, for goodness sake,” some new inner voice warned. Ugh. Yoga is giving me the physical tools to be able to reply to that voice, “Yes, I’ll be careful – but I’ve got this. Don’t worry.”
Spring is most definitely here (although we continue to have some chilly days – this morning was 32 degrees as I worked in the garden). I haven’t gotten down to my park at the end of the street basically since my last blog post, but I’ve been out walking the neighborhood with Chris a couple of times a day, and I’ve of course been observing the birds in our back yard every day. Robins are everywhere, bob-bob-bobbing-along, and I’ve noticed several nesting pairs of various bird species gathering nesting materials.
Soon it will be hummingbird time! I’ve been following the spring migration through this website, which collects hummingbird sightings from ordinary hummingbird-lovers like me. I put the feeder out last week, as there have been a few ruby-throated hummingbird sightings in Ohio since early April. So far I haven’t had any visitors that I’ve noticed, but it’s only a matter of time.
I’ve got a spring/summer project of revitalizing the flower beds around our house. I am not a natural gardener – I tend to start strong and then totally lose interest around early June, letting the weeds take over. Part of the problem is that I’m not a big fan of being out in the sun these days, but I’m starting a routine of going out either first thing in the morning on the weekends or in early evening right before dusk during the week. I took some “before” pictures, and I will let you know how it’s going a couple of times this summer. That should give me some motivation to keep it up!
I got my second Covid shot last Wednesday! The day after my shot I had a bit of a fever (up to 101) and a constant headache. I have a very low threshold for headache pain and so I spent the day in bed alternating between sleeping and taking in fluids. By Friday morning, I was back to normal. I am so grateful for the scientists who developed my vaccine (and for Dolly Parton for helping to fund its development!) and am looking forward to a life slightly more normal this summer.
Sam graduates from University in two weeks. He can’t wait, of course, and I am blown away (not for the first or hundredth time these days) by how quickly time goes by when you reach a certain point in life. I am so proud of his hard work, especially during his senior year when he has been so isolated due to Covid. In order for him to have some human contact, I encouraged him to get a part-time job, and he has been getting up at 4am three days a week and walking 20 minutes to start his 5-10am shift prepping food at a restaurant. Sometimes when I wake up at 6:30 bleary-eyed and wanting more snooze-time I think to myself, “Sam’s already been working for an hour and a half!” That gets me going.
As I write this I am sitting in what I like to refer to as “my cozy spot” – it’s a Chesterfield love seat in our front room, loaded up with soft pillows and a snuggly blanket. It’s my favorite place to hang out – I like to sit here typing and watching people pass by with their dogs and/or babies in strollers (and there is one woman who walks her dog IN a stroller), neighbors working in their yards, and cars zooming (too fast) down the street, most likely on the way to little league practice in the park at the end of the street or some other emergency. Usually Sunday afternoons hold the dreaded “Sunday Anxieties” for me, but I’m feeling pretty chill right now.
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you here next weekend (I promise!)
Happy Spring! Slowly, slowly, signs of spring are emerging all around. The robins are back. Crocuses and snowdrops are blooming, about to be followed by the daffodils. Trees are budding out.
Today I took my camera to my local park (very local, as it is located at the end of my street) to capture some of this spring awakening on film (well, memory card). I left the trail and found a fallen tree that made a perfect seat upon which to sit, look, and listen. I hung out there a good hour and a half. I heard what I’m sure was a pileated woodpecker somewhere off in the distance (they make quite a racket). I was slightly spooked by a vulture slowly soaring by, sniffing out carrion (I confess I took this opportunity to stand up and move around a bit). I saw a few smaller woodpeckers doing their thing, but they were too far away for me to get a good photo.
Then I saw a couple of black capped chickadees hanging out in a nearby bush. One at a time, taking turns, the chickadees flew to a nearby (standing) dead tree and pecked at it. There was already a hole in the tree and they nearly disappeared completely into the hole as they worked on enlarging it. We get chickadees at our feeder, but I had never seen this type of behavior in our backyard before. I subsequently found out from this article on the Audubon Society’s website that chickadees build their nests in holes they create in trees. After the male and female nesting pair create the hole (about 8 inches deep), the female will line it with moss or fur to make it comfy for the eggs and nestlings.
I don’t know what I thought the chickadees were doing (eating wood? bugs?) but when I found out that they were making a nest together, it filled me with joy. I’ve never witnessed a bird actually making a nest – ever! We did have a robin make a nest on our front door wreath last spring, which was very cool and a little annoying (having to go in and out of the house through the garage door until the fledglings left the nest weeks later), but we didn’t actually see her create it. What a treat it was, on this gorgeous, sunny, warm, early spring day, to be able to hang out with the chickadees and watch them prepare for their babies’ arrival.
Can I just say first off that the photo of the sodden cardinal above cracks me up every time I look at it? It reminds me so much of Sam the Eagle from the Muppet Show:
Separated at birth?
Anyway, back to this week’s blog post. I had a post percolating in my head for the last couple of days, but I realized as I sat down tonight to write it that it needs to percolate for a few more days – which left a large void in my head where a new blog post would normally reside, so instead of an actual post I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos from this week. I’ve been really interested in catching the birds in flight lately, which results in me taking a zillion photos and subsequently deleting slightly less than a zillion off of the memory stick (photos of birds that don’t actually contain birds, or photos of birds that look less like birds and more like abstract art).
Hello! I don’t think I’ve written about our bird friends since we put the feeder back up. If you’ll recall, I had to take the feeder down for a couple of weeks because some of the house finches were showing signs of an eye disease called mycoplasmal conjunctivitis. I gave the feeder a good cleaning and a bath in a 1:10 mixture of bleach and water (in the actual bathtub, because the darn thing didn’t fit anywhere else). The birds are back at the feeder, which gives me great joy, and I’ve been keeping a very close eye on our finch friends. So far, no funky eyes. Thank goodness.
Last weekend I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint venture between the Audubon Society and Cornell University’s Ornithology Lab. I was one of 267,866 participants from 176 different countries. It was incredibly easy and so much fun. All I had to do was download the Merlin app (a free birdwatching app provided by Cornell), look for birds in my backyard (it didn’t have to be my backyard – could have been a park, etc) for at least 15 minutes over the course of the weekend, and submit my sightings through the app. I got a lot of satisfaction knowing that I was a small part of such a massive citizen science project. Here is a lovely video sent out by Cornell to thank the participants.
One of my goals on my 20 for 2020 list was to take yoga lessons. I had taken in-person yoga lessons in the past and had also practiced on my own (using online tutorials), but I hadn’t done much yoga lately and wanted to get back into it. I never did take any in-person lessons in 2020, for obvious reasons, and I also never got in the groove of trying any of the many yoga videos/lessons that can be found on YouTube. I had been doing a lot of general stretching during the day, because sitting at a computer all day really does a number on my back, but never made the transition to yoga – until about ten days ago. I rediscovered “Yoga with Adriene” on YouTube – I don’t even remember what made me take the plunge again, but I’m so grateful to be practicing yoga again. In the short time I’ve been back practicing, I can notice a difference in my flexibility and strength, especially in my core. It’s a tiny difference to be sure, but it’s enough to get me hooked again.
My busy season at work is, for all practical purposes, over. There will be other, smaller, busy times later this year, but nothing like what we just went through. Last week was my first week back working 8-hour days. Instead of logging onto my work computer at 7:00 each morning, I now have a leisurely early morning of riding my stationary bike for 30 minutes, followed by 20-40 minutes of yoga before getting ready for work and logging in at 8:30. What a relief!
The skies were beautiful today – clear, blue, sunny. I had planned to go to my sunset-watching park and catch tonight’s sunset. However, when I woke up from a nap at 4:00 (I love my weekend naps) the skies had completely clouded over. No sunset tonight. At the beginning of January I promised myself I’d watch at least one sunset a month, and February is quickly drawing to a close. Thursday and Friday’s weather forecasts look promising, but I really must start front-loading my sunset each month from now on to avoid this last minute scramble (I seem to recall I did the same thing in January)!
I went for a walk in “my” woods today. Took my phone and my “real camera” and stood still for about 45 minutes in an area that usually has a bit of activity. Nothing. Not a bird to be seen. The closest I got to seeing a bird was hearing some crows calling way off in the distance. I’m sure there must be busy times and slow times each day, a sort of rhythm to the forest life, and one day soon I’m planning to spend several hours just observing those daily patterns (I’ve been eyeing this camp stool from Amazon for just such a foray). I do notice that there are slow periods and times when the birds are jockeying for position at our backyard feeder, and I often wonder what the birds do when they aren’t feeding.
It wasn’t the most pleasant of days for a walk outside – gray skies, damp cold, wet leaves, mud – but it was good to fill my lungs with fresh air, and the best sort of meditation to stand still among the bare trees, watching and listening.
It had been about a week and a half since I had gone for a walk – my weekday routine these days is to get up at 6, exercise for 30 minutes on my stationary bike, shower, dress, and log into my work computer by 7. I then work 9 1/2 to 10 hours, sometimes stopping for an actual lunch break (as opposed to grabbing something and eating it in front of the computer). This will be my routine for at least another month, at which point things will start to be less busy at work, I will resume my morning walks, and will work 8:30-4:30 again. And take lunch breaks! Every day!
I do make a point to stretch a couple of times a day. I leave my yoga mat out at all times so that I can flop down and stretch for 5 minutes or so whenever I feel like I can’t remain seated one more second. I’m trying to envision a way that I can continue that practice when I return to the office (I’m not sure when that will happen, but I’m hoping for June).
I have been getting a lot of pleasure these days out of periodically checking the sunrise and sunset times online. Today sunset where I live will happen at 5:24pm. On December 20th sunset was 4:59pm. I love knowing that the days are getting longer, even by a minute or so, each day. I love looking forward to see what the sunset time will be at the end of this month (5:41pm) or at the end of February (6:16pm!!!!) I’m not wishing my life away, crossing off the days until we change the clocks back again (March 13/14!) – I used to do that sort of thing, before cancer. Now I know better. It’s enough to know that this day that I’m in right now is just a little bit longer than yesterday.
It has been two weeks since Sam came home and we have been busy, busy, busy. So much walking, baking, crafting, laughing, puzzle-making, talking!
I usually do not bake much – primarily because I know I will eat most of it myself. It being Christmas time, however, I have felt free to bake my little heart out. I made this copycat Starbucks gingerbread loaf, which was wonderful – moist, not too sweet (except for the inch of cream cheese frosting and candied orange!), and nicely spiced. I have had these Swedish visiting cake bars in my Pinterest “Treats” board for ages and finally made them. They are basically a thin layer of yellow cake with a layer of sugary, meringue-y sliced almonds on top. They were a big hit with the gang here.
In the way of crafting, Sam and I made these cinnamon ornaments and these paper bag snowflakes (that I have hung on our front door – so little effort for such a big wow factor). I dried some oranges to make ornaments and garlands, and dried some pineapple, oranges, and apples to give as gifts.
Work is getting very busy for me, so I’ve started skipping my morning walk and logging on to my computer at 7 each morning. I’ve been working 9-hour days, and hopefully that will be enough to keep my head above water during this busy season (which will last until mid-February). Sam and I have been taking a quick one lap around the block (about .9 mile) at lunchtime and at least another two miles in the evening. Our evening walks have been a lot of fun – we walk in our own neighborhood, but have also walked in other neighborhoods in town to look at Christmas lights.
I have a suet bird feeder outside the dining room window where I work. I keep my camera handy in case there are visitors, who tend to be a different crowd than the birds who hit up the seed feeder.
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, a day that is near and dear to my heart. After tomorrow the days will start getting longer again, and even though we only gain around 90 seconds to 2 minutes a day, it still makes me very, very happy. I don’t do anything special to celebrate Solstice, but I wrap myself in the lovely, warm knowledge that although winter is just beginning, the sun will help me through.
2020’s Winter Solstice is a special one: we will get to experience the “Great Conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn, something that hasn’t happened to this degree in 800 years (NASA article explaining it here). Now, I must admit that I don’t usually pay very much attention to the positions of Jupiter and Saturn in the night sky, so I don’t know if I will notice anything different, but I will be out star-watching tomorrow evening if we have clear skies, if only to tell my grandchildren I witnessed “The Great Conjunction of 2020.”
This year’s Winter Solstice seems especially poignant to me. Not only will it mark the return of the light in a literal sense, but in a year that has held such darkness in the form of COVID-19, unhinged politics and conspiracy theories, it feels like we are gradually emerging into the light.
Hello, friends. I’ve noticed since starting this blog that there are stretches of time where I just cannot find my voice – I think about the prospect of writing a post and absolutely no words will come. I’ve read many writers who have given the advice that one must develop a daily writing routine, that many days not much will come, but inspiration must find you while you’re working. I’m starting to think about what I want to accomplish in 2021, and so maybe a daily writing practice – no matter what – will be a part of those goals. We’ll see.
Sam is back home for the holiday break and we are making the most of our time together. We have done crafty things, gone for long walks, watched the sunset, and have lots of other Christmas-y stuff planned. I will share some of our projects with you in my next post.
I have been enjoying watching our birds and furry creatures every day. Chris put our pumpkins out back on our grass-clippings-pile after Thanksgiving, and the deer have been very appreciative. One day we looked out and saw two deer just hanging out at the top of our yard, enjoying a shaft of sunlight that was bathing that space. They stayed for at least an hour, and I can’t tell you how calming it felt to turn from my work at my computer periodically and see them there.
I’m beginning to be able to identify some of the squirrels that scrounge for seeds under the bird feeder. One little guy with a messed-up ear has been dubbed Scrappy. He’s my favorite. I very rarely see chipmunks by the feeder, but one morning a chipmunk spent several minutes scratching around for seeds. And I saw a mole! I know that gardeners and owners of lawns in general tend to despise moles, seeing them as terrible pests. But you see, I’m a terrible gardener. And the lawns are Chris’ territory. So I’ll continue to view this little fellow with as much affection as I would Moley from The Wind in the Willows. UPDATE! After getting a better look at our burrowing friend, as well as doing some internet research, I realize that he is not a mole but is in fact a shrew! Still love him!
Today I made a decision to not keep up with the news at least until Christmas is over. It’s a self-care thing. I periodically try to step back a bit, but then I get sucked back in. Lately it’s been like a train wreck – it’s very hard to look away. But I must. And I will. If something truly important happens in the world between now and then, I’m sure someone will let me know. If I like how I feel in two weeks, I will extend the moratorium until the New Year.
Well, December came in with a bang. Twelve-inches-plus of sticky snow, clinging so heavily to the trees that several large branches came down in our back yard, including one which landed on our cable and internet wires, causing them to be literally torn from our house (taking big chunks of siding with them).
