Aug
15
2010
The red Gerbera Daisy keeps putting out more flowers. I looked really carefully and noted there was a second one coming up, too. This is the first one that did not die after I bought it. Another words, did not put out more flowers. A small thing but it gives me pleasure.
Apr
9
2010
I made a few discoveries today. When I drove to the post office and passed the meadow nearby I spotted two male red winged blackbirds dive bombing each other. I am not sure what they were doing except they may have been fighting for their own territory.
To see two at one time was a real treat and so close to home. Then when I was driving to Newport along the Juniata River I saw what appeared to be a blue heron perched on a branch on this side of the river.
Later in the distance at the mouth of a tributary a great egret was wading in the water. I also used to see a blue heron always in the same pond, same spot.
I realized last winter something was wrong when it was still in the same spot after the pond froze over. To my chagrin I was looking at a statue of one all along.
Those were a few of my bird discoveries today. A turkey vulture reluctantly left the road and his prey when I came across it. I watched it fly away slowly. I never know what bird I will see and always have my eyes open for the next discovery.
Feb
16
2010
We love the large pine tree outside our living room window, which is the center of attention. I placed a suet cage right next to its trunk. There are a steady stream of woodpeckers mostly downy who feed on the suet. The squirrels also come.
The downy woodpeckers travel up and down its trunk seemingly at attention. Only one bird is allowed to feed on the suet at one time. The others make sure of that. Sometimes there is as much as two or three downy woodpeckers on the trunk of the tree at one time.
Occasionally a red bellied woodpecker makes its entrance. The sight of it makes me gasp. It is a bigger woodpecker with an one inch red stripe that goes from the back of the top of its head to its nape of its neck (at least the male looks that way). I had never seen one before and now they are regular visitors.
The white breasted nuthatch also likes the suet as well as the Carolina wrens who I have fallen in love with. I did not know wrens could get that big. Occasionally a cardinal will alight on one of its branches briefly.
We get occasional visits by the brown creeper who has a long curved beak and is a small brown colored bird who appropriately creeps up and down the pine’s trunk. And these are only the birds we remember seeing.
This year a large branch was brought down by an ice storm which became our Christmas tree when I cut off part of it. We used the rest of it for our tree. It was one of the most beautiful trees we ever had lit up by several hundred multicolored lights. Both of us love this tree and consider it to be our friend.
Feb
14
2010
I still love Macintosh apples after all these years. I was shopping at Aldi’s a week ago and I bought two bags of them. I usually can tell just by looking at them whether they are going to be crispy.
I once met the apple buyer of a large supermarket chain and he told me how fickle these apples were. They had to be stored at just the right range of temperature. Well Aldi’s must have it right. Their apples were extremely crisp and tart.
I worked as a produce clerk for years and found out there are many varieties of apples and I have sampled each one that came along. Macintosh is still my favorite. And I have no explanation why. It just is.
Feb
14
2010
Spring was less than five weeks away. I started my countdown. It was close enough to it. I do this every year. It is a little game I play. I am waiting for the warmer weather. The spring. The blackberries and raspberries I pick. My annual camping trip I take in May with my buddy. The explosion of life. The first flowers –daffodils. Everything. Every year I have a countdown. The winter that passes me and I endure just makes spring that much sweeter. Right now there is quite a bit of snow on the ground. I know in less than six weeks it will be all gone and the daily temperatures will gradually rise. My countdown is my anticipation of spring and what follows.
Feb
13
2010
There were certain birds I never saw before I started feeding them. A red bellied woodpecker was one. I never saw a Carolina wren before. Those are two birds that quickly come to mind.
There are others like a white breasted nuthatch who likes feeding on the suet I put out for the woodpeckers. I never had a large living room window facing the yard before from where I can watch the birds come to and fro several bird feeders.
Our window faces a large white pine and there are bushes on the edge of the porch. When the frost is ended I will put out sugar water and watch the daily parade and antics of the ruby throated hummingbirds feeding on them.
I consider myself lucky to have this situation. I have always loved birds and I get a lot of pleasure of watching the steady stream of them.
Feb
11
2010
I am wondering whether our black-eyed susans are going to come up. I wanted them along the wooden picket fence bordering the road. My wife planted seeds last Fall along this border which is over one hundred feet long. We will see. I thought they would accent the fence nicely.
I love black-eyes susans. They keep spreading in our yard. My wife also helps them along. The blooms last for many weeks. I have been helping my wife in the garden more because she physically can’t do the same work there she used to be able. She has a bad back and pays for everything.
Last year we had several cherry tomato plants in large pots. I love snacking on them. Before we know it the winter will be over and it will be spring my favorite season. Everything comes alive again. And spring always come after winter which I just endure. I don’t like cold weather. And makes anticipating spring that much sweeter.
Feb
10
2010
There were lots of birds feeding in my yard in this storm. I sprinkled some birdseed two and an half hours ago on the snow. I counted about a dozen slate cover juncos feeding on the ground (my friend calls them appropriately snow birds).
I saw as many as three downy woodpeckers on the trunk of my large white pine tree at one time. They do take turns feeding on the suet. And of course there were the squirrels. I did see “stumpy” a squirrel who is missing part of his tail.
A female cardinal made its appearance briefly. And there was the occasional Carolina wren. A little later I will toss a little more bird seed on the ground. I do not want to waste any.
There still is some sunflower seeds on our porch not covered by snow. The birds keep coming. And I have my eyes open for any unusual visitors.
Feb
10
2010
I watched and listened to the Carolina wren, which alighted on a branch just outside my kitchen window. I stood there for what seemed an eternity and was serenaded by its song. I had never seen one from that spot or that close up or even heard one. It was a small gift I was given today. Thank you. I hope you can find some food in this snowstorm.
Jan
28
2010
Someone must be feeding it. I can’t imagine it can catch fish in the almost completely frozen pond. Every time I visit my friend I can see there. The fishing must be awfully good or maybe it is really a statue.
And I am just too far away to determine that. Or someone is feeding it. I just marvel that it is always in the same pond and almost in the same exact spot every time I have passed there. I only go on that road every few months but it is always there. And now it is the middle of winter.
Nov
15
2009
The grass is not greener elsewhere. It is so tempting to believe that but it is not. Sometimes paradise is right in front of you. This year I discovered a large raspberry patch within an hundred yards on the street I live on the edge of some woods.
This was to be the second year I was going to pick raspberries in a patch I discovered last year on my property. And then I discovered this patch. I did not know who the owners were. The berries were wild. I picked enough at the new patch for at least two pies.
It amazed me I never noticed that patch before. It was ten feet in from the road and I happened to notice it when my dog was sniffing around there. What else am I missing right under my feet?
I was going home from church and took the long way because the land was wilder and I never knew what wildlife I would see from this road.
I was not disappointed this time: I flushed a dozen wild turkey hens. I do see wild turkey around here but I had never seen so many at one time. I was thrilled to say the least.
I never know for sure what discovery I will make next time. We have thousands of books between us and there is an universe in each of them so I have no need to travel too far to explore the next universes.
And that does not even include universe after universe in my music– thousands of LP’s, cassettes and CD’s.
I never run out of things to explore. I do not have to go to far but don’t get me wrong I do enjoy traveling once in a while. I just don’t feel I have to.
Nov
15
2009
Suddenly it struck me viewing the discounted book “501 Must Sights Of The World”. I had no interest in exploring any of these places. I quickly glanced at some of the magnificent sights in glorious color.
I tried to figure out why I had no desire to travel to any of these exotic places some of which I had never heard. I was balking at even opening the book to glance through it.
Despite my reservations I bought the beautiful book anyway. I know my wife will like leafing through it.
I could never let myself dream of traveling. I never had the funds to travel abroad so I just did not let my mind and curiosity roam.
I knew I never would be able to. I am the same person who told my wife never to use the word “never”.
All that quickly ran through my head as I deliberated buying the book for a Christmas gift. There were other issues why I did not desire to travel very much but I will explore them in other blogs.
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