Winter Solstice

WINTER SOLSTICE!   At 9:01 am it became officially winter, and the beginning of a new solar year.

In ancient indigenous cultures, the sun was used to keep time, and as a calendar. In modern times we use what is called “Day Centric”. We use the sun to designate our calendar, and what we do. In traditional cultures, “Night Centric” was used; meaning the moon and stars dictated time and navigation. Most of the understanding of the ancient people’s world, was in understanding the night sky. They also used winters instead of years. I like the idea of Night Centric… I need to study that to understand it and incorporate it.

The word “Solstice” means “when the sun stands still”. At that time, there is an equal amount of sunlight between the northern and southern hemispheres. It is true even for the extreme northern and southern latitudes; even though they are more - or less - light than at the equator, they are still equal to their opposites. 

Winter Solstice in the beginning of a new year, and is celebrated by indigenous people all over the world, with various types and degrees of ceremony. Hundreds of years ago, and in some cultures still today, all fires in the community were extinguished. A new main fire was then built, and all hearths and fires were re-started from the new fire.

(I wish I had a fire pit so that I could build a celebratory fire. One of these days...)

The Indians of the Northern Great Plains built medicine wheels, some of the 5,000 years old or more. They have 28 spokes radiating out from a center cairn that align with the sunrises and sunsets of both the winter and summer solstices, as well as with specific stars and planets. Wheels have been built on every continent, including Australia! Since then, some of the starts and planets have moved, so the spokes no longer line up. They are all basically the same thing as Stonehenge!!  

At Cahokia Mounds in East St. Louis, IL, there is a Woodhenge, that I have visited on the Autumnal Equinox, and there were people on Monk’s Mound, playing drums and flutes, and it was very spiritual. According to ancient cultures, “equinox” is when the sun is moving back home; or “rushing home to…” 

When I get my native plant garden started, I will build a medicine wheel with a fire pit in the center!!  I will be small by comparison, so I’m not sure if I’ll have enough room for 28 spokes, but I can have at lease 12 - one for each month -- OR enough for every full moon! I should have one for each of the Equinoxes too.

 

Babies Wearing Glasses

More often this refers to toddlers, but I sometimes see little babies, some who can’t even walk or talk yet, wearing glasses. I guess there are some afflictions or diseases of the eyes that a doctor can identify simply by looking into their eyes with those damn blinding lights, but all of them can’t possibly have eye diseases, can they? 

I’ve seen babies with - literally - coke bottle glasses that I believe, could only be very poor eyesight. But how in the hell can you possibly give a baby an eye test??  They can’t tell you they can’t see things clearly unless they can clearly communicate with you.

“Which one is better? One... or two…?” 

“Babababa!”

Secrets of the Dead

Watched a fascinating program on PBS tonight, called “secrets of the Dead”.  In Queens, NYC, a body was dug up on a construction site. Police were called in but a forensics specialist determined that the body was at least 100 years old, and was buried in an iron coffin! 

They took it back to a lab, where they found that she was a black woman, but were very curious as to why she was buried in an iron coffin. Upon carefully examining the body, he found that the entirety of it was covered with small nodules. Taking into consideration of the time she was determined to have died, it was concluded that the woman had died of smallpox. This brought the entire process to a screeching halt until they decided whether or not the smallpox was still viable. Specialists from the CDC in Atlanta were brought in and, after thorough examination and testing, concluded that it was not. The iron coffin had been air tight and had killed the virus.

The forensics specialist decided to do more research, and requested the assistance of a forensics professor, who was from a local university. The professor used a scanning x-ray that could basically do an autopsy without cutting into the body. Then, on a special digital screen, they could “peel away” layers and look at not only her skin, but muscles, organs and skeleton!  What was the most incredible was that, in peeling away the layers on her head and being able to “see” inside the cavity of her brain, they found that the smallpox virus had penetrated into her brain, as shown by the dozens of nodules not only on the interior of her brain cavity, but on tissue itself. Wow… 

Smallpox was like a cancer, creeping and spreading into every single are of the body.

Upon further investigation into census records and historical maps of the area, the forensics specialist found not only that the area where she was found had been a cemetery, but also discovered her name, and that she had been married to a man who was the business partner of the man who invented and built the iron coffins!

It all came full circle.

The smallpox vaccine was first used in 1798. In 1977 it was declared to have been eradicated

Helen Keller

Watched a fantastic documentary on PBS about Helen Keller. Wow, she was SO much more than the little girl at the water pump!  Ms. Keller was the driving force behind the creation of both a universal sign language and universal Braille. Until that time, everyone just did what worked best for them, which was fine until they tried to sign to someone else, who did not understand the other person’s signs. It was a huge revelation. She taught herself to talk and traveled the world for speaking engagements, became very involved with politics, and was a fierce advocate for civil rights, women’s rights, and the rights of the disabled. She was friends with Franklin D. Roosevelt. There was so much more that I can’t recall, but it was very interesting and well done. 

Crown of the Continent

We arrived at Glacier National Park a few minutes past 6:00, and I had my Golden Age Pass ready, but there was no one at the gates, so we drove straight in. I was still dark out, but there was a hint of daylight beginning to peek over the mountains. By the time we got up to Haystack Turn, it was finally getting light out. We didn’t stop much to get photos because B wanted to be at Logan Pass when the sun came up, to get some shots of the sun hitting the very tops of the peaks. We almost made it.

Autumn is the absolute best time to see Glacier!  Most of the tourists are gone, there are no loud, obnoxious kids running around and scaring off whatever wildlife there might be, the weather is cool and comfortable, and traffic is almost nil, which means ample parking at both McDonald Lodge and Logan Pass. 

I got some great shots, and we walked up the Hidden Lake Trail just a little ways. There were actually quite a few people up there, I think mostly locals, enjoying “our” park without the crowds. The air was cold and crisp when it filled my lungs, and it felt so good! 

On the way back down the trail we met an elderly Japanese gentleman, who was asking how to get to Many Glacier. He spoke very broken English, but we gave him the best directions we could, and he thanked us and bowed. We bowed back and he smiled from ear to ear. What a sweet old man; very old school and I really wanted to take my picture with him. I’m sure he would have obliged, and maybe would have wanted to take one too, but I decided to just move on.    

On the way back down we stopped at a number of the scenic turnouts and I got some great photos. I really wanted to stop at the Dancing Waters, but the water level was so low that in places the river was nothing more than a very thin trickle.

We did walk the Trail of the Cedars however, which has expanded some since the last time I was there. They’ve lengthened the trail, added little turnouts with benches, and a few interpretive signs. I like it! 

Stopped at the “new” visitors center on the way out (I say new, because it might have been there for a long time, but new since I’ve been there, which has been a long time).

One more stop in Hungry horse for a huckleberry milkshake and some onion rings (nice combo, huh?), to hold us over until we got back to Kalispell, where our plan was to have steaks at the Montana Club. That however, did not pan out because we were both still full from the milkshake and onion rings! We could have gotten something to go, and saved it for the next day, but there was plenty to eat at her house so we didn’t stop.

Another trip out to see the cranes this evening. When we got there, about 40 of them were feeding in the grain field just beyond the parking area, and I got some decent shots, but nothing to be excited about. I did manage a few shots of four or five of them flying over us, with the sun on them.

We decided to go to the other ponds just the next road over, where it was now too dark to take photos, but where close to 300 cranes were settling in for the night! 

There are two ranches bordering this second location, and between the two have donated 400 acres as a conservation easement “in perpetuity”. How awesome is that??  Saving the ponds from being filled in, keeping construction and subdivisions out, and protecting the entire area for the cranes. I love it.

This is an area where the birds gather in very large flocks (as we saw), before migrating south for the winter. I have to wonder if they gather here in the spring as well.  

Heading home tomorrow. It felt good to get out of town for a few days, the trip to Glacier was so good for my soul.

 

 

 

Preparing for Migration

Tonight we drove out a short distance from B's house, where everything is wide open farm land. There we drove on a gravel road to a small parking area that overlooked a pond. Lots of geese and ducks, and once the sun went down, a huge amount of Sandhill Cranes!  They flew in at sunset in small flocks of anywhere from five to twenty birds, some of them landing at the edge of the pond, and others continuing on to places unknown, but oh! We estimated around 150 birds at the pond; I’ve never seen so many in one place at one time!  I got some amazing shots of the cranes flying in against the beautiful colors of the sunset; it was something I will never forget as long as I live.

 

Road Trip!

Packed and ready for my four day road trip north. I don't plan on being at my destination until around 2:00, so there will be plenty of time to stop and take photos if anything looks interesting. I'll leave early tomorrow and make a run through the wildlife refuge, then maybe a short stop up at the lake to take some photos.

Saturday will be looking for Sandhill Cranes both early in the morning and late afternoon, with dinner at Moose's Pizza (yum!)  Sunday will be an 'oh my god it's too early' run up to GNP, to beat the traffic and the entry fees, and will return on Monday. Should be a busy and fun weekend!

Camera gear and clothes packed, along with three jackets. Yes, three, because it’s October in Montana and you never know what the weather will be like. It could be sunny and warm, cool and breezy, or 20 degrees and snow so, a jacket for each type of weather

Can I now say that I am a truly professional photographer?  I packed more camera gear than clothes… 

Basque

I found out this past weekend that I am about 5% Basque. I did a little research, and this is what I found  

The Basque have been around for thousands of years. The Romans encountered them around 200 B.C, but they have been there long before that. They descended from Europe’s first humans, and skeletal remains from a cave in Basque country date back to 3,500 to 5.500 years ago, and their closest living genetic relatives are the Basque. They do not have a country, but live in the Pyrenees Mountains, which are on the border between Spain and France, although they are neither Spanish nor French.

Their language, which they call Euskara, is one of only four languages spoken in Europe or Scandinavia that is not an Indo-European language. It is probably the oldest language in modern Europe and is unrelated to any other known language in the world.

In the Middle Ages, they became expert sailors and ship builders, and were among the first whalers in the Atlantic, venturing as far as the coast of Newfoundland. “And while most of us grew up learning that Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the glove, Magellan actually died in the Philippines. It was his Basque captain, Juan Sebastian Elcano, who finished the voyage.” 

Basque sailors also made up a large part of Columbus’ crew, and some came to the New World with the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s. Others migrated in the 17^th through the 19^th centuries, and settled in various countries in South America. 18% of Peruvians have Basque surnames.

Many Basque migrated to the US during the California gold rush. When they didn’t strike it rich, they started working as sheepherders and miners.

Basque are known for their culinary societies; clubs where men traditionally gather to cook (women have only recently been allowed to participate). San Francisco’s famous sourdough bread has been linked to the bread baked by Basque miners.  

The Basque are known to have developed the breed of dog known as the Pyrenean Shepherd, the foundation stock of the Australian Shepherd.

 

Changing of the Seasons

The first day of Autumn was only three days ago, but a lot of trees around here are turning yellow very quickly, and some are already losing their leaves!  My ash trees are among the latter, and as I sat on the back porch this evening, the slightest breeze sent down a flurry of leaves. Song birds and geese have been gone for several weeks already. I think it’s going to be an early winter this year. 

Moon Magic

I took my dog outside this morning as it was beginning to get light out. The full moon was hanging on the downward side of the western sky, and I stood and stared at it, with what felt like the first sense of wonder I’ve felt in a very long time. I really looked at it. I wanted to look inside it and through it; so badly that I thought if I stared at it long and hard enough, I would be able to.

The light from the moon is really just a reflection of the light from the sun, but it is so incredibly bright, almost as if it is coming from within the moon itself. What are those dark patches? They look like silhouettes of the continents on earth. What makes all of the craters? Asteroids? Comets? Meteors? (Are they all the same thing?) Or did it happen millions of years ago, such as the earth did. Which came first, the moon or the earth? Did they evolve together or separately? The only thing holding it in earth’s orbit is the gravitational pull from the earth. What would happen if it were to be knocked out of earth’s orbit? Would we still have high and low tides and if not, how would that affect our oceans, and all of the sea life within them?  Would it affect our seasons, and if so, how? Would it have an effect on other planets and their moons? How would it affect us? And those poor coyotes would have nothing to howl at anymore.

Autumnal Equinox

The first day of Autumn. My favorite time of year, and yet it saddens me to know that the days will get significantly shorter at what feels like an ever increasing rate. However, those shortening days will lead to the Winter Solstice, when the days begin to get longer.

 

 

89 days

A Hermit Kind of Day

It was a hermit kind of day. Stayed inside with the shades drawn and the phone on mute, locked both of the front gates so no one would disturb me. No TV, no radio, no noise.

I washed a few dishes, straightened up a little, and washed my hair. Other than that I did absolutely nothing.

I stayed in my jammies all day, and if not for my dog, I would have stayed in bed all day, just relaxing and napping as I felt like it. That’s just what I felt like doing - but the pup needs to go outside and play and run… and bark.  Apparently the bark collar battery is dead. Needless to say he spent a lot more time inside than outside.

 

Winter Preface

Well, I held out for as long as I dared, but this morning I finally re-lit the furnace.  I was planning on lighting it over the weekend and just plain forgot. But it’s going to be getting down into the high 30s at night this week, and windy, so best to just get it done today. Can’t light it when the wind is blowing because the wind comes down the draft pipe and blows out the match!

Ugh, I hate having to re-light it every year. I think somewhere in the cobwebs of my mind, I feel like as long as I can put that off, it will keep winter away. If only…

 

Magic Carpet Ride

This morning on my daily walk around the complex at work, I noticed a lady sitting in the grass beneath a tree and, I thought, reading a book. What she was actually doing was something on her phone…  It made me a little sad. 

Does anyone read books anymore??  And I'm not talking i-pads or e-books - I mean REAL books. Paper and print and glue. I would so much rather shut out the noise and electronics, and have a book whisk me away to another time or another world, even if only for a few brief moments. 

Books are my magic carpet. 

 

20 Years Ago

It still feels like yesterday.

There are so many thoughts racing through my mind; so many emotions flooding through me: great sadness, anger, confusion, fear, empathy, sympathy, and so many more. I think the initial feeling on the day of the 911 attack was nothing more than pure shock. But now, after 20 years of remembering, and hearing stories from the people who survived either the attack itself, or the loss of friends and loved ones in the attack, the emotion is even higher.

Sept. 11, 2001. I was at work, listening to the radio. The news broke in and said a plane hit one of the World Trade Center towers in NYC. What?!?! I ran into our break room, where a dozen other people were already watching the TV news. We all thought it was an accident - the plane's controls were not working, or the pilot passed out, or died. Then the news camera moved to show another plane heading for the second tower. At that moment I knew there was something terribly wrong happening right before our eyes. My heart sank and I went numb when the plane hit the second tower. What the hell was happening?? As the events unfolded and the death toll rose, everything seemed so surreal. In the days that followed the disbelief and shock of what happened finally began to sink in. How could this be happening HERE?? I don't typically watch the news, but I watched the coverage on TV with horror. I felt so terrible for those who died, but even more so for those who lost loved ones in such a terrible act. I think there were a lot of us wandering around at the time, feeling very lost, confused, shocked, and afraid of how far this was going to go. This past week I've been watching documentaries on PBS about 911, and while the replays of the events are still horrible to watch, the interviews with people who experienced it first hand are so interesting. Their strength and insight, along with their tenacity to get past what they had been through, just amaze me. The one that really hit me was a gentleman who was a fire chief, and was dispatched to ground zero with his crew. Imagine the thoughts that went through him when he sent his crew into one of the towers to try and evacuate and rescue people who were trapped inside. Among his crew was his younger brother, who was killed when the tower collapsed. On the one hand, the entire crew, including his brother, had a job to do - it's what they are trained for. But wow, when it's a brother... I cannot even imagine the terror, guilt, sadness, or any other emotions he might have felt when he watched that tower fall with his brother inside. There are probably so many more back stories like this one that we may never know. We NEED to know their stories, and to always remember one of the worst tragedies in our country's history. May we never forget.

 

Happy Birthday Cowboy

“HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY TO MY PATRIOT DAY PUPPY! Cowboy was born on this day in 2015. So hard to believe it's been SIX years! How the time has flown… but he's still a puppy at heart. One birthday photo for each year (except of course, the first one, taken only a few days after I brought him home). What a dog. The first few years were pretty rocky, and full of craziness, stress, wrong decisions, and wondering what I was doing wrong. I thought I was a pretty decent dog trainer until this crazy pup came into my life.

It took a much more knowledgeable friend to teach me an entirely new way of training dogs. It took a LOT of patience and praise, some creative play time, realizing that he was probably a LOT smarter than I was... Thank you Joni M, for your training advice and guidance, and for never failing to point out better ways to bring out the best in this little guy - I am forever grateful. And thank you Connie and John K. for trusting me with your precious pup. I wouldn't trade him for the world.”

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From Joni: “Happy birthday Cowboy! What a great story about a boy who changed everything! So proud of you guys!”

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Weekend Road Trip

What an absolutely amazing sunrise this morning!  The sun was a huge flaming red ball, rising up over Mount Sentinel, against a backdrop of a smoky pink sky. Even the mountains were tinged in pink. I wish I’d had my camera with me, but then I would have undoubtedly been late for work… 

Off to Kalispell after the horse show on Saturday. I’ll stay at Bev’s house, and we’ll go check out the Sandhill Cranes, congregating at the wetlands near her house. Moose’s Pizza for supper on Saturday! 

The 911 Kids

Watched a special on PBS tonight about what they called “The 911 Kids”; those who were either three years old or younger, and some who were not even born yet, but lost a parent (most of them fathers), on 911.

They were interviews these kids, now in their early 20s or a little older, to find out what their thoughts, opinions and feelings were about what happened, and how it was to grow up without their fathers. It was very interesting to hear their comments; most of them were pretty unemotional about it, being that they were so young - or not born yet - when it happened, and because none of them ever really knew their fathers or did not remember them.

Some of their mothers were also sitting in on the interviews and three of them commented that even thought this child never knew his or her father, the child was  “exactly like their father”. One woman said her son walked just like his father, talked like him, sounded like him and had a lot of the same mannerisms.  Another mother said her late husband taught himself to play all kinds of instruments, and her daughter did the same thing, even though she was only six months old when her father died.

I found that just fascinating. I think most people believe that those kinds of things are either environmental or learned behaviors; copying someone they look up to, or it becomes habit or interest out of being exposed to it every day. Now it appears that It in genetic.

Talent is genetic, what an interesting thought. 

Loooong Week

OMG, this week has lasted 27 days… 

 

Smoky Sunset

There was such an amazing sunset last night! As the sun was low on the horizon, it was  shrouded in reds, oranges and yellows, hazed in by the smoke and the clouds. It was somewhat surreal.

Life's Little Surprise Moments

This evening I was in the backyard playing with my camera; photos of my dog, some of the wildflowers, and trying to get some photos of the beautiful RED sun (it's the only positive of the wildfires, the smoke does make for some amazing sunsets!) 

I wandered over to the part of the yard where the bluebells are taking over, thinking I really should come out here this weekend and pull a bunch of these out. Then I noticed all of the bees on them, crawling into the flowers for the nectar. I sat down and tried to get some photos of the bees inside the flowers, when a movement caught my eye. I looked up from behind the camera to see - not four or five feet from me - a hummingbird!  I’ve never seen them out here in these flowers before, or maybe I just haven’t been paying attention!  A female I think, or one of this year’s hatchlings. I sat and watched her, and took a number of photos, for about ten minutes before she flew off. What a thrill!  

 

 And the bluebells?  Yeah, they’re staying right where they are.

Good Bye, July

Last day of July,2021. At 10:20 this morning it was 78 degrees, and it was 100 degrees by 1:00. it jumped 22 degrees in two and a half hours. Since June 16^th there have been 44 out of 46 days over 90 degrees. I am SO over this heat! 

Today was also a horse show I was asked to photograph. Thankfully there was a small entry and it was over by roughly 2:30. Between the heat and the smoke from all of the wildfires, I was done in. I packed up and left and when I got home, I unloaded my gear, changed into shorts, let the dog out, put my chair in his kennel and sat with my feet in his pool for about ten or fifteen minutes, brought him inside, and showered and washed my hair. I uploaded photos from the show onto the computer, added the meta data and sorted the photos into files, and that was it.

At 6:35 I’m falling asleep in my chair. Computer is about to be shut down and I am going to bed! 

Tomorrow’s horse show is up in the air; there is a 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Might be a good day to stay home and crash on the couch. 

 

Cooling Temperatures

So hard to believe that August is only three days away!  I say it every year - where does the time go?? 

The days are getting noticeably shorter; it’s still dark when I wake up at 5:00 and sets at around 9:15 pm… I hate that. On the up side, earlier sunsets sure cool things off a lot faster, and with this brutal heat wave we’ve had since June 12^th, the cooler temps are most appreciated.

When I checked the National Weather Service a couple of hours ago, the forecast for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week was 85 - Tuesday and Wednesday are now 86. That’s more typical of this time of year, and a damn sight better than 97!  We’ll see how much that changes in the next few days…

 

Summer Snow

 Fourth of July, and snow still clings stubbornly to Lolo Peak! 

There used to always be on the mountain all year round. Not a lot in the summer, but it was still there, hanging on to the highest crags and gullies, and even on the very top. That hasn't been so for for the past eight or ten years, but it's nice to see it there in the summer again!

Front Porch Garden

Finally transplanted my bitterroots this morning. The bottom metal hoop on the old, wooden planter they were in fell off months ago and the planter has been falling apart ever since. I dug up the bitterroots, and transferred the “scrub” dirt from their original pot into the new one.They now have a new, hopefully permanent, home in the planter that should never fall apart.

I don’t think I have ever watered the bitterroots, but I gave them a little drink today, to hopefully get them to plant themselves firmly into the dirt. I’ll continue to give them a little bit of water while the temps are hot, but not so much as to soak them.

Those babies have been in that pot for 20 years or more and I was amazed at how huge some of the roots were! Hopefully they will do ok in the new pot; I’ll be anxious to see if they sprout leaves this fall…

Having one less planter on the deck also allowed me to rearrange the rest of the planters, and now my little garden looks so much nicer and cleaner.

As I rearranged the planters I swept up all of the loose dirt, cleaned everything up and put the leftover dirt in buckets in the spare kennel. Not sure what I’ll do with it yet but it’s off the porch. I went back out onto the porch to admire my flowers, and there were already bees everywhere! They love my little garden! 

A couple of hummingbirds also visited a few times this morning while I was re potting. I have Black-chinned hummers this year! I can hear their wings as they fly up, and I froze each time and was able twice to lift my head enough to watch them sipping nectar from the feeders. The third time I didn’t realize one was there and I scared it off when I stood up. No worries, it will be back.

Once everything was planted and moved to its place on the deck, I sat down to admire the plants and look forward to a beautiful, brightly flowered oasis. 

My little garden makes me and the bees happy..   

Rain, Glorious Rain!!

After almost a month of 90 degrees or higher, today we had some much needed RAIN!!  

The storm last night had a little lightning, some good thunder and strong, gusty winds. A few times it felt like the house was going to be blown off its foundation!  It only rained for about 30 or 40 minutes, but it was a good, strong, much needed soaking rain.

As I drove into town this morning I noticed a few tree branches that had been blown down - winds must have been even stronger than I thought. 

 

Adult Converstation

Talking to adults is boring. When you try to have a conversation with adults, they typically only talk about their jobs, money, home repairs, etc. Why can’t grownups talk about fun stuff, like dinosaurs, pirates and shooting stars??

 

Spring Flowers

Earlier this spring I planted some Blue Flax, Nodding Onions and Long-Stemmed Avens in the small flowerbed I created alongside the steps on the front deck.

Today my Nodding Onions are blooming!  These little, somewhat insignificant plants are one of my favorite wildflowers. The plants are thick but low growing, and the flowers are so very delicate. 

They are edible! The bulbs and flower stalks can be used in stir fry; green leaves can be used in salads, and flowers can be used as a garnish. As the name suggests, they have a mild onion flavor. And... they repel deer and rabbits!  Too bad they don't repel house cats, if they did I could take down the "cage" I have around this little garden...  

Summer Solstice

 Welcome Summer Solstice!!  The official beginning of Summer, let the warmer days begin. Daylight until almost 11:00; at least for a few days, but on the down side, now the days begin to get shorter…  

 

Hot Flashes?

The weather has been so very fickle lately. Cool spring, then blistering hot, then cold, then SNOW, then hot, now cool and breezy. Mother Nature must be going through menopause.

Random Thoughts

Random thoughts are constantly racing through my head at various times of the day - and night…  WHY then, when I want to think of something to write, does my mind choose that very moment to go completely blank?

 

Snow on the Mountain

June arrived with the mountain still covered with snow!  It makes my heart happy to see it this late in the year. As far back as I can remember, snow would stay on the mountain pretty much year-round, only occasionally melting away completely during an exceptionally hot August.

I wish it would stay year-round again.

Natives and Bees

Now that I have a new mower I had intended on mowing the lawns today, but as soon as the sun came up, all of the dandelions opened up and bloomed again, and my yard was FULL of bees! I could sit on the back porch and hear the humming from all over the back yard. It made my heart happy...

So instead of mowing I planted flowers!

Went to the nursery yesterday and bought some native plants, and planted them today. Aside from the little native plant bed I created last year (Fringed Sage, Rudbeckia, Purple Coneflower, Narrow-leaf Echinacea, Blue Flax, Prairie Smoke and Nodding Onions), I  wanted more!

I wanted all natives but who can resist Dahlias?  I got one white one, some deep blue Lobelia, dark pink Dianthus, and my traditional single red geranium.

I wanted plants that would attract pollinators and I was not disappointed! I had barely planted the Lupine when three bees were searching each flower for nectar, and the red Salvia wasn't even planted yet and two hummingbirds were already checking it out! I might have to put the hummingbird feeders out early this year. 

I even made space in the corner of my deck for a chair and small table so I can enjoy my little garden on cool summer evenings, and hopefully can get some nice photos! 

 

I’ll mow tomorrow, maybe...

What Happened?

What happened to Covid 1 through 18?  Are there 18 other viruses floating around out there that we don’t know about?

 

Borrow A Person

I saw a little blurb online about libraries in Denmark, where you can “borrow” a person instead of a book; to listen to their life story for 30 minutes. The goal is to fight prejudice. Listening to their story you realize how much you shouldn’t “judge a book by its cover”. It is an innovative and brilliant, active project that exists in fifty countries; an initiative from The Human Library.

This is genius!!  WHY do we not do this in the US???  We have a pretty diverse community here; it would be a perfect place for people to begin to learn about other ethnicities and cultures as well. Maybe I’ll put a bug in the ear of someone at our local library, to see if this is something they would be willing to do.

 

 

SPRING!

Absolutely gorgeous day today! Clear blue sky and a high of 72. Too early for such warm weather, but we’ll take it!  Seagulls flying all over the place near the office. I’ve managed a few decent photos of them flying overhead, but it seems like whenever I have my camera with me, they avoid me like the plague. 

Got home this afternoon and threw open all of the doors and window. It felt good to get some fresh air in the house. Even at that, I’ve not turned the heater on for the past several nights, other than for about half an hour in the morning to take the chill out of the house. Tonight the low is supposed o be around 48, I can leave the bedroom window open!

Friends and Lovers

Have you ever wondered why you’re friends with someone?? 

Why were you drawn to that person?  Do you look alike, or so very different?  Do you have similar interests or lifestyles? The same kind of experiences?  Do you like the same music?  I never really thought about it much until very recently, when a new person was hired in our office, and I took an immediate liking to her. Since then we have become friends. 

After some time, I discovered that we did have things in common; that being dogs and photography. But why did I like her right away? I had no idea she owned dogs, nor did I know she liked photography. So what was it then?

Many years ago I heard a theory that every person, every soul you’ve met in your first life, will stay connected with you in subsequent lives. Yes, I’m talking about reincarnation. Before you scoff at this idea, read on with an open mind.

This theory states that you will meet these same souls again and again. Maybe not in every life, but the relationships will remain with you always. They may appear as male or female. They may be a parent or sibling in one life, and a casual acquaintance in another. Or they may be a distant relative in one life, and then become a lover or spouse in the next. They could be a mortal enemy in one life, and then your child in another. Regardless of who they are or how they appear, the connection will remain through the end of time.

It’s said that you probably won’t know who they were to you in the past, but the minute you meet them, that part of you that continues on from one lifetime to another, will recognize them. There have been a number of people, who I’ve met for the first time, but felt an instant connection with. It’s an interesting concept.

You’ve probably heard people say that they met someone new, but felt like they’ve known them forever.

 

Maybe they have.

 

A Nice Long Walk

Decided that since it was such a beautiful morning and hopefully to loosen things up, I would take my dog for a walk, and we went all the way up to the top of the hill down the road; 4.8 miles in 490 minutes. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 9,500 steps.  Now my feet hurt; what was I thinking?!?!

Later this morning I went grocery shopping and walked another three quarters of a mile.

Oh yeah, and bought new insoles for my shoes… 

Supposed to rain tomorrow, so on Tuesday, another (shorter) walk and steaks on the grill!!

 

Birds Just Want to Have Fun

Windy day today, and as I took my lunchtime walk I watched a number of seagulls soaring overhead, their scratchy calls carry me to the Pacific coast and make me smile. I could watch them for hours, imagining that I could soar like that, ducking and dancing, and sailing effortlessly on the gusts of wind. If ever it could be said that some birds can just have fun, the seagull is definitely one of them.  

 

Make it a Habit

Well, I’ve managed to keep up the writing habit for just under three weeks!  

When I first started this, I kept wondering what in the world I would write about. Maybe I was trying to make it too formal; maybe I thought I should write about certain subjects, in a certain way.  But now I’m realizing that it doesn’t matter what I write about, as long as I just write! 

I have several small books that give me writing “prompts”, and I’ll probably use them once in a while, but I can write about whatever I want – whatever pops into my head. I can write about a color, a thing, a song, a book, what I see out the window, a feeling or mood, mustaches, dog paws, cat whiskers…. anything!!

I need to keep a small notebook with me to jot down ideas as I have them, and then write about them later. Any imaginable ideas, no matter how silly, serious, outlandish or crazy they are.

What would it be like to ride a star?

What would it feel like to be able to fly like a bird?

What if I could get inside the “mind” of an inanimate object?

A stapler, frying pan, or a TV tray?? 

Oh, now my mind is racing…

The ideas are ENDLESS! 

 

Spring Teaser

It reached at least 70 degrees today!  Too warm for the beginning of April, but it sure felt good. It was just a sneak preview however, as Monday it’s supposed to snow…

 

Color of the Day

Finding things to write about can sometimes be daunting, especially after a busy, stressful day at work. So I'm trying to think outside the box in order to sharpen my powers of observation and creativity. 

So the color of the day today is RED. what things do I see that are red??

 

Cap on a small tube of lotion

Handles on a pair of scissors

The lid on a plastic food container

The corner of a book cover

A ribbon hanger on a small wooden decoration hanging on the wall

A hand made valentine, given to me years ago

A dog whistle

The t-shirt I’m wearing

A 55 Chevy step side toy pickup truck

Dog toys lying on the floor

The cover of an Altoids can     

A fire extinguisher

The ties on a garbage bag

A handkerchief bandana

The cover on a canvas wagon

Dog show ribbons

Push pins

Pens

A little dog house picture frame

The cover of a notebook

A Pullman suitcase that holds my fleece blanket photo backdrops

A cheap pair of headphones that actually have great sound

Well, I’ve managed to keep up the writing habit for an entire week!  Wonder how that will work when photo shooting season starts??? 

When I first started this, I kept wondering what in the world I would write about. Maybe I was trying to make it too formal; maybe I thought I should write about certain subjects, in a certain way.  But now I’m realizing that it doesn’t matter what I write about, as long as I just write! 

I purchased a couple of smallish that give you writing “prompts”, and I’ll probably use them once in a while, but I can write about whatever I want – whatever pops into my head. I can write about a color, a thing, a song, a book, what I see out the window, a feeling or mood, mustaches, dog paws, cat whiskers…. anything!!

I need to keep a small notebook with me to jot down ideas as I have them, and then write about them later. Any imaginable ideas, no matter how silly, serious, outlandish or crazy they are.

What would it be like to ride a star?

What would it feel like to be able to fly like a bird?

What if I could get inside the “mind” of an inanimate object?

A stapler, frying pan, or a TV tray?? 

 

Oh, now my mind is racing…

 

The ideas are ENDLESS! 

SPRING!

Spring arrived with a beautiful morning!  I started out on a walk with the dog while the sun was still below the horizon; and the air was cool and crisp, but not cold.

Birds are beginning to claim breeding territories, and could be heard singing from nearby treetops and fence posts; Finches, Flickers, a House Wren or two, a few Doves and the ever-present Chickadees. Oh yes, and the Starlings. I used to hate them with everything I had; they ran out a lot of the song birds I used to see and hear, but how can you not be impressed with a bird that can imitate everything from other birds’ songs, to sirens, telephones, alarm clocks, dogs, cats, and chickens??  I discovered only recently that they are very closely related to Mynah birds!  And they are, after all, very pretty when the light hits them just right. Even though, I sure wish the other song birds would come back. Can’t we all just get along???

The Flickers have adapted well to suburban life, and have learned that anything metal makes a lot more noise than a tree, when you’re drumming on it. Anything is fair game: garbage cans, metal roofs, those big green boxes that encase the electrical breakers and wiring, as well as the exhaust pipe for my furnace. The sound echoes into the furnace and resonates throughout the house. I’m so glad they are only active during the day!

The native plant garden is showing signs of growth!  The Nodding Onions, Flax and Avens are sprouting new, young leaves, and the Silver Sage is greening up again. The leaves on the Bitterroots are about an inch or so tall, and will at least double in height before they die back and produce flowers. There doesn’t seem to be as many as there have been in the past few years. Not sure how long an individual plants lives, but they should be dividing themselves, and producing seeds that will grow new plants. It probably takes a few years for a seed to become a producing plants, but still… 

Hung the flag up this morning; first time since last fall. Not sure why I haven’t hung it out earlier, the weather has been pretty mild of late, with only a few exceptions. But it’s out there now!. I like seeing my flag blowing in the wind.