First came the hairy woodpecker,  then the blue jay.   There was a little scuffle,  until they decided to share the peanuts.  I had been waiting for months for the blue jays to discover the peanuts,  so I was glad that they worked things out.

After a few minutes,  they flew off,  and in came a little downy.   When I first started birding,  I worried that I wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the hairy and downy,  but seeing them within minutes of each other,  the size difference is obvious.

The little downy was quite content,  pecking away,  till the crows started raising a raucous.   Even my attention was drawn by their cries.

I noticed that the downy was suddenly on alert,  hopping into the center of the peanut ring.    She looked up,  and froze in place.    All the other birds in the yard took off,  and the yard was unusually quiet,  so I knew something was up,  literally.

As I was snapping pictures,  I saw a large bird swoop up onto the rail of the deck.

It startled me and happened so quickly.   The hawk was so near,  that it was hard to get the camera in focus.

Before I could get a good shot,   he took off for the highest tree nearby.   (an immature Cooper’s I’m guessing -  I’m not very good at hawk identification)

The little downy was paralyzed for at least twenty minutes.   I stepped out on the deck just a few feet away,  and she didn’t seem to care,  with the greater threat looking down from above.

Posted: September 5th, 2008 under birding.
Comments: 4

It wasn’t the best way to get time off from work,  but my recuperation from surgery will take another three weeks at least.   I saw the doctor today,  and when she set up my appointment for later this month,  she put her hand on my shoulder and said “now go and enjoy.”

I’ve been watching the days go by,  and up until a few days ago, my energy level kept me from doing very much before getting winded.   Now I want to get as much out of these next three weeks as I can.    I haven’t had more than ten days off in a row since I started my job almost twenty years ago,  so this is a gift.

This morning I spent some time putting together a peach-berry cobbler for George to have after his first day back at work.    That’s a recipe I have had for a long time,  but have never had time to make.   I just happened to have a bunch of peaches left from our stop at a fruit stand last week, and some blueberries in the freezer.   It felt good to make something special, and not be hurried in making it.

I spent time filling the bird feeders and checking out the garden (there are a few peppers still coming,  despite Ellie).   I sat out on the deck and read some of the book George bought for me while I was in the hospital.  There was time to find a new cross-stitch project to start on, organize some photos,  and still get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour.

My enjoyment comes in these little things, in not being rushed,  in accomplishing things that are important to me.    Today was a gift.

Posted: September 3rd, 2008 under day-to-day.
Comments: 4

Today is the first time in two and a half weeks,  that I have been on my own.   George headed back for staff meetings today,  preparing for school’s start tomorrow.    Now it’s just me and the pets.

I have done a few,  light household chores,   taken inventory of our food situation (since I haven’t been the only one shopping recently),  and finished up my pincushion and needlebook swap so it is ready to go in the mail this afternoon.

There has been time this morning for a cup of cinnamon tea and birdwatching.     First the mourning doves and house finches arrive,   then the hairy woodpecker and blue jay.   I haven’t seen a nuthatch in awhile,   so it was a treat to see one skittering up and down the tree.

I have about six weeks worth of eBird lists to enter,  so I hope to get started on that this afternoon.    There’s a run to make to the post office (my first time driving since August 12!)  and plans for a nice dinner which we will eat out on the deck this evening.   The weather will be warm and beautiful,  so I am looking forward to this day!

Posted: September 2nd, 2008 under day-to-day.
Comments: 4

Today we went out and worked out the stops on George’s bus route.   School starts Wednesday,  and all along the way,  there was the sense of summer ending - the angle of the sun in the sky,  the trees that have started to color,   the slight chill in the air.  As I looked down the list of names,  I imagined that the students are as sad as I am.  Once the school buses take to the road,  the pace of life changes,  and summer is over.

Today was also the day to say goodbye to Rebecca and Melissa.    Rebecca arrived at my bedside two and half weeks ago,  minutes before they wheeled me to surgery.    Her presence was such a comfort to both George and me.     We appreciated all the things she did to help out,  and all the time she gave us,  to make sure all was okay.   I know George appreciated having her there as he waited through my surgery and to help here at home,  and I appreciated knowing that she was nearby whenever I needed anything,  or just needed someone to talk to.    Melissa flew in this past week,  and we enjoyed our visits with her - a night out for pizza,  our trip to Auburn yesterday, and tonight the four of us gathered for one last dinner together.

George barbecued chicken and cooked corn on the cob.    I made blueberry muffins and a pasta salad.   We made them a little care package of leftovers to take with them,  as they head back to North Carolina in the morning.    Another sad goodbye,  but I will carry nice memories of our time spent together.

The animals among us,  though,  are quite relieved that Ellie,  the spirited dog,  has moved on.

Posted: August 31st, 2008 under family, day-to-day.
Comments: 4

I make a list each morning, of what I want to accomplish for the day.   I’ve always done this.   I put about ten things on my list today,  several of them were very sedentary projects.   I did manage a few more entries on eBird,   I got a payment ready to send out,   I made my required weekly call into work,   and sent an email to my sister,  Sandi.     On the slightly more ambitious side,   I filled the bird feeders,  set the clean bathmats back into place,  and washed the few morning dishes.   After those low-energy projects,  I found myself exhausted,  and ready to sink back onto the couch.    Yesterday’s outing was so nice,  and I needed to get out,  but I guess it might have been too much too soon,  and so I’ll take it easy the rest of this day.

I feel like I have a very short time to get back to the energy level I was at before surgery.   My job keeps me on my feet eight hours a day,  with a lot of lifting and lugging.    I’m nowhere near ready for that,  and only four short weeks left to get there.

Posted: August 27th, 2008 under day-to-day.
Comments: 5

I love these last days of summer,  when I dare not take any nice day for granted.    We headed out at noon,  very eager to get out and see the countryside.   I have been cooped up in the house the last three days,  so it was time to get out for sunshine and fresh air.

Our drive took us down to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania for a stop at a flea market,  then lunch,  and a visit to an antique shop we had visited a couple of years ago.    We bought only a piece of orange fabric that I will use to make dinner napkins.  The two things that really caught my eye were a handmade dollhouse,  and a child’s dinnerplate,  and since neither was practical for this stage in my life,   I passed them by.

Back home,   I am watchful of the birds again.   Now that I am up off the couch more often,   I am enjoying each new sighting that comes this way.     Blue jays are rare in our yard,  but one called quite loudly to let me know he was here.

Three youngsters stopped by - a cardinal and two mockingbirds.

And I caught a male cardinal coming in for a landing.

From our end-of-summer garden,  we have finally picked our first tomato,  some swiss chard,  and green peppers.    I used all three to make a salad for tonight’s dinner.

Unfortunately,  these days will soon become few and far between,  so I’m glad I’m well enough to enjoy them right now.

Posted: August 26th, 2008 under day-to-day.
Comments: 2

Maybe you have to be as old as I am to remember that song. The words have certainly seemed relevant to me lately. I find that I have to take things slowly, pace myself, in order to get through the day. As a reward, though, I am able to appreciate things more fully, enjoy each moment, see things which I used to be too busy to notice.    Feelin’ Groovy…..I’m not quite there yet though.

I’m enjoying the windchimes that Dad and Evelyn gave me for my birthday

New bird visitors in the willows

My birthday rosebush,  from five birthdays ago

and the sunset on our anniversary evening drive…..

Posted: August 25th, 2008 under day-to-day.
Comments: 4

Friday we went for a drive down towards Wellsboro, PA. It was a hot summer day, and all I had to do was sit in the car, and take it easy, and do some birding. As we drove along we saw kestrals, mourning doves, crows, goldfinches, cardinals, and mockingbirds. Near Lawrenceville, we checked out the osprey nest which is visible from the road heading south. It appeared that it had done some serious landscaping up there.

We arrived at Ives Run about noon, which is not the best time to do any birding, but I was thankful for the outing, so we drove around to see what was about. We saw Canada geese, a blue heron, an Eastern bluebird, some chipping sparrows, a brown thrasher, a mourning dove, and a ring-billed gull. Leaving the area, just a little bit south on the highway, George pulled off to check out another osprey in the distance.

We had lunch in Wellsboro, which meant getting out of the car, and back in, very carefully……then headed home on the back roads.

We got lost a couple of times, and even the road atlas wasn’t helpful. Our wanderings took us by a marshy area, though, and there we spotted several kingbirds,  a cedar waxwing,  and a kingfisher that got away before we could get a picture.

Posted: August 24th, 2008 under birding.
Comments: 3

On my birthday, in 1972, George gave me the engagement ring of this set. The rings belonged to his maternal grandmother, and were given in 1918. I felt very honored, as these rings represented a connection to the past as we were about to set out on a future together. They slipped off my finger once, and I found them in a patch of dirt where I had been creating a garden. Since that time, they have come to fit snugly, and there is no fear of losing them.

Thirty six-years ago today, George slipped the wedding ring on my finger. We married at my home, in front of the fireplace, and had our wedding picture taken in front of the stain-glassed window in the stairwell. I made my wedding dress, the cake was made by a family friend, my bouquet was yellow roses. It was a late summer afternoon, the sun was shining up until we left for our honeymoon, and then a heavy rain fell. We spent a couple of nights camping at a nearby state park, with a trip to Howe Caverns, then flew off to Oklahoma City where George was to begin working a few days later.

Our marriage has been something of a roller-coaster ride - extreme ups and extreme downs, with lots of twists and turns in between. We lived in Oklahoma City for three years, then returned to New York State in the summer of 1975. Together we have created our own past.

I married my high-school sweetheart. He has been my love throughout, and became my very best friend along the way. This week he has stood by my side, cared for me, and cared about me. I would have wished for no other path or partner for my life, and I look forward to our future years together.

Posted: August 23rd, 2008 under celebrations.
Comments: 5

It was a beautiful, warm summer day, with hardly a cloud in the sky. I spent time on the back deck, watching birds with Rebecca while she worked. I have enjoyed having her here, sharing thoughts and ideas, reconnecting after several years away from home.

I am finding myself stronger each day, and able to do one more thing, as long as it’s not too strenuous. Today my accomplishment was to cut up eight cups of rhubarb for freezing. I sat at the picnic table with Rebecca, chopping away. George took some stalks before I assigned them to a freezer bag, and made a rhubarb pie.

This evening I asked for a drive in the country, and up to Harris Hill. Summer will be too soon over, and I enjoy looking down on the Chemung River from up above, watching the sun set, and the birds flit about. Rebecca went out for the evening too, to visit friends. We’ve all felt cooped up this past week, and I’m ready to spread my wings a little and get back out into the world, though slowly and safely. Summer is too short to spend it confined.

Posted: August 21st, 2008 under day-to-day.
Comments: 5