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Showing posts with label robin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robin. Show all posts

Saturday, October 11, 2025

A rainy day in 2018

 Repost from my blog (no longer being updated) Living in Black Mountain. 2018. Leaf Peepers are people who drive through the mountains just to take photos of autumn leaves.







 Yes, a robin was flying around, tried to find his favorite berries, but there didn't seem to be any.  Otherwise, he could do fine with the worms in the mud below the trees...if he wanted to. Sharing with  Saturdays Critters.

The clouds obscure the distant mountains completely, which otherwise would show through our almost leafless trees.  I will bet the "Leaf Peepers" were all hanging out indoors yesterday also.


And speaking of robins, remember my Feb. 26 post about them gifting my car with lots of splotches?  

The robins have attack my car this week. They flock through mainly in the mornings, eating those red berries they can't digest! Unfortunately there aren't nice bugs and worms left in our sterilized grass areas. So the undigested berries are left under all the many bare maple trees, and my car is partially under one.

Tree with red berries

The sidewalks are also scattered with the leavings, so people have to really scrape their shoes when arriving home in their apartments.
Day two of bird gifts... I decided to not deal with windshield spats so have been backing into the space.


This is now day 4, and my goal is to use these warm days to go scrub off the splats and then go through the car wash as soon as they stop! But they seem to be here for the week, and I need to do this deed and get gas by Wednesday. So I'll patiently look at the splats that happen on Tuesday (writing this then.)  But with bird flu found in wild birds in the area, I'm careful not to touch any of the crap which is even on the handle of my door. They are clever little guys. I have a love-hate relationship with them at this point.
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Life is full of mystery. The mystery is our invitation to let go and to embrace uncertainty with the fullness of our being. This is how hope becomes our bearing. It’s how it becomes our compass in uncertain times.

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JOE PRIMO



Monday, February 26, 2024

The best laid plans...

 You've all probably "been here, done that!" I call it being de-committed. There's probably a verb for that, but I couldn't think of it.

Dr. appointment was scheduled by my Care Coordinator for my regular Dr. The system is that I talk by phone with CC. When something comes up that may need a personal visit, I get an appointment. Well, Mon. morning at 8:10 was all that was available.

However, things didn't come together as planned.

I got up, stood in my bedroom looking at clothes laid out, sipping hot coffee, trying to decide why I wasn't moving. My feet were firmly planted in place as I could look out the window, turn to put the coffee on top of the dresser, and just stand there. It was an odd moment.

Then the phone buzzed, and it was the Dr. office. I answered to find out the Dr. couldn't make my appointment at 8:10. Could I change to Wed. at same time? I said sure. I changed my phone calendar appropriately after hanging up.

Continued with a sigh of relief, having a free morning once again.

But...and always there are things still hanging on one to consider, aren't there! I had volunteered for a job much bigger than I thought myself capable of performing. 

Ah ha. I did have a bit of wisdom with this age. I looked around me, and saw how much I am behind in doing things I really want to have done. So I wrote an email, after thinking about it another half hour, trying to decide if anyone else would have good advice on my decision. No. I was it. I was in charge of Barbara. The email I sent said I couldn't volunteer to do that task, and I hoped I could find something that fit better for my abilities at 81. I know that doesn't mean I'm incapacitated...but it's a slippery slope here, and I keep having more medical problems, and sporadic good health in between. Are there more days fighting physical problems than being able to do what I wanted to do? Sometimes I wonder...but as of today, at this minute, it's kind of equally balanced.

I then took another big step and backed out of the wonderful environmental group where I have little to contribute, but my laptop to run zoom on. Nope. I need to just not do this. A commitment was again de-committed!

Three big changes all on Monday before breakfast.

So I sat watching the sun bathing the ridge and the branches outside my window...and the strange bird fluffing itself up then just sitting (napping?) for several minutes outside the window. Sorry, this is all a phone camera could do, and I think it was a robin. 15 minutes later it was still there. Why I wondered? By the time I got the laptop open to write the emails, it had gone.

Lunch today is still planned at the Lakeview Senior Center, and then studio time working on clay. I have several images in my imagination to build as dinosaurs, er dragons!.

But I have noticed another new thing about this elder. I'm having trouble typing regular words...the spelling just isn't coming out right unless I change it several times. Oh no. Am I having TIA's? That's kind of what I expect will next happen to me.

OK, not to be a debby downer...because after all, I have gratitude for a wonderful day (getting into high 60s) and a good lunch prepared by others, clay studio, driving a safe car, listening to the Grateful Dead (thanks Tom the Backroads Traveler).  Here's a wonderful track if you like them...( 2:35 long!)


Today's quote:

I find it difficult to feel responsible for the suffering of others. That's why I find war so hard to bear. It's the same with animals: I feel the less harm I do, the lighter my heart. I love a light heart. And when I know I'm causing suffering, I feel the heaviness of it. It's a physical pain. So it's self-interest that I don't want to cause harm. -Alice Walker, author (b. 9 Feb 1944)

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Wildlife in the neighborhood

Does Father Robin pitch in to help feed the little ones? I don't know. Do you?

 Pointing the camera toward the geraniums, I saw a robin fly up under the eave of the nearby building...and there was a nest there.














My limited Nikon with somewhat telephoto lens, when leaned against my porch post, gave me these shots.  Sorry they are a bit dark, or lacking details.  But there are at least 2 babies, with their eyes not yet opened...and she was busy feeding them.