Wildlife Wonders

One of the pleasures of living out away from the city is stumbling upon nature in the raw.  Today I had two unexpected pleasures.  I was talking to my neighbor who had been to a funeral service for a long time friend.  She just needed to talk as part of the calming down process.  After we had talked for a while I heard a noise from the far part of the house.  I told her I thought someone was at my door, so we hung up.  I walked to the back door as I have a door bell at the front, nothing there.  I heard it again and walked through my kitchen and realized it was coming from up high.  I looked up at a second floor window which looks out onto an upper deck.  Then I saw what was making the noise.  It was a bird.  As I watched I realized it was a woodpecker and one that is not commonly seen.  The large beak and odd shaped head - red - with stripes on the side and large body told me it was the Pileated Woodpecker. 

I have seen the red headed woodpecker at the bird feeding station and the Downy woodpecker and others which I think are juveniles but this fellow was really big.  My bird book says he is 17" long.  I think he must have seen his reflection in the window and was trying to engage his own image.  To get a better view - and hoping to get a picture - I went up the stairs to the balcony and waited.  In a little while I decided to go out on the deck itself and see what I could see.  As I opened the door, I saw another unusual sign of nature in the raw.  The skin of some snake had been shed inside my screen door and left there!  I had not opened that door in a long time, I had tried, but it is hard to open.  I had found snake skins before - down in my well house and once in a garden area in front of a stone wall.  This snake must have crawled up the side of the house looking for a safe spot to shed his skin, how else could he have gotten there!

Something else I did not expect to see was a mourning dove at the feeding station but one came by and seemed to enjoy getting seeds from the suet cake.  On another occasion I saw a big woodpecker fly to the suet cake at the same time that a titmouse flew there.  For a moment they just sat there in peace then the woodpecker poked the smaller bird with his bill and it tumbled off and down.  Then I saw the woodpecker strike his bill on the wire cage a few times.  When he did tiny feathers flew about.  He must have given that smaller bird a hefty hit, enough to take out some feathers.

Some time ago I wrote about Chester the cat who would be coming to live here.  It has not happened yet but he will find work for him to do when he does arrive.  I have seen no sign of moles, but I think I may have a vole at work.  Years ago my cats kept the voles away from my bulbs and I look forward to Chester doing the same.  I think I have seen signs of them drilling into the wood chips where I have bulbs planted.  The bulbs are not coming up as they did last year so my suspicions may be correct.

The lake here is up to normal pool and it is about 1000 feet from my house.  It is a good water source for the birds.  I could make it easier for them by putting out a water bowl, and perhaps I shall.

For several days I saw a hummingbird come to the station and look around but I had no feeder there for him, so I finally got one up.  When he came by, he investigated, but he appeared to not want to be so close to the other birds and did not stay.  I moved his feeder away close to a rose bush.  I cannot see it very well from my window so I believe I will move it to another place, maybe close to the coral honeysuckle.  It is in full bloom and I think the hummingbirds will like it too.

It has been an exciting day in my nature observations, Since the deer are not coming around right now, the Pileated Woodpecker is most welcome and as long as the snakes stay outside I do not mind them shedding their coats in my doorway.  All of nature has a place in the ecosystem of our planet.  And who am I to deny them the pleasure of visiting here.

April Garden Report

For those who are in my family, the following is a report on what is up in our Lake property.  For other gardeners it can be a comparison for your own garden plants at this time of year. 

On this 8th day of April this is what is showing green or color:

Dogwood trees (volunteers) which are up and down the hill have leaves out and the blooms on the largest one down the hill.  The big redbud on the hill is in full and glorious bloom.  The red peony is up and reaching out of its cage.  The smaller one which has a more delicate bloom is up about three inches.  All of the greenery at this point is red.

Blueberries are all in bloom and we should have some very good ones.  I saw some green on the buds of the pecan trees so I gave them a good watering.  They will need it again in a week.

I saw the first iris up at the entrance, blooming out.  It will be larger tomorrow.  Cheerful Forsythia is at it's prettiest right now.  And the Charlie Grass is vying it for color.  Both pear trees are in bloom.  A lot of good it will do me with so many squirrels around.  Red Tip Photinia is nice and red around the top.

The female kiwi are more advanced in leaf size than the male ones.  Some of the Muscadines are leafing out and some are not.  I did a small amount of pruning and tying on the ones near the entrance.

The Jane Magnolia is at the top of it's game right now.  I was a little concerned when I saw some discoloration on the leaves, but not to worry.

Some surprises were in store for me today.  I found an Amaryllis in a pot and it is alive and well after being outside  all winter.  I wasted no time in taking it down to the curve in the road and planting it as it had a lot of nice healthy roots coming out the lower part.  Another thing I never expected to see was a Jackmanii clematis at the southeast corner, up about ten inches.  I had not seen it for several years and thought it dead and gone.

Also a Daphne Odora  appears to be up and alive and well.  I will have to wait a little longer when the leaves are larger to see if it is really what I think it is.  I hope I am right as it has such heavenly scented blooms in January and February.

Alas you can't win them all, or at least I cannot.  The large Gardenia in back is looking pretty sick.  I am pretty sure it is from white fly infestation.  I tried to cure it last year but it may be too far gone.  But in compensation the Red Camellia is still blooming!  I cannot remember it ever blooming this late in spring.  Usually March is the last month I have blooms on it.

This has been a fun day for to get in my golf cart and explore for the first time this spring.  I am very well pleased with how my growing friends fared this winter.

Precious

What is Precious to Me?

 

This coming Sunday the lesson for our adult class at my church has been planned by a lady who had a unique idea.  She asked each of us to bring in something that was precious to us.  What came to my mind instantly was “my family”.  It was neither practical nor possible to bring in my family and place them on the (symbolic) altar (which was the plan).  So I began to think of all the things which are precious to me and it turned out to be many, many things.  The main criteria for me to use in deciding what I could physically carry into the church was - what would I never, ever throw away. Well, that is a long list also.  This task had turned out to be what I thought would be simple, to a monumental effort.

 

Since this is after all, a church affair, I began to narrow things down.  I decided that I would take in a Bible that my parents had given to me around the age of 12.  I do not remember just why it was given to me but I suspect it was when I went through a communicant’s class at that age. So, it is a very old Bible and it looks old.  The cover is missing entirely.  Many pages are gone or torn or scribbled on (by my children before they learned to write).  No doubt they were also intrigued by the colorful pictures throughout, depicting Biblical scenes.  Even some of those pictures were gone.  They are wonderful pictures and I will admit to removing some of them to use in the classes I have taught for children, mainly in this present church.

 

So, I had made a decision, but then I thought of all those other Bibles on my shelf.  There was one which was presented to my aunt Clara by her husband in 1924.  It says so right on the fly leaf.  Also some more history of this Bible is written there.  After my aunt died in May 1973 my uncle Matt moved from his farm in Indiana to Florida.  He must have been discarding items for this move and thought the Bible too precious to throw away.  He gave it to my sister Katrine and she kept it until 1981.  I found it when I was handling her affairs. In ten more years this Bible will be 100 years old.  I determined to add it to stack.

 

This is not the only Bible I have that had belonged to my sister.  I have two others.  One was given to her on her birthday Oct 3^rd 1922 when she was around ten.  My mother gave it to her and had written her name along with the date.

 

 The other Bible is one that my sister had bought for herself. The copyright date is 1940.  It is 2 and ½ inches thick and has wonderful helps in it like The Key, an index of the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation.  At the back is a Concordance Dictionary.  The words of Jesus are in red. And it also has a Family Register which has been filled in by my sister, with many pertinent dates included.

 

My stack is getting higher and I have one more to add.  It is called the Good News Bible and I love the illustrations in it.  They are all line drawings.  The artist who drew them was very adept at expressing the essence of the message with minimal lines.

 

While working on this stack I found some interesting notes I had taken when studying something using some of these Bibles.  One page was filled with thoughts about the wisdom found in this amazing text.

 

Our pastor likes to quote Dr. Phil’s response to his guests with “How’s that working for you”?

 

I think Proverbs of Solomon offer the most economical, psychological, effective counseling that has been available since the written Bible.  They are for me truths as a blueprint for a fulfilling life.

 

I choose Proverbs 3:5 in the King James version.  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. My son-in-law often chides me for not reading the directions first before attempting something new.  For all too often I have to abandon my initial attempts and “read the directions.”

 

In terms of living our lives we are always being challenged with situations that are new and unfamiliar.  The categories for these challenges are endless, some small, others medium size and some Papa Bear size.

 

In order to solve a new problem we have to go through a cognitive process.  Scientists are learning with the use of new technology that this cognitive process can actually be seen taking place in the brain as it occurs, when they ask a patient to count backward from 100 by threes.

 

They have also learned that these mental gymnastics actually cause the neurons in the brain to fire faster and this sends out more signals which are aimed to a specific spot.  This is building more brain power which becomes a foundation for better problem solving in the future.  In educational circles this is referred to as cognitive dissonance (a lack of harmony or agreement).  No problems - no new learning.  That is how children learn and advance and can go on to the next step in whatever they are learning.

 

God knew all of this long before scientists discovered it.  As our creator he designed mankind in such a way for him to develop into a growing, learning, spiritually balanced being.

 

I think problems, both small and large are a part of God’s plan for mankind to become what he created them to be.  Proverbs 3:5 instructs us to walk the path God knows will lead to success whereas if we make up our own instructions we can fail and know frustration. 

 

So, when we trust in God, read his instructions and follow them we gain new learning and understanding, helping us with our next, similar problem we face.  Proverbs is full of problem solving instructions.  Proverbs 1:33 says “those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.  It is the best plan that I know to follow throughout life.  That is why it is precious to me.

 

 

What is precious to me?

Hobby or Addiction

Around ten years ago I gave my son a set up for bird feeding so he and his boys could observe the birds while sitting at their dining room table.  It was a lot of fun and even the youngest son learned to identify the Mommy birds and Daddy birds as well as the juveniles. 

Now I have become the one to enjoy the feeding, feathered friends. After all these years some changes are taking place at his house so he has brought his feeding station and accompanying feeders to my house.  He set them up in front of my dining room window and I can watch the birds eat while I eat.

It occurred to me that this was becoming an addiction as I sat mesmerized in front of my window and time was passing without me even realizing it.  Perhaps it is not all bad as I am curious about which birds are visiting.  I got out my Audubon Field Guide Book to North American Birds and it is becoming very well used!

When I saw one bird flying from one place to another, not to the station, I remembered reading about a bird whose flight has an undulating pattern.  I did not remember which one so I began looking through the grassland birds.  I am not positive but I think it may have been the Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Iudovicianus).  This bird has no talons so he impales his prey on a thorn or barbed wire fence in order to tear it apart to eat then or later.  For this reason he  has another name "Butcher Bird".  His food consists of insects, mice or small birds so he hunts for  this food and not the seeds I have provided.  I did not see him at this station so it does seem logical that I have seen this unusual bird as this area is part of his range. 

Another fact which came to me because of this "addiction" is that some birds are much smarter than humans.  They curb their population when food is scarce.  They lay fewer eggs or do not breed at all.  This bird may be the "wise old owl" we refer to at times.  He is the barn owl (Tyto alba) and eats mostly rodents.  He has a heart shaped face, is the size of a crow, and has keen hearing, which he relies on when hunting.  He can see just fine in the daylight and his large eyes allow him to see very well at night.

Who wouldn't get addicted to such fascinating creatures which are able to do something we will never be able to do, fly through the air in our birthday suits.

Accidental Gardening

 The other grandmother in our family once used the phrase "accidental gardening" and I liked it, as it applies to so much of what goes on here at my north Georgia place.

The photo shows my, not so great looking compost, which needs some expert help.  I once heard a gardener on radio WSB say that having a compost is so easy, you just pitch any fruit/vegetable scraps and grass or greenery onto an out of the way place and it will compost itself.
So that is what I did for a long time and just left it there, mostly I just did not want to put peelings, etc. into the land field.

Then my son-in-law suggested he make a new one in a different spot and fence it in, etc.  That was a good plan so that is what I am now using.  Proof that I have neglected it hit me square in the face this week when my son-in-law pointed out to me that I had a jonquil blooming in my compost.  I had seen something  green but supposed it would be an onion which had been discarded there.  Not so.  It truly is a jonquil.  But how did it happen?

We speculated about that but came to no conclusions.  He  had seen jonquils coming up near his garden in the Atlanta area, in much the same surprising way.  My best guess is that when I trimmed the old dried flowers from my jonquils in front of my house, I must have thrown them into the compost.  There must have been some seeds already formed in at least one of them, thus the several jonquils coming up right where they had been thrown.

For me this is a first in traveling jonquils.  I have other plants which reseed themselves and present new flowers in odd places but never before jonquils.  In fact Jim's idea that the birds had planted the seeds may be the best  answer, as I saw another jonquil blooming far from the others down in the front near a big curve.  I had orange day lilies there but would never have put jonquils up next to the trunk of a  tree where these are growing.  So, let's blame it on the birds, or shall I say that accidental gardening has taken over where I had let down my guard.  Yes, I like that.  It does sound a lot better to me.

Scars

A scar by definition is a mark left on the skin after a wound has healed.  There are other scars however which are not readily visible, as emotional, financial or environmental scars.  What I am thinking about today are the scars which we collect on  our skin.

I began thinking about this kind of scarring when I meditated about why I did not like to own a dog.  Most people like to own dogs and have more than one such pet.  What came into my mind is  a far away memory when I was so small that I was being held in someones arms.  There was a little puppy in the room and I reached for the puppy but my outstretched hand was stopped in mid air by when it hit the searing, hot side of a stove.  From that incident I carried a scar on the back of my left hand for almost all of my life.  So long in fact, that I had forgotten about it but somewhere in my memory box it surfaced this morning.

Meditating brings up related incidents and I thought of  another burn.  I was burn.running on a cold snowy day, slipped and  landed on red hot coals which had been dumped on a  slope.  That accident also left a scar, on my right leg midway from my knee to my hip.

Some years before that, before I could walk, I was in a walker which had wheels and I was happily pushing myself all over a porch which had a flight of steps down to a flagstone walk.  I was probably too young to know where I was heading and I went right over the top step and on down to the ground.  The scar I collected that time is under my chin and still faintly visible when my skin is pushed around.

The only other scars I collected were left from a surgeon's knife.  A no doubt, inexperienced doctor, left a long scar on my right abdomen.  It was  emergency surgery caused by an infected appendix.

Other smaller scars that I lay claim to  are not as prominent, due to improved surgical techniques.  I carry scars inside of me which cannot be seen by me.  They are scattered all over my lungs and are the result of many lung infections.  By the time a skilled doctor  discovered the cause of the frequent infections I had already accumulated too many for my own good.

So, I live with them, those scars which are a part of me, that are not noticed, and rarely come to mind.  They were caused by  wounds which have healed over.  All of us have scars left from wounds which heal and are forgotten.  The emotional wounds which we collect are not so easily healed and are hidden from view.  Some we take great care to hide, some we are not aware of and carry them with us and thus they  influence us forever.   If only meditation could heal them also.