Three Nice Surprises

The title tells what I shall explain. First, my husband’s debilitating pain has subsided; he is even driving himself to physical therapy and other doctor visits. What a relief for us both. Taking care of everything left me with a niggling case of tendonitis in my right elbow.

Then extended use of my left arm caused annoying if slight muscle pain around that scapula. Minor queasiness accompanied the frustrating sensation. While it’s happened exactly the same several times in my lifetime, healing takes longer at the age of 55 and I’ve been struggling for many weeks. But enough whining… Here’s my surprise win:

Knowing the grass needed mowing and weeds pulled yesterday, I finally took pain medication, something I avoid whenever possible. What a shock; all this activity didn’t bring greater hurt the next morning. I even managed to lift weights today.

Thirdly, I looked up bald eagle nest cameras online. This Pennsylvania pair has three (!) healthy nestlings. That’s a rare event.

When both parents are gone, one
eaglet always seems alert...

Do you follow any live webcams? Are there numerous raptors where you live?

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One Wild Bird and Six Pet Kitty Names

Our kind friend Strayer expressed interest in video I took during my riverside walk. Here are two, in fact. ~grin~ The first shows a very determined crane on the hunt. I’m impressed by how still they can stand even near raging waters.

Then I must have gotten too close, which made me feel bad. At least I got to see its majestic flight.

On her blog, Pam shared a cute game in which you try to describe a pet’s name without declaring it outright. I just had to join the fun. I’ll start with the three sweethearts we’ve lost over the last decade, listing each in order of their arrival into our hearts and home. Of course each is listed under my blog’s labels but I’ll put the answers below…

Our Earth’s moon in Latin
Actresses Meg and Jennifer
The wicked wife of Israeli King Ahab
The Earth, ‘firma’
Who wants a cracker?
A prolific yellow flowering weed

Do you think the bird recognized my predatory ocular orientation? And since cats are both predator and prey, why don’t they have a second set of eyes on the sides of their heads?

Here are the girls’ names:
Luna
Tilly
Jezebel
Terra
Polly
Dandelion


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Numerous Flights & My Latest Kitchen Failure

Hearing a raucous sound outside my house, I knew this couldn’t be children on a playground despite the instant comparison. We live a mile or so from the nearest school and temperatures ranged far, far below freezing that day. The volume increased more and more. At last the individual honks could be heard.

The previous day I saw large Canada geese flocks heading south. This has to have been the biggest yet. Those birds no longer migrate from Ohio so they must have had enough of the cold. I don’t blame them.

My latest failure happened in the kitchen. A YouTuber we respect shares store-bought food breakdowns and recipes he deems either budget friendly or healthy. We were excited to try his version of egg foo young. Well, I didn’t detect anything but bland eggs, mushy vegetables, and salt. And the mess… well, you can see for yourself.

The gravy would not thicken with my cornstarch slurry,

then boiled over; other surfaces and pans were equally a mess. Ugh...

I think frozen peas would have been fine but not the cubed carrots. And I should have used a cast iron pan for consistent heat plus more oil for the desired fluffy texture. Some turned out undercooked, others rather burnt, and the mixture lacked enough eggs. Oh, well. Today my husband ate some crappy leftovers, declaring it fine. I’d rather stick to the easily ordered oily restaurant kind. It’s not like we eat this more than a few times per year.

Did you know these Chinese style omelets were created by 1900’s era Cantonese immigrants for American palettes? Are you a fan of any ethnic foods tailored to your regional tastes or do you prefer more authentic cuisine?

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A Fowl Day?

I saw what I guess to be Canada goose feathers drifting outside a home improvement store today. No other shoppers seemed to notice.

This drift, trapped along the curb...

I hope no bird got hit by a car. There was no sign of an injured animal.

Is this something that would draw your attention? Do you think the store workers perhaps cleaned out an abandoned nest?

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The Buzz on Buzzards

Sorry about the title; I couldn’t resist. I also couldn’t resist expounding on the subject of these often maligned raptors.

Our neighborhood most often sees the social red headed turkey vulture. Their black headed kin are more solitary and aggressive. They will happily gather to take down a vulnerable living animal. ~shudder~ Meanwhile, I’ve joked to visitors that they should keep moving if they go outside.

These North American natives have always piqued my curiosity. I watched them circle and soar above farm country roads along the way to visit family in mid Ohio. The city of Hinkley, located roughly between Cleveland and my childhood hometown, hosts a ‘Buzzard Day’ every spring to celebrate the birds’ return. Though I never saw a single one on that particular date back then, my favorite Cleveland rock station had a buzzard mascot. Check out the rock n’ roll hair on this bird…

An Excellent, Nostalgic Read...

Fast forward to us moving here in 1994 and spotting huge flocks became normal. Sometimes they even overwinter; those birds might be migrants from further north while our summer residents head south. It’s impossible to know for sure. Either way, I believe the reason we see so many matches the old commercial business wisdom: location, location, location.

The Great Miami River is scant miles to our west and a major highway about the same distance eastward. Both rivers and freeways provide thermal updrafts for often effortless soaring over long distances. This makes them major migration routes while also providing plentiful water and, ahem, food for nature’s janitors.

And our home sits atop a large hill. Advantages include earlier access to the sun’s warming rays as well as a higher take-off point. Large flocks roost overnight in what are called wakes due to the fact their hunched appearance evokes Victorian people wearing traditional heavy mourning cloaks. The kettle reference is due to the way bubbles rise in a boiling pot of water.

Thankful as I am to view them, I am glad there are no big trees on our property. I understand that their droppings are both noxious and corrosive.

Do you suffer from invasive natural pests? Have you ever required a professional removal service?

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Birds Nesting, Earthworms, & Moles - Sorry, No Pictures...

I have been spending a fair amount of time gardening since the YMCA closed. And as the title suggests, there have been some interesting sightings.

What I first thought to be an American robins nest turned out to be that of house sparrows. Sad to say, they are an invasive species, often overtaking endangered Eastern bluebird nest boxes. I don’t have the heart to destroy the eggs, though, as a dear friend and bluebird enthusiast would recommend. So we’ll see this through and wish them the best.

On another note, earthworms are prolific in our yard. That’s a good thing, a major sign of healthy soil, but as my husband pointed out is also a lure for moles. They have seriously torn up our yard over the last two years. His prophetic statement led to a more startling discovery.

Wheeling our lawn mower onto the driveway yesterday, I saw a dozen or so earthworms writhing on the dry sun-washed concrete. The sight blew my mind. Then I spotted a mole scuttling through its fresh tunnel adjoining our driveway. The worms, apparently, fled (?!) the danger. Flipping them onto a spade using a plant tag, I dropped them onto a raised plot free of mammalian activity. Within a few minutes the creatures had burrowed to (I hope) safety.

Should I destroy those birds’ eggs, despite the fact our area isn’t suitable Eastern bluebird terrain? Is it so different from me sticking poison mole bait into the fresh tunnels? Some moral ethics are a real modern quandary, aren’t they?

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Bedraggeled Beauty & Fantastical Fun - a Random Virtual Tour of My Eclectic Aquarium Design (I spent too long goofing around and I'm too tired to reorganize the images)

Robin on a Rainy Day

Backside of Miniature Seahorse 'Aquarium'

A Trio of (Vintage) Goldfish Encounter the Goth Garden

Silly serpent eating a faded & once floating fake lionfish

Japanese Village

Floating islands inspired by  overpriced online merchandise.
I repurposed old decor using scissors & lots of super glue.
Suspended from excess air tubing via fishing line, they
are occasional hangouts for my spotfin gobies.

Fantasy Section: Mermaid on Manta Ray Meeting Unicorns
The 3D laser glass of mother & colt were gifted long ago
by my dear big brother S and sweet sister (-in-law) T
I searched for these tank safe LEDs to enhance my
two unicorns without being quite so blinding
as lit displayed on a shelf. The mermaid
figurine was a vintage eBay find
(Lucky me on all counts!)

Decorative Sea Horse Aquarium (within an Aquarium)

Springtime Kettle

Stepping outside my front door the other morning, I looked up to a sky filled with circling buzzards. As I’ve no doubt mentioned before it’s called a kettle as the sight is compared to bubbles rising in a pot of boiling liquid.

Ugly as most folks consider these avian ‘janitors’, I find their whirling displays beautiful. These birds roost in large groups overnight and, taking flight en masse, disperse to the four winds.

We never tire of seeing them and welcome their return each spring. At the same time, we’re glad they don’t roost near our home, as their waste piles can result in a formidable messy stink.

Do you know the differences between red headed and black vultures? Have you ever seen a large wake (aka a roosting flock)?

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