Van Cliburn Part 2 (Deux)

More angles of the angels at Bass Hall. So dramatic and such a pretty day for an international piano competition. Thursday 5.28.09 was splendid for a semi-final round and I enjoyed my afternoon immersed in a completely different world. I kept my mouth shut and listened to the musicians, to the audience, and then read the paper for what I should have heard or appreciated.

The kids all sounded great to me. Nary a false note in my humble opinion. I've read reviews that there's grandstanding, or rushing, or a steely sound. Huh?? Mariangela Vacatello (Italy) played a Nocturne for the Left Hand that was awesome. I hope she doesn't lose points just because her right hand rested on the top of the Steinway. Ran Dank (Israel) played chamber music with the Takacs Quartet. He was absolutely fine on his Brahms Piano Quintet in E Minor. The Quartet was a tad annoying - lots of violin drama and shaggy hair shaking. It was hard to see our sensitive young man, but he sounded lovely to me. Finally, Evgeni Bozhanov (Bulgaria) an obvious crowd favorite, proved flamboyant, dramatic, and fun. I personally liked the more "modern" White Lies for Lomax by Bates. It proved intricate, familiar, and intriguing. Hmm - does it sound like I know what I'm talking about. Nah.

All in all, there's pacing. There are sound levels - loud, quiet, playful, and moody. Between movements, the silence is like the white space in a poem. Take your time, pause, and then move on. And there's plenty of drama to keep one's interest. Kinda like writing. Sometimes, there's description and sometimes there's action. Just keep turning the pages and you'll enjoy the full story or experience.

Whew! Check out http://cliburn.org for the live webcast and information. This prestigous competition keeps Ft.Worth Texas on the music map. Kudos to Bass Hall, Sundance Square, Parking lots, and the City of Fort Worth - all an entertainment experience extraordinaire.

Joanne

(hiding her Billy Joel CDs for awhile)

Another reason my workplace is great

You'll recall this cool thing they did during Kids-to-Work Day.

Now, here's an email I just got from someone in HR:

Many of you have already heard that we have a mama and eight baby ducks in the courtyard. By nature, mother ducks are very protective. The courtyard will remain open but please respect the ducks and do not go looking for them in the grass or trees. You can see them swimming in the pond and waterfall area through the cafeteria doors. Thank you.

SWEET.

My birding plans for this weekend are pretty ambitious, and I'm totally pumped: First, tonight, Baby G and her girlfriend plus my girlfriend and I are having a double-date-birding-night-extravaganza! We're meeting at AB's (my wonderful girlfriend) house for dinner and drinks, and then we're all going out to the Scotia Barrens for more warbler/woodcock/whip-poor-will action!

Then tomorrow morning, AB and I are headed to Penns Valley, my old stomping grounds, for a little field birding in the mostly Amish-farmed fields, and then we're going to the Nittany Antique Machinery Show for fun and frolic!

I'm also hoping to do some birding on Sunday in an unspecified location (perhaps where they hide Dick Cheney?). Haven't decided where yet.

What are your plans?

Van Cliburn Part 1

Angel trumpets call. Steinways glisten. Bass Hall, Fort Worth TEXAS beckons - attend the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and you won't be disappointed. Fabulisimo - is that a word?? If not, it is now. Wow!

I know nothing about classical music, but left my writing computer to support the arts. Enter a whole new world, a realm of language with movements, artistry, and some damn fierce tinkling of the ivories. I attended the first semi-final performance this afternoon and was amazed at the skills. I didn't know when to clap - oops, not at the movements, but rather at the full blazing crescendo of sound. Don't cough, don't shuffle your feet, just embrace the sound and swoon - whether it's Beethoven, Brahms, or Liszt.

I'll be honest. I grew up with Billy Joel or Elton John banging the ivories, and I bet these kids could throw out some boogie-woogie. However, I'll discuss in Part 2 - sonatas in a minor key, suites for piano, or a nocturne I really liked. (yea - we're talking left-hand, baby.

I thought about this event and writing. There's a lot of similarities - pacing, drama, and arcs. I'll save that for part II

For anyone reading this in the vicinity of Fort Worth - get out there. Support a superb event and eat a burger at Billy Miners. Yum.

Joanne

Camping adventures! and old business

My wonderful girlfriend and I went camping at Cunningham Falls State Park near Thurmont, MD, this past weekend; we joined some old friends of hers and had a great time building big fires, making s'mores, and cooking on the open flame.

I didn't see too many birds that weren't familiar to me; here's my list:
Red-bellied Woodpecker (they were everywhere!)
Eastern Wood Pewee
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
American Robin
American Crow
Chimney Swift (weird, seeing as how there were no chimneys around)
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Flicker
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Carolina Wren
Black-capped Chickadee

There were also some mystery birds:
--what looked like an Orange-crowned Warbler
--Water Thrush, either LA or Northern--sadly, my photo didn't help much with determining the ID:We couldn't get very close, lighting was bad, and my hands were a little shaky from the arduous trek. I got decent looks in the binocs, but I forgot to check whether it had that white eyestripe (Louisiana) or not (Northern), so I don't know which kind it was. It was, however, definitely a water thrush, and it made that "chik chik chik" of a Louisiana. ?
--some bird whose song went "pia-pia-pia tazip-zip!" Any ideas what that was? The leaf cover was waaaay too thick to spot him, though I tried and tried.
Not too bad, considering I only birded while doing other things. No Scarlet Tanager! Grrrrr.

We also saw some interesting non-bird things. Here are the falls, a 75-foot spectacle with some nice observation platforms at the bottom:(Definitely click on the huge version of this photo) To get to the top of the falls, you have to climb the rocks like all these people did. We didn't climb the falls, thank god, or I'd probably have fallen to my death.

We went on two long hikes, both of which were pretty strenuous for my old feeble body. I fell a couple of times and banged up my knee, but I survived. AB's back held up well too. I even saw a life-flower: Jack-in-the-pulpit!The distinct "leaves of three" of these plants are probably the reason I've never seen one before; I ALWAYS steer well clear of anything with three leaves because I am extremely allergic. This time, though, I was rewarded with a life-flower!

And we saw this weird fungal spire all over the place:
Any guesses as to what this is?

And this pretty green moth:What kind of moth is this?

Saw some cool-looking beetles who were either gettin' it on or having a beetle smackdown:We couldn't tell which. But the ooky-looking stuff they're on is that weird fungus or lichen or whatever that grows on old trees and looks like a soft light-beige shelf. I used to know the name of it but I forgot. I'm guessing the beetles were eating it, or the tree, or both.
- - - - - - -
The day before we left, I saw a Northern Flicker dead on the side of the road near my house:I always wondered why they call the eastern version of these birds "yellow-shafted;" now I know--the actual shafts of the feathers are a beautiful sunny yellow color:Amazing. I can't wait to see the western Red-shafted version, though I hope I see him alive. It was sad to see such a beautiful bird this way, but I did get to examine him up close for a long time. Look at those breast feathers, with the pretty spots on the ends. And those yellow feather shafts! Beautiful. What a lovely bird.

Memorial Day Read-a-thon

Happy Memorial Weekend!

Once Jim Nabors sings the Indiana song and they shout, "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines", Indy cars buzz like bees and go around in circles. Until someone drinks the winning glass of milk, you might as well sit poolside and read a book.

Just started reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. This is a serious hoot. Indeed, Mr. Grahame-Smith has adapted Ms. Austen's story, utilized her style and plot line, and inserted zombie attacks when necessary. Mr. Darcy admires Elizabeth for her deeply intelligent brown eyes and her dagger wielding skills. I'm laughing out loud not only for the story, but for the creativity shown. Goes to show, anything is possible. Rumor has it, Mr. G-S is now writing something that involves Abe Lincoln and vampires. I'll give a shout out to Quirk Books in Philly for publishing zany material.

Finished a delightful mystery by a first time author, Alan Bradley. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie introduces us in 1950 to Flavia de Luce, eleven years old, plus older sisters who torment her, a remote but loving father, a loyal gardener, and a man who expires in front of Flavia at 4 am in the garden. Flavia knows her poisons and works to uncover the mystery ahead of the Inspector. As she peddles her bike about the English countryside, we meet a cast of town characters, her father's long lost college roommates, and learn a bit about rare stamps. Well written, with an old fashioned style, and excellent pacing, this book is a winner. I look forward to further tales of Flavia, her nosiness, humor, and a love of chemicals.

Dip in the pool (brrrr), chow down a hotdog, remember those who came before us. And read!!!

Joanne

NUMBER 200!!! Whip-poor-will!

It happened! I got my 200th bird! And while it wasn't a Scarlet Tanager, or any of those crazy warblers, it was just as satisfying. Yesterday after work, I saw Matty for a while but he ended up cancelling on dinner so I went to TICK WORLD--the Scotia Barrens on the north edge of State College. I bought some Cutter's with 23% DEET and soaked myself in it, then I hit the trails. My best photo was of a Chestnut-sided Warbler who was driven nuts by my BirdJam:

These guys were everywhere, singing "pleased-pleased-pleased-to-meetcha" at the tops of their little birdy lungs. It was often hard to hear anything else over their din! I wish I could've gotten better pictures of this bird, but it was getting dark quickly, and we were under the canopy of leaves. He flew all around me, so close to me that many times I could've reached out and touched him. The hum of bumblebees doing their bee jobs was constant, like the drone of distant airplanes. Imagine my horror when I noticed that many sections of the path looked like this:

For a person who's allergic to bee and wasp stings, I was pretty freaked. I gutted it up, though, and walked through at a brisk but calm pace. These trees were incredibly fragrant, with a lilac-like smell. What are they? Here's a close-up:

Probably something invasive. It was everywhere. After an hour or so on this trail, looking at Canada Goose babieswatching an Eastern Towhee high in a treeand watching all the Chestnut-sideds everywhere, I made my way toward an area that's supposed to be lousy with American Woodcocks and Whip-poor-wills. I was hoping to maybe get a photo of a woodcock, and I figured that Katdoc's comment about hwo you can count it if you just hear whips (because they're almost impossible to see in the dark) made it okay to count any whips I heard as my big #200.

By now I was deep into the barrens, and I was all alone. I made it to the spot--a nice big clearing where people sometimes shoot skeet--about 8:15, as I'd been advised. It wasn't looking (or sounding) good until about 8:30, however; that's when I heard it: above the constant trills of Wood Thrushes, the never-ending songs of American Robins, and the whiny mewing of Gray Catbirds, I heard the unmistakeable "PEENT!" of a woodcock! Sweet! I strained my old eyes trying to see them in the fading light, but I didn't see anything.

Long around 8:40, I began to hear "whip, whip-poor-WILL! whip, whip-poor-WILL!" over and over again--that was it! Number 200! The best part: when I finally left, after video-ing the darkness with the whips singing in the background, I saw several of them in my headlights as they sat on the dusty dirt road! If only I'd had the camera ready!

Also on the way back, I heard a loud peenting just off the road, so I stopped and pointed my lights over a little ridge. Here's what I saw:
WOODCOCK! I realize I probably broke the ethical rules of birding by shining my headlights your way, Mr. Woodcock, but I was just trying to see you! It was only for a second! Sorry! Leaving now!

And so I saw and heard my #200th lifebird, and I got some decent photos/video. Pretty damned cool.

Listening to Whip-poor-wills with a big goofy grin on my face:

Note--that Eastern Towhee was singing a weird version of "drink your tea" in which he would say "teeeee-terrrrrr-tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet" with the 5 tweets sung in rapid succession after the two drawn-out syllables in front. Weird.

I heard a lot of calls I didn't recognize--strange gruntings (frogs, maybe?), weird little dry rattles (not like a Belted Kingfisher though--very quiet), and so many other sounds I can't even remember. As many songs as I've learned, there are still soooooo many more I don't know yet. It's frustrating, but I still had a great time.

And no ticks!

Of the calls and birds I did recognize, I heard and/or saw:
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Worm-eating Warbler
Killdeer
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow Warbler
Northern Flicker
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Mourning Dove

I think that was it. There were so many birds, but the trees are really leafing out now so it was hard to see them. It was so cool to have that Chestnut-sided so close to me; he was so tiny!

So now--the big push for 300 begins. My new goal: hit 300 by the end of the year! After all, California will offer a ton of new birds.

Warblers that could easily be #200

In which I continue to obsess over which bird will be my 200th lifer....

People on the state birding listserv are always seeing the following warblers all around the state, so any of these guys could easily be #200 on my lifelist:
Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla)
Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina)
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)
Mourning Warbler (Oporornis philadelphia)
Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)

I should probably review the important field marks or behaviors that each of these birds displays so I’ll be sure to know them if I see them.

Nashville Warbler—guitar (some spp. with pearl inlays) slung over scapulars, rhinestones studding primaries and uppertail coverts, whiskey bottle prominent near chins of older males and some females.

Cape May Warbler—“diamonds” (from Sunset Beach) on lores, often wears flip-flops in July-August, back is usually sandy.

Prothonotary Warbler—often seen carrying a crucifix and rosary.

Connecticut Warbler—noted for its bejeweled breast, well-manicured feathers, and all-white body.

Mourning Warbler—black mantilla worn over crown, single black wingbar, driving a hearse. Song sounds similar to this.

Wilson’s Warbler—only the crown and eyes can be seen. Fishing hat is prominent on crown.

Bird pics-o-rama!

As almost always happens, my big weekend plans for birding came undone. My girlfriend injured her back, so I spent the weekend nursing her back to some semblance of health. She's much better now.

So last night we went to Millbrook Marsh to really work the birds there. There were many young and beginning birders there too, which was really exciting. We saw the requisite Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats, and we also saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler! I got some great pics of the first two, but none of the Chestnut-sided. Oh well. Here are the highlights from the walk (most can be clicked on for embiggening, though some are small crops of larger pics). A Yellow Warbler impersonating a missile.

An Eastern Phoebe got a little ruffled at me.

The phoebe and a Yellow Warbler preened together.

I drove this YEWA nuts with my BirdJam. But look how nicely he posed!

Overheard conversation between these two Barn Swallows:

"Stop it."
"No, YOU stop it."

"I'm not kidding. Stop it."

"No, YOU stop it."

"I'm gonna kick your--"

"MOM! He's threatening me!"

"Oh gees..."

A Red-winged Blackbird posed for us.


Perhaps my best pics of a Common Yellowthroat!

I love Barn Swallows!

We also saw and/or heard a Swamp Sparrow, a Gray Catbird singing a weird song, some sort of flycatcher, Song Sparrows, Grackles, American Crows, American Robins, Mourning Doves, and some other birds I couldn't ID (grayish brown, small, bird-like...). I think that was everything. It was a nice trip, what with the sun shining and the cool breeze blowing. This is such a nice time to live in Central PA -- when it's not raining, that is.

So the girlfriend and I are going camping with some friends of hers for the holiday weekend. I'm hoping to see Lifer #200 on that trip. At this point, I don't even care if it's my nemesis, the Scarlet Tanager. I just want #200!

daydreamin'

A gorgeous Sunday in Texas. Had to go somewhere, so my friend, Linda T., and I headed to Clark Gardens in Weatherford. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not too windy. Just right. It's the kind of place where you should seek a nook, sit, and contemplate the world.

Daydream and create. Word candy in the brain.

Life on a lily pad. Sunshine, water, and floating flowers. Perfection.

Endless pool effect. You can walk under this waterfall on the other side and feel the mist. Lots of paths to meander, criss cross, and enjoy. This day made me think of Boston's "More Than a Feeling" - that soaring tune that blared out of college windows in May a zillion years ago signaled summer. Open the windows and inhale fresh air.

How can I not create? Then again, I'm daydreamin'...................something will come out of it. Hope it does for you, too.

Joanne

Gneiss!

Splotchy started it with Feldspar!. These bloggers continued it:
Bubs: Zircon!
Samurai Frog: Pyrite!
MNMom: Hematite!
Lockwood: Orthoclase!
Bailey's Buddy: Chalcopyrite!

Join in on the rockin' mineral fun!

the power of a book

I just finished Colson Whitehead's Sag Harbor and I'm ready to go down the shore. Those were the words my family used as we rattled around the basement digging up beach chairs, rummaged through cupboards for beach towels, and filled a bag full of summer reading material. We drove to Ocean City, New Jersey. Joan's family headed to Stone Harbor, Helen's to Avalon. Everyone had their family traditions and locations. No matter what, everybody spent at least one evening on the Wildwood boardwalk.


Sag Harbor is an extremely well written fictional memoir of a teen, Benji, who's family always spends summers in Sag Harbor, the beach enclave for African Americans. Set in 1985, with the Cosby show as background noise, Benji reflects on being age 15. He and his brother, Reggie, get their first jobs and are in charge of themselves during the week. Weekends bring the parents in from the city and Benji is aware of parental dynamics and mild dysfunction.

I enjoyed the fresh voice, the well written casual flow of action, and Benji's humor. As a private school attendee he reflects on what it's like to reconnect with old friends each summer, learn the latest lingo, hear the newest music, and emerge from a scholastically privileged world. Sag Harbor appreciates the ebb and flow of summer beach life and conjures a worthy cool yet awkward character in Benji (wanting to be called Ben). I highly recommend this book. Dig your toes in the sand and revel in a smooth read.


Like me, you'll yearn for a summer down the shore.

Joanne

Millbrook Marsh in 15 minutes

I had a few minutes to kill yesterday after work before I met my new gal for dinner, so I stopped by Millbrook Marsh just north of Beaver Stadium. I was only there for about 15 minutes, but I got some nice birds:
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
American Crow
European Starling
Song Sparrow
I didn't get to the actual pond area and viewing platform before I had to go, but I did get some photographs! These are the best (and only) pics I've ever gotten of my FOY Common Yellowthroat:
I drove several of these guys nuts with my BirdJam, but they were wily enough to remain quite well hidden whenever I got my camera ready. I got some good looks in the binocs but had to settle for these crappy photos. Still, it was fun hearing and seeing them instead of being fooled by the similar call of the Carolina Wren.

An obliging Song Sparrow:
So cute!

Tomorrow after work, the girlfriend and I are meeting at the marsh to really give it a thorough birding. I'm really excited; I've only ever been there once before, but it was cold and wintry so there weren't even any Red-winged Blackbirds, much less warblers. I hope to have some good pics for you Friday.

This weekend will also be rather birdy, as Baby G and I will be checking out the sure-thing American Woodcocks and Whip-poor-wills at the Scotia Barrens (aka TICK WORLD--more on this later) on Saturday evening, and then we'll be joined by our friend Anne the Writer for some Sunday crack-of-dawn birding at Bald Eagle State Park, where I'm hoping to see a Scarlet Tanager, dangit!

Now--you'll recall that I'm in search of Lifer #200, but I have some issues with the list now. I've heard and kinda seen a fuzzy darkened outline of a woodcock, so does that count? Because I counted it, though now I feel a little funny about it--but that's part of how I got to 199. Still, I'll definitely see them Saturday (unless it's freezing or raining, both of which are NOT on the forecast), so I figure it all evens out. Right? But then, if I hear a Whip-poor-will but don't see it--does that count? I haven't ever counted heard-only birds, but I did count the woodcock, even though now I honestly don't know if I only imagined seeing the bird's shape in the darkening conditions at Middle Creek.

I guess, for the sake of whatever, that the woodcock counts, but if I only HEAR the Whip-poor-will, it will not count. If I actually SEE it, it will be #200. But you know that I really want the tanager to be #200. Of course, I may not even see the tanager on Sunday.

I guess whatever new bird I see will be #200, no matter whether it's a tanager or a whip-poor-will or even a snipe.

Now for some info on Scotia, aka TICK WORLD: several people have been commenting about the ridiculously abundant ticks at Scotia. They're bad every year, but this year, a woman talked about finding over FORTY! of them on her and on each of her kids! And they stayed on the mown paths and dirt roads! Gretchen and I are terrified, and we will NOT be taking Domino. Speaking of Domino, here she is, whoopin' it up at Em's recent birdday party:
hee hee! She's such a party animal. Anyway, back to the ticks: I guess we'll just have to drown ourselves in DEET and hope for the best, checking ourselves for the dreaded ticks all the way and afterwards. Eek.

What birdy stuff are you doing this weekend?

Lol birdz

Barn Swallows can be so cruel to one another.

(from ICHC)

Bare Claws

How sweet that the family sitting behind us at the theater decided to treat mom to a movie.

However, perhaps X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasn't the smartest choice with a 4 and 6 year old in tow. As the movie critic for The Little Paper of San Saba, I am concerned for my readership (however small) and try to point out ratings and if there is excess violence, language, or sex. The rating system isn't perfect, but it does provide a guideline. PG-13 for this X-Men flick was a suitable code- teensy language and plenty of violence - and thus not appropriate for two young boys.

There is so much information published these days that I almost believe that folks are immune. Do people read reviews and ignore ratings? Rather like zooming through the yellow light (well, it isn't red yet), PG-13 is a stopgap on the way to R and what's a little blood and gore for youngsters? Having a high pitched voice ask questions throughout the film ( and not using a "we're in the movies, you should whisper" voice) should have sent a signal to the parents that they were in the wrong show.

I do believe in parental control of content. Parents should be aware of movie content for kids and it should be age appropriate. Parents should be aware of books and reading content, and available to answer questions.

And like Wolverine, I wanted to bare my claws in anger at folks with cell phone text screens, and at people who act like they are home watching a video - stop talking. Shut up! That's probably a rant for another day.

I shall close with a portion of my review - Wolverine is a slashing good time. It's a summer no-brainer, and Hugh Jackman flexes the pecs with resounding success. Enjoy this in a cheap matinee with a huge tub of popcorn. However, don't bring your four year-old.

Joanne

Mother Material

My mother loved tulips. She even loved the tulips I handed her in my grimy little fist. Then I got a swat on my butt for cutting those tulips from her front garden. Oops. I'm not talking child abuse. My mother, all five foot of her, was extremely fair in doling out punishment. Generally it was a lecture about trust or right and wrong. As you stood there hearing, "You've disappointed me," you prayed for a swat just to get it over with. My mother truly did not give me dark material to write a heartrending memoir. Yes, I'm grateful and I suppose that's why I'm compelled to write humor or stories that harken back to innocent days.

My mother loved to read and I thank her for reading aloud to me as a child. I thank her for the weekly runs to the library and for buying me every Nancy Drew book in the series. I thank her for buying Mad Magazine. I think she'd be my biggest fan now and would put up with navigating the internet to read my latest on-line poem or even this blog.

My mom's been gone 17 years now. That's hard to believe, and I don't need Mother's Day to think of her. So this is my own little card of celebration.

I'll salute my mother-in-law, too. Joyce Faries is alive and well and has a green thumb, can sew, and is an amazing cook. Twenty years ago she had to acknowledge that her son was marrying a Yankee, but it's all worked out great ( I repeat, 20 years!!!). I truly couldn't be luckier, and again I don't have "mother-in-law" stories to write.

What the heck - I've opened the can of corn here - Mother's Day allows schmaltz and candy and flowers. In memoriam - my Nana Crowther, Nana Shutters, and Ray's Grandmother Ivy.

Much love.

Joanne

My hopes for #200

As I mentioned in my next-to-last post, I'm now officially at 199 birds on the lifelist. I have been hoping to go birding one of these mornings before work, but it's been raining all week. Like I didn't get soaked enough in Cape May?

I'm hoping that we get a good sunny morning on Saturday or Sunday. In that spirit, here's my list of bird-candidates that I'd like to see take the coveted 200 spot:

Photo by Jeffrey A. Gordon, taken at the New River Birding and Nature Festival

1. Scarlet Tanager--this bird has been my nemesis for a couple of years now. I always look but never find. Zick found one for me at Oil Creek two years ago, but of course it flew away right when I looked up, so I caught only a blur. I don't count blurs. I just want to see this bird so badly--red is my favorite color, and the thought of such a beautiful red bird with black wings just makes me happy. And my gosh, look at Jeff's beautiful photo! (I shamelessly stole the pic from his excellent blog.)

2. Painted Bunting--I know--unless I'm going to Florida (with a blindfold on the whole way), the beautiful "Monet bird" is NOT going to take the 200 spot. I still love this bird, though--always have. Some day....

3. Bobolink--at least this one's possible, given my location. I soooo want to hear this song, which was described by some Flockers as sounding like R2-D2, one of my favorite Star Wars characters. (Han Solo's the man.)

4. Evening Grosbeak--I dig the black and yellow birds, and I especially love grosbeaks. (Rose-breasted is my favorite.) When I was at Middle Creek, a guy told me he hadn't seen an Evening Grosbeak in PA in over 15 years. WTF!? Odds are this bird won't appear, but I want to see one!

5. Prothonotary Warbler--would LOVE to see this bird; he's so beautiful! And now that I live in PA, I actually kinda know what a prothonotary is! (I wanted to drive to Belleplain when we were in Jersey just to see this bird, but we just never found the time.)

So this is my wishlist. I should take Painted Bunting off, but you know me--always dreaming of having silly stuff like Slayer strength or the ability to go into Harry Potter's world (and of course I'd be a Muggle witch just like Hermione!).

I'll keep you posted on the quest. Meanwhile, cross your primaries and think birdy thoughts!

A little more from the Cape, and a Niblet update

I also took some phone-camera pics in Cape May that I wanted to share with you. Here we go:

Sunset at Sunset Beach--the only sunlight we got all weekend, for about 15 minutes. Still, it's beautiful.

There were so many dead horseshoe crabs on the beach at Sunset. We also saw two of them mating in the shallow waves--come on, guys, produce some eggs for the Red Knots!

Why does the CMC Health Dept insist on mentioning (ugh) "human fecal matter" in the restroom of every single restaurant in Cape May? Is that really necessary? Can't they just say "wash your hands or else!"?

A book cover I saw that reminded me of a certain monkey we all know.


My amazing campfire on Saturday night. I tried something new this time, a trick for starting great fires; I read it in a book called Camping and Woodcraft (which is actually two books combined), written by Horace Kephart. The amazing thing is that I only paid 50 cents for this book at the local AAUW book sale (which is coming up this weekend!), but you can't get it online for less than 17 bucks!

Photo by Baby G

Here I am, taking the above photos of my excellent fire.

Anyway--here's the trick: get some cotton balls, some baggies, and some Vaseline. Rub the cotton, two or three balls at a time, into the Vaseline, getting a good amount into the cotton. Make sure to coat the entire blob. Note: this is really messy, but the good thing is that you can just rub the extra Vaseline onto the skin on your knees and elbows--it's moisturizing! I did about 30 cotton balls, again two at a time, and put them into three baggies. When it came time to start the fire, I piled up the wood and some kindling into the classic teepee shape; then I poked some of the cotton/jelly blobs into the base of the teepee and lit them with one of those Aim-n-Flame type lighters. (IMPORTANT: You do NOT want your hands anywhere near this highly combustible material.) I used probably three blobs of the now soaked-through cotton and got a fire that the Aggies would've been jealous of.

Gretchen and me at the lighthouse, exhausted but happy from all the birding and walking and rain.

It was a great trip, but I sure did miss my Flock friends in West Virginia. We'll migrate again, ladies and gentleman! Soon!

Now for the Niblet update. Thank you all for your continued good wishes and thoughts for the health of my little Son, Moon, and Stars™. He's doing great! No return of the infection, and I think he feels better in general these days, as he's become much more social and friendly again! The only remaining evidence of his surgery is the bald spot on his head:
Dr. Scholz said it would likely grow back the next time he had a big shed and re-grow. It's very soft! I try to kinda comb-over the surrounding fur so you can't see it. Hee hee!

He's really doing well, and he's been so affectionate for the last few weeks. I think he finally believes me when I tell him we're done with all that hurty stuff at the vet.