The Bits - Just What We Needed

Never try to outstubborn a cat.

~ Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

Her photo was posted by a friend...twice.

Bitty Kitty

The second time I handed DH my computer to see her.

"We've certainly done stupider things," he replied.*

This sweet girl was not able to continue living with her family. These things happen. We communicated with her "mom" to let her know all was well and she would be in another loving family.

She's upstairs in the guest room with all her gear...food, water, litter box, tree,** and more.
I've seen her a few times. She keeps hiding in the closets and under the beds.

Some of this isn't my stuff!

You can see how this is CAT PARADISE!

"Darn. Now she knows I hide in here. Gotta find another spot."

We know she will adjust and are giving her time.

I've spent hours in that room - watching Netflix and cleaning out closets and boxes.*** I figure she will get used to me eventually. I continue to come in and shake the treat bag.
Watch this space.

NOTES:

*This actually means "SAY YES!" [He has a dry delivery.] His mantra - "never get excited on your first hitch."  

**Have you ever put together a cat tree? This one arrived partially "together" with directions. I had to take it completely apart and rebuild it. It is blue - my favorite color. It reminds one of a deconstructed/reconstructed Muppet. Of course, I did two parts incorrectly and will have to try again - just not today...and it is too tall for the room, so there are extra parts stored until it comes downstairs (if it comes downstairs). 

All the parts were there!

Love the look of it all. Note: NO photo of the finished work. :-(

***I've needed to work on (organize) those rooms anyway. DH keep encroaching...his man cave spilling over - just sayin'. [Okay. And my office boxes are still there. And all the empty boxes one saves when a new appliance arrives -just in case.] So keeping Bits company while she adjusts serves as a good excuse to resolve other issues.

********************UPDATE**********************

At bedtime I thought I should check my email and talk to BK one last time before sleep. And, she was ready to play. 

She "marked me" (you do know that's what cats are doing when they rub up against you) and jumped in my lap to "knead" me (her mama saved her a a tiny baby - hence the name and the kneading). She licked my hand and spoke to me - just once. Then she settled in the desk chair and finished grooming (she had started while sitting with me). 

She is eating and drinking and using her litter box. We are well on the way to settling in. Hurrah!

Bitty and me.

Well, this is awkward!

"Meow" - "My chair now."

The Herons Dived (I Would Have Said "Dove")

And I rose
In a rainy autumn
And walked abroad in shower of all my days
High tide and the heron dived when I took the road
Over the border
And the gates
Of the town closed as the town awoke.

~Dylan Thomas

I know I have used that section of one of Thomas' poems before (and I know it is neither rainy nor autumn), but the heron diving and town waking felt right for today.

Somehow VM and I arrived early for our walk. I woke before my alarm and decided to see if the cat lady was still feeding the animals. After driving around and observing nothing - no woman, arms full of plastic food-filled containers, I stopped for photos of the park cats before meeting up for the walk. The cats were lounging in the grass as if they were waiting for something. One straggler walked the dry drainage ditch. Little did I know....

Park cats

Straggler. I don't know what has happened to the big grey we used to see.

We headed down stream along the path and found heron after heron fishing for breakfast. Perhaps it is the drought. Streams and ponds are drying up. But the creek still flows and the herons gather.
We saw two Great Blue Herons, two Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and at least four (I really think five) Green Herons. This is not a rookery. We hike this path fairly regularly and are excited if we see two herons stalking the shallows.  We have now bettered our record morning (of only a few days ago) by100%.

You don't believe me? Well, I wouldn't believe me either, but I had witnesses - one living and one electronic.*

Here you go!

The first Great Blue Heron. I took photo after photo as he stalked into and out of deeper water. He did take one splashing dive, but did not come up with anything we could see.

As I watched him I spied another heron along the far bank. This was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. A much smaller bird, I wondered if it was following the GBH to a good fishing spot.

This my help you see it a little better.

YCNH

We saw another YCNH down stream a little ways, but I had no chance for a "good" shot - only these quick and terrible flight shots.

We had started to wonder at the riches of herons when we came upon this GBH preening. It must have just caught something and was dripping wet.

Another photo of the same bird.

Just beyond the Main Street bridge we saw a Green Heron wading and realized we were now at a record (for us). Something startled the heron and he flew into the trees followed by these two Green Herons (We are at 7 now, but who is counting. I AM).

Then we saw this Green Heron - #8.

Broody shot of the same bird.

And another standing tall. We suspect this was one that flew off earlier because of the location.

And another - this too not double counted.

The city has installed an new footbridge at the old low-water crossing. It wasn't here two days ago. Perhaps it is there for the 4th of July celebration (so that people can access parking and the carnival with ease) and designed to be moved after. Perhaps it is secured in some fashion that I didn't see. But I have seen the trees wash down this creek in fast moving water and I have my doubts this bridge would survive one of the floods we have seen in recent years (it's feast or famine these days - drought or flood).

The former low water crossing.

Looking upstream from the footbridge

Looking downstream

And there were a few other things to catch our eye - pigeons feeding on something at another footbridge (Ah, she'd been here after all. The cat lady must get up very early.), a young squirrel who gets entirely too close to Zelda (for the squirrel's safety and the calm of the dog), and some wildflowers bloomed at the edge of the water.

Golden Wave

Pigeons eating the last of the cat food.

He doesn't look before heading down the tree, but he moves fast once he sees us.

As I drove away from the park, one last Green Heron flew overhead. I'm reporting 8, but there were 9.

NOTES:

* iNaturalist, where I report wildlife, requires a photo or audio recording. We joke: If you didn't take a photo, you didn't see it. eBird, Cornell's birding database, trusts. One can simply report the birding list. But if you see something rare (rare or rare numbers or rare for the time of year) you had best have a good description and/or a photo.

I knew this was NOT Smokey because of the collar and the white paws. Still, the rest looked like it could be a relative.

FINAL NOTE: This descendant of "Smokey" the cat (who belonged to our neighbors and was, apparently, a series of cats - as one disappeared, the father of the family would replace it with another look-alike. He may not have fooled his children, but he fooled me.) was lounging in the street today. He did not move the first time I drove past, but did get up and saunter away on the second pass (I went back to the house for my cell phone.).

Books - Sneaky Little Devils

When I have a little money, 

I buy books; 

and if I have any left, 

I buy food and clothes. 

~Erasmus

I almost purchased this one, but too weird. Still Connemara - one of my favorite places. So tempting (I know. It's a sickness.).

Amazon delivered the wrong book today. I have no idea how they confused the folksy storytelling of Bailey White* with what appears to be something for fundamentalist Christians who want to argue about arguing.** I am not fundamentalist. I do not want to argue about spiritual matters.

Bummer.

I believe this book is going in the trash. I spent a bit of time scanning a few pages and then trying to review the reviews of it and gave up...gobbledy-gook. No need to pass it along.

That being said, I find that there is something about the danger of books coming into the house - first there is a trickle, then a flood. I received the latest David Sedaris (short stories about his family and life - I see a theme - folksy short stories by southern writers) over the weekend. I had gotten tickets for a reading at one of our favorite independent bookstores in Austin, BookPeople. Then I received an invitation for a graduation in California for the same weekend. So others used my tickets and brought me my book (thanks, OC!).

Mr. Dedaris drew a little picture when he signed my copy.

Then came the ersatz Bailey White.

And then I went to the dollar store for frogs and found a few volumes*** that looked like they were more than worth the $1 price tag.

As I drove home with my prizes -- 3 books, 1 plastic alligator, 1 plastic fly (as big as my palm), 1 plastic grasshopper (as big as my hand!), a bag of rubber frogs, 6 hard plastic hopping frogs, 18 plastic combs (to make frog calls - trust me),**** and note cards (I need to write a few "thank yous") -- I realized that suddenly our library was growing again.

<SIGH>

Seriously - we are trying to downsize. We have given over a thousand volumes away to a library used book shop and have thousands to go. There are 6 or 7 boxes of books in my hall at this very moment. And I am ordering books on-line? I am purchasing books at the dollar store?!

<SIGH>

I resolved to buy the Bailey White for Kindle and get the 6 or 7 boxes in the hall OUT OF THE HOUSE within the week.

I can do it. Really. Watch me.

[I will let you know if my $3 gamble was worth it.]

NOTES:

* One of my favorites is "Dead On The Road." It's about roadkill. I believe the first line is something like "My mama eats things she finds dead on the road." If you know me, you understand why I find Ms. White hilarious.

** Whenever someone starts talking about "apostates" I find it time to move on to something else. I do not find this "hilarious."

*** Okay. There IS a lot of junk on the shelf at the dollar store, but I chose carefully : Dear Amy, Please Help Me by Helen Callaghan (Hello! - Dear AMY - How could I resist?), Lucky Alan and Other Stories by Jonathan Lethem (STORIES - See that, just gotta read one to know whether to proceed.), and Shakespeare's Restless World, A Portrait of an Era in Twenty Objects by Neil MacGregor (sounds perfect for a "collector").

****I am teaching wildlife classes in a few weeks and like to have some activities for the kids.

Where Did the Herons Go?

By the pond, what whiffs, what sniffs?
The residue of stag and duck,
Heron and otter, murky frog....

~Alan W. Powers

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Yesterday was a four heron day. Really. It was.

Three walkers and two dogs were up early. Zelda was excited to see her new friend (they had walked together only once before). Kason was not so excited to see her,* but he managed bravely.

With every turn in the creek/under each bridge a heron waited. While it's not unusual to observe a heron or two on a morning walk, four was out of the ordinary) - for us at least. First we saw the Yellow-crowned Night Heron with its bright feathered "fascinator."

This little squirrel was surprised to find us at the base of a tree and we were surprised as well. It ran quickly to a light pole and then played peek-a-boo for a while.

This Green Heron was feeding steadily in the shallows

A little further along we found the Great Blue Heron. I watched it stalk for two minutes, but never saw a "strike."

I do love these birds.

We frightened this green heron and it flew off.

But it had returned by the time we turned around to head back to the car.

Today we were not so lucky. We only saw the Yellow-crowned Night Heron and it was skittish, flying upstream quickly when we stopped nearby. Still we saw some spots where we will watch for birds in the future. And the young Red-shouldered Hawk flew by after other birds fussed at it. One of the Mallards had appeared to be nesting. We moved off the sidewalk - clearing the way for other dogs and did not realize we were so close to the duck. It moved away and disclosed the egg we thought was there.

We do love this park. Even in the summer humidity, we are good for an hour or so.

I'll try for a better photo of this tree full of homes for wildlife. There are more cavities than the two noted here.

This park has been developed for water activities. I understand nearby landowners warning off the public.

We watched the hawk take shelter here. It's hard to see in the morning light. You can just see the light colored front mid-frame.

Stump-borer Beetle...now food for the ants.

It doesn't look too comfortable.

But it's just the right size for the Mallard to use for nesting.

Seven o'clock is almost too late to avoid the heat...and crowds (runners, solo walkers, and dog walkers). Still it's good to know that the parks are well-utilized even if we must step off the sidewalk or use a different path every now and then.


NOTES:

*Kason is older and calm while Zelda is an exuberant "teenager." Perhaps Zelda's owners need to work on her behavior.

** We saw the fellow who walks 4+ dogs at the northernmost end of the park, but we haven't seen the cat lady in a while. She generally feeds the birds early in the morning (and we've noticed the cats following her too). Perhaps we are too late to see her now that daylight is earlier and the day heats up fast. I'll check again.

Last Walk on Wednesday

Asked the fellow for fifteen cents
See the fellow he jumped the fence
Jumped so high he touched the sky
Never got back till the Fourth of July
Walkin' the dog
Just a-walkin' her dog
If you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how the walk the dog

~ Rufus Thomas, Walking the Dog

West into the sunset

It was a normal Wednesday evening. We headed out at dusk and noticed the steady drone of the crickets just starting their "wall of sound" punctuated by the occasional maraca noise of the cicada.

It's rained a little - off and on for the last two days. The mosquitoes found us at just-dark.

We passed a woman power walking. Two young men zoomed by on skateboards. A family enjoyed the small park.

Zelda and I walked - straight down the street and then back home again as the last of the birds chirped goodnight.

A Graduation in California

This is why we need the humanities.

~ Anonymous

We were in California for a long weekend to celebrate a graduation. It was a big deal - really. And we were invited, so we were there - as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we could manage.* Graduation only consumes a couple of hours. [It's one of those graduations where the faculty advisor "hoods" the graduate with appropriate colors. This does take time and dexterity. Some are better at it than others, but you certainly can count on those with a gift for language to entertain.]

The student speaker was from the engineering school. She seemed very accomplished and a bit of a nerd. Her address would have been adequate for a high school graduation, but we were all a little underwhelmed. The English professor accompanying our graduating friend leaned over as the young woman completed her speech, "This is why we need the humanities!"

The proudest people in the place. Their kid is the tall one.

It was a colorful bunch as the graduates were accompanied by advising professors. I explained some of this to the guy siting behind me. It kept him quiet and I was channeling my kind mother.

What else did we do?

We made new friends.

We ate a great deal (and some wonderful food). Many tacos were consumed (how could we go wrong, fueled by tacos?).

The tacos were pretty good - I liked the use of shredded cabbage.

This is a famous taco place in town where there is almost always a line. We didn't eat here, but walked by on our way to another restaurant. I LOVE the dia de los muertos figures in the yard.

Some of us went into the desert. Others stayed behind to rest and take a short walk downtown.

Downtown Riverside is intriguing.

All in all, it was a great weekend.

The company was the best.

The grandcats came out to socialize with everyone. This is unusual.** I suppose it could be a sign, or not.

Slinky gets a snack.

Aengus watching these strangers in his house.

The flights were on-time and pleasant.

I sometimes forget how much fun Southwest Airlines can be (it is their anniversary!).

Traffic wasn't impossible.

The hotel was fine.***

There was one trip into the wild (and what a trip!).

So, there will follow three ghosts - stories about some of our adventures. They are shadows of the actual events, but shouldn't frighten. [Maybe it's the heat or the virus I cannot seem to shake, but this is how the trip is organized (or disorganized) in my brain.]

Oops! I almost forgot the cupcakes. Celebrations do require cake (especially since I left the confetti at home).

NOTES:

*DH and I both arrived with coughs and unknown maladies. I haven't met a respiratory virus I didn't like lately. This was just another summer cold-ish thing. I spent a couple of days in bed ahead of the trip to see if I could get past the worst of it. I did, but still took it easy - until the last day.

**Slinky is usually hiding in a back room. Aengus can be more social.

***Okay, there was perhaps a lapse in security that will prevent us from staying there again, but all's well....