Almost every day now, I can hear a Cooper’s hawk crying from inside the house. Other than that, once the hawk cries, it gets silent as a tomb. All the other little birds are frozen in place with their mouths and eyes closed (figuratively speaking), pretending to be invisible. You know how that works. When playing Hide And Seek, if you close your eyes and can’t see them, then they can’t see you. And every time, I want to say to the Cooper’s hawk…if your goal is to catch and eat a bird, why don’t you shut the hell up? I don’t see how they ever find food.
Not that I really want them to find and eat one of my beloved Cardinals, but it’s kind of like what I’ve said previously about watching the Discovery Channel. Hour One: Run, baby antelope, run! You can outrun that Cheetah! Hour Two: Go Cheetah! You can catch that antelope! It’s just a baby!
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About an hour ago I went to the corner liquor store and bought a bottle of wine. All I could afford was a small bottle of Yellowtail Pinot Grigio, which tastes like I imagine Aardvark urine would taste. There’s your nature reference.
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On the drive home, I noticed that one of my neighbors’ Sagos had seeds. This is a very pretty sight.
I rushed right home and took a look at mine. Alas, in my absence, Nature had not turned itself on its ear, and it’s still a male plant. It won’t be making any seeds. I do think it’s old enough now that it’s looking for a girlfriend, though. It wouldn’t really say. That’s how it is when you’re the parent. At a certain point, they stop telling you anything.
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On the way back to the door, crossing the yard, I observed that my Oriental magnolia has three buds. Man! I thought…you are really stupid, even for a tree. I guess it has failed to notice that it’s the middle of January and it’s been in the 20’s every night for a week. And there will be more to come. Normally budding doesn’t take place until mid-February. If its little buds freeze off–or worse yet, if it flowers before mid-February–then it can’t say I didn’t tell it so.
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Last week I watched a repeat of the now infamous episode of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska”, the one in which she shoots a caribou. Let’s not even go there about the current political brouhaha. But I saw a whole new side of her and thought, What is all the fuss about? She was having a ball, bonding with her Dad, and very proud of herself for bagging this caribou, which in my opinion, she had every right to be. She even made a joke (who knew she had a sense of humor?) At the end of that very successful day, she was sitting out there on the frozen tundra, talking about how much she loved the place, “And”, she said, “You can see Russia from here! (Pause) Almost.” I laughed myself silly. All I can say is, if you’re a Vegan, don’t watch this.
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On the WordPress home page there is a post I’ve been intending to read. It’s called Adulthood: No One Told Me There Would Be Laundry. I can so relate to that! And there is your Other Stuff.
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