Ms Bluejay had shown off in front of me.

I was sitting in my usual spot enjoying the sky, when I heard her familiar peep, from the bushes. I got up and saw her struggling with quite a huge piece of treasured food. She is usually fastidiously vain, not to look greedy. I watched her expectantly. This piece of something was so big, that she could hardly carry it and had to keep dropping it and picking it up before she got to...THE NEST. Evidently, the nest that I thought was hers, wasn't. There are 2 in the courtyard and I happily got to peak at the dainty mother nurturing her young.
I had noticed that the bees were singing a more happy and distracted tune, up there in the blooms of the crepe myrtle, everyday. They all seemed to be serenading over the nest. A choir of honeybees admired and sang at the hatchlings. I really didn't think anything could distract those bees from their work. They are sooo diligent at their endeavors. Pollenating is serious work and they go about it, in the most determined day. These are not the days of years earlier, when there were young bees to entertain and develop. Evidently the bees are upperclassmen and they have formed a choir that sings in the tops of the crepe myrtle. I loved when they used to jump rope and play and sing songs and wrestle. Now they are always busy and attentive to work. I can hardly get a word in edgewise, with them. They all kept it completely secret from me, (those imps). So Ms. Blue could tell me herself. They were sworn to secrecy by Mrs. Blue. I was glad. The secret is out now and I can't wait to see the little peeps, who she is nurturing up there.

Yesterday, I had the delightful pleasure of spending an hour with Mr. Turtle.

We had made acquaintance before, when I brought my unwanted 'nilla wafers to the park and fed it to the ducks. He enjoyed them and wanted me to know so. He poked his head out of the water and said Howdy do to me. He requested if I had anymore of the sweet pastries that I had given him before. I told him that I hadn't any and expected him to go about his business. He let me know, in no uncertain terms that we had struck up a friendship that I would have no choice, but to accept. In turtle, when you give them 'nilla wafers, it is as much as asking him to come home with you. I was a little surprised at this. He started then and there to tell me about his venture to the pond and the few, but true friend that he has there. He was concerned that the rain clouds were looming and my shell didn't look water proof to him. I assured him that I had no intention of staying outside in the rain and that my husband was expected to pick me up soon. He kept me company with his head poked out of the water for the whole hour. I was pleasantly kept company by him, while the waterfowl went about their business. It seems that the birds are camera hogs and if I am not taking their picture, or feeding them, they have no business for me. Just as well. I got to know another creature at the pond.




After this I met the pond bluejay family of 3 or 4 little peeps in the tree outside Chik Filet. They were so sensitive. I guess they have to be, living on a busy corner like they do. She was especially repugnant to me, as I tried to explain my fledgling naturalist tendencies. She wanted nothing to do with that. Get away from my nest. I took a few pictures before I got totally offended and chose another spot to wait for my husband.

How did the Swan couple get back together?

Well, It was a perfectly sunny and beautiful day. The storms had ended and the cob had been totally dejected that he had to spend the storm week apart from his pin and his swanlings.
It was upsetting to him to have been alone in the lightning and thunder. His conscience smot him for having been so mean and thoughtless of his beloved. He saw her head, when it began to droop and he had gotten a tinge of pride at having humbled her, he thought it was worth it. He noticed that the loss of swanly dignity quickly grew into dejection and his constant ridicule had been the cause. He was sorry, now, but it was not in a cob's nature to apologize. He spent an entire week away from the nest and it was getting to him.


On the other hand, the peeps had kept Mrs. Swan so busy that she had hardly noticed the time. She did miss the sense of protection that Mr. Cobb gave her, if not his fond embraces, in the storm.
They came from opposite sides of the pond, determined, in their minds and hearts to beg the other's forgiveness and reconciliation.
The whole pond was the audience as their regal swim with wings outstretched to oneanother, went from the usual to a spectacle. They met in the middle of the pond and the spars that flew were seen beyond the fountain that they caused by their embraces in the middle of the pond. The water was applauding and the other birds were applauding. All of the peeps on the pond, put their wings over their eyes.

When they caught their breath, they said to one another, let's never be angry again, okay?

Swan Reconciliation!

I felt like singing "Reunited" with them, as I saw them oogling at one another today. A couple of days in the dog house, for Mr. Swan, was just what it took to make a cob humble and easier to live with. The pond was not big enough to keep their love from one another. The ducks just quacked. They never wait until their heads are nearly bent over to keep their males in order. A Pen "female swan" is a timid creature and sometimes the judgement of charity makes her take entirely too much, even from a human perspective.
Anyway, I am happy that they are enjoying the reconciliation of their relationship. It is cute to see Mr. Cobb beg? :/

Euclid spiders and feuding swans

I went outside on my break and saw 3 very well woven spiderwebs on the tree outside my job door. These webs were carefully woven and hexagonal in 3 dimensions. I am not a student of webs or spiders, but admired the scientific beauty. They were parallel to one another, but on different levels of the tree. I noticed some of the similarities and here are my admirations and observations.
The spider is the best example of Euclid and the geometry theorem that I can see in nature. They are calculating the trajectory of the downward spiral of the caterpillar and the best way to catch them for a good nutritious meal for the family. Their webs are spun by theorem and their webs are utilizing the alternate interior angles of the tree or the vine that they utilize to hold their web. Calculations and memorization of these theorem will assist tremendously in the calculations of a person’s life and home.

I think that it is Helen Keller on cloud duty when the clouds are light and not as clearly defined as at other times. There are beautiful distinctions in the clouds, but not as dark outer lines as usual and always in sign language positions.
I love it when Helen Keller is on cloud duty. All of the clouds look like finger signs. There are hands and okay signs all over the place. She must be so happy to see and do beautiful artwork and I rejoice with her, when I imagine her on cloud duty. What an amazing teeny weeny cloud I saw in the sky on the way back from dropping Ben. I thought that is an Elijah cloud, just one tiny little cloud to signify the hugeness of the help of God. I am always hoping for rain down here. A tiny cloud is a nice thing to wish upon.


The swans were practicing individual swimming, the other day. Mrs. Swan looked abused and discouraged. I think that Mr. Swan had been overbearing.
Her head was drooped and I was wondering what was wrong with her. Well, since that day, I noticed that they are having an amicable separation. She couldn’t take it anymore and she gave him some distance to think about. She looked much better as a result of this. He looked a little humbler.
Her self esteem was much better and she was able to swim to the end of the pond without getting yelled at. What a good thing to see her growing and swimming and happy. The swanlings looked sadder, though.

The Lizard came out and sat quietly on the rock wall.

Ms. Blue was schooling me on how not to look like a predator, to the lizard. When I first met you, I thought you were a predator, because you look so hard. She saw the little lizard from a long way off. Are you planning to eat the lizard, she asked, beak in wing. You will never catch him staring at him that way. She came down to the branch to show me how to look inconspicuous. She turned her back to the lizard, as though he wasn’t even there. I know you see him, Ms. Blue, I said. First, she stared at me and said, this is what I want you to do. This is what you are doing and this is what I want you to do. Then, she turned tail to me and the lizard. She stared at the sky as though she had nothing else to do. If I were a bird your size, I would consider that lizard a tasty treat for myself and my hatchlings. No thank you, I am not too fond of eating lizards.
I had to laugh that she thought she would school me on that subject. She is so adorable, how she takes me under wing. Completely different from my classes from Ms. Robin who told me about, considering and not, my husbands wants and wishes. Some of them are to be accepted and some are to fall like water off… Well I need say no more. Now in the class from the Blue’s it is always about when and what to show. They are a family of excellence and showiness. Ostentation is their middle name. I appreciate the class.

I had heard Mr. Bluejay singing about his wife's efforts, but...

Yesterday Mrs. Bluejay showed me her nest. I had passed it so many times. I never knew it was there. She had to check on them after the storm clouds cleared. She startled me and flew out from right in front of me. Tell me this is not the best tree to put a nest in. Right in front of everybody, but nobody sees it. I applauded her suttle choice. I tried to take a picture without disturbing the nest.
I couldn't catch her on the nest, she is too shy for that. She really got offended when I took my camera out. She flew away and gave me such a talking to from the lightpost, I thought that she would never talk to me again. Then, she cooled down and chalked the whole incident up to human ignorance. We parted friends.

The goose family entertain my brooding.

The goose family was very persistent in teaching their 6 chicks how to dig for worms on the side of the pond. Mrs Goose kept the children at their lessons, when I passed yesterday. Father Goose was surprised that I didn’t stop and admire his busy and happy family. It wasn’t that I didn’t admire them, I didn’t want to mess up the lessons that they were obviously so engrossed in. Are you going to mess up our class, He looked at me. I said I would never interrupt Mother Goose directing her chicks. They finished their class and found me, later as I was sitting and stewing at being late for my own baby’s awards ceremony.
I can never forget the breathtaking feeling when I accidentally turned to the back of the program for graduation and saw that I was the general excellence medal winner. I didn’t hear another thing at the ceremony. Elizabeth, tapped me from the end of the aisle. Jayne, you are the general excellence. I can’t believe it. Nobody knew that I was. I kept my grades to myself as much as possible. I thought Joy would be the general excellence. She read so fast and well, out loud. I always stuttered when I could hear my own voice and my face got hot, if it were anything that we had to do in public. How could Jayne be general excellence, when her handwriting looks like special ed? That was a good question. I did work hard

The Finch couple settle in!

The angels seemed to be playing; it was air polo that they were playing with the pollen in the courtyard today. Practice looked aggressive and there were more than a few tussles in the interaction that they had.
The teams paired off 2 by 2 and attempted to guide the little pollen balls into their planting ground. Discouragement that none of the couples could seem to get a handle on what to do with the pollen ball. I saw a couple of escalated arguments and I couldn’t blame them. There is little worse than an uncooperative air polo partner.
Meanwhile a finch family settled into the scenery around the building. She flew through the pollen and opened her mouth to show me the reason why they chose our building to build their home. Them's good picken's I said to her. She said not a word, but flew off to deposit her seeds into her nest for the coming hatch.

The Turtledoves had a big tiff!

I passed the 2 turtledove couples, this morning. The one couple was coooing at eachother as usual and the other were huffing. What is wrong, Ms. Turtledove, I asked. He is in an attitude. Why? He completely misunderstood what I said. The design of our nest, he thinks is his to do. I said that something looked stupid and he thought that I said that he was stupid. You didn't, I chuckled. That is absolutely not like you. I know, but I was not in any mood for the nonsense today. I can totally identify, I retorted. Aren't they a cute couple, I pointed out the other turtledove couple, who were cooing at eachother. They are still in the enchantment stage, she said. I like the settled committed love, where you can say whatever and still enjoy one another's company. We popped 5 and I went to the store. I will get my talking to later, I know!

Picky, picky Bluejay

Ms. Bluejay was so picky about her choice of twigs. This one is too hard, it will stick my baby. She kept picking and dropping the ones that she didn’t want. This one is too soft, it will mold too easily. This one is too leafy…
Finally she found the perfect twig. It was still attached to the tree and she wanted it. What are you doing? I asked her. She said I need some reinforcements we have had to change the bottom of the nest several times, since the birdlings have hatched. She pecked and pecked and finally had dislodged her treasure. I am sorry, Jayne, I will have to… and she flew right off. Birds know that their sentences are always stopped by a branch or two in the mouth. What a bird the Bluejay?

***~~~***Bluejay Love! American Style***~~~***

Mom and Pop Bluejay are religious about PSA, Public Shows of Affection. I caught them in the courtyard this morning. They nearly cussed me out, the both of them. They thought it was safe at 7 am, to be public"SA"(showing affections), in the garden: but they flew off in a huff, when I decided to catch them in the act.

I am sorry, Mom and Pop. I didn’t mean to mess up “yo’ thang”. We could take a lesson from them.

The sparrows were busy about meal hunting, theirs is nothing of the affectionate kind of relationship of the bluejays, always pouring compliments and such upon one another. They were as surprised as I was that the pansy bed was such a nice place for the bluejays and that they were offended that I decided to have breakfast there. I thought you were part of the bluejay family. Daisy Sparrow said, I always wondered where the mom and pop bluejays went, with all those baby sparrows in the nest, you know they can kiss there. Now, we all know. They are found out.

The Goose grapevine told me that Ms. Bluejay's eggs hatched!

I missed her yesterday. It was a grey day, emotionally, and I didn't feel like rejoicing with Ms. Bluejay at her precious babies. She doesn't see another thing, these days. It is amazing that she used to be so vain. She keeps a little mirror on the side of the nest to primp herself, these days, but nothing like the old days, where she was constantly primping and polishing herself. Mr. Bluejay is happy that she has calmed down some. I actually think that I saw a feather out of place the other day. Not like her at all, to be focused on anything but her plumage and their placement. Growth indeed. Now she is a mommy and I hear her singing about it all the time. It is a pretty song, but I wasn't in the mood, yesterday.

Ms. Bluejay and Mr. Bluejay castigated me on my childrearing.

If I had strokes, like yours, not that I don't; I certainly wouldn't have let my young run around with anything but a racquet in their hands. How do you expect them to fly, if you don't show them how to swing? You have shoulder sockets, like a bird, but your mind is intensely human and inane, I am sorry to say. I had no retort for the 2 of them. I knew that they were right.
Bird, mustn't leave the nest without having flapped their wings a certain number of times and their mother counts. I would be just ready to leave the nest, having served my shoulder 1000000 times. They start from birth and I didn't start till 14. I am not raising them to be bluejays, I told the two, in their polywollydoodle mood. Well, you should have. They huffed, as they flew away.

Yesterday, was a tickertape parade in the courtyard.

The polynoses came down in confetti like fashion. The animals were applauding and watching and so was I. It was unusual that I didn't hear the flutes jamming. Then, again, I didn't make my rounds to the pillars where the angel flutes are. So they may have been jamming and the sound was muffled by the applause. Mrs. Bluejay must have laid her eggs, because she was singing loudly, when I got my coffee. There will be a tickertape parade today. The angels are celebrating my having laid such beautiful eggs, she sang. I don't think that is what the commotion was about, but it was encouraging to her, after her labors, at laying a beautiful nest, to be encouraged with this.
I love how the Bluejay family has no humility at all. The sparrows, you would never know that they were laying. But it is a part of the Bluejay motto to brag at every turn. Being good stewards, they call it. I love watching it. They are so proud and beautiful. God humored her with the tickertape, yesterday. I was giggling at the interaction.

Polywolydoodle Lunch!

Nosey bunch of birds we have. They are always showing off, what better control they have of their circumstances, than I have. The robin families were having a picnic and they were startled by me staring at them. They don’t mind being glanced at but they refuse to be stared at. My loss, for sure. I sat their thinking what did I do and Ms. Bluejay got me back big time. She came up right behind me to cast a large shadow which startled me as well. See! She said, that is how it feels to them. I am sorry. She nearly lost her twig, from laughing at me. Then she began to flit around to show me her swift reflexes. She had nearly caught the twig in the air. I will be “bird donned” if I will let you make me lose a well chosen twig for my birdlings. I was apologetic, but lest I think that she was just “butter beaked” this morning. She came back and chose another one right in front of me and flew it away to her nest with a flit of her tail. I hope that you have learned your lesson about scaring my friends the robins. I had.


So the Blackbirds took it in hand to introduce me to the ropes as to why the robins are so touchy about me watching them. Ms. Blackbird said, watch me. I am not going to catch that moth, but watch me stalk him. The moth traversed up over the building and the Blackbird made her presence very known to the moth. That is what the robins think that you are doing. Pop Blackbird schooled us that even though you ain’t got timeliness which is something that can keep you out of our troops, he says you’s a good person. If there can be said to be one. Anyways, we’s allowed to tell you stuff. When we is doin our routines, we stays focused on Pop and pop only. It ain’t that we don’t sees you lookin, but the robins, they ain’t got the same kind of routines we’s got, you see. So you is startl’n dem every time you look at dem." I understand, I answered. Very happy for the schoolin on that. Ms Bluejay just criticizes and she doesn’t tell me the ropes, she thinks that there is some sort of secret that the birds ain’t supposed to tell humans, is that right?
No, said Ms. Blackbird, its just that she likes to keep one up on you and then she flew away.

The birds are very nosey and they try to know everything about people, but they only give some information about themselves. I am not sure why.

The Tigger tree was swaying in the breeze and the tulips were dancing the 3rd of their daily shows. I caught them while I enjoyed my lunch.

The Heat has come upon us, seemingly early. An Easter Day observation

The April flowers are blooming and flourishing. The April showers came in March and the April flowers are such a comfort. Sunday was so hot and beautiful, I was delighted to see the beauty of the Spring sky and landscape. It looked like the horses were all looking for refuge from the heat. Their noses were breathing in the cool from the grass and standing as still as they could. I thought that the cows would be doing likewise. I was surprised that they were in the field playing tag. They had a race across the field and were playing freeze tag when all the other creatures were seeking refuge from the heat. I was giggling that they have no concept that their size should keep them from being so gregarious. The whole lot of them were running and romping in the field like my younguns.

Mixed Doubles Ayay and Janie. Something is always going on at Freedom Park!

We were walking through the park and just caught the finals of the MCTC's. Mixed Couple Triple Classics the b-mail didn't get to me. I just happened to get there, in time for the finals. There had been loads of couples entered over the weeks, but the Easter finals are held at Freedom Park and Each duck couple has to complete a simultaneous landing on the water, with some sort of decorative choreography. The cardinals seemed to host the event and as I was walking, I was aware of the silence as each couple prepared their routine. They were practiced, synchronized and ready for the event. The thrill of the competition. It is evident that ducks have feminine choreographers. I couldn't tell, if the males, just do this to entertain the females or if henpecked was a part of their species.
They were certainly henpecked, both husbands. They would perform their part or else! Ayay and her husband went first and perform a flawless routine and landed nearly silently on the pond with perfect v ripples directly behind them. (Points are deducted for squawks or peeps or swirls instead of ripples on the water.) I can't decifer the grading system. I only know that Ayay, got a perfect score.
Then, it was Janie's turn. I was admiring the humility of Ayay and her husband when Janie and her hubbie started their decent. I heard a slight peep as a fly flew right up her nose as she was looking at her husband and plotting their course.
I always admire how the birds synchronize. They are often giving me a talking to about why I and my husband can't ever seem to synchronize and get to the same place at the same time. I thought, initially that they were just teasing me about what is our usual interaction.
It was a competition.

The fly in Janie's nose cost her about a 10th of a second and they were not exactly as simultanious as AYAY. She also got something off for the little peep that she made when the fly went up her nose. Those are the breaks of competition. I gave her a big applause because, by that point I realized that it was a tourney and that they were performing for us.

The other couple gloated, and they had every right to gloat, they had won the duck's most prestigious competition of the year, the Easter Sunday, MCTC's.

One Turtledove and an impudent sparrow.

I never thought that there could be an impudent sparrow. Ordinarily, they are so humble a creature. This one was afraid and did a dive as though he was threatening me. Mr. Turtledove schooled him on the QT.
She is our friend. I am glad that he knows that I am a friend. He must be part of Ms. Robins Bmail list. I never had met him before, but he was sitting on the limb, just as shocked by the behavior of little sparrow as I was.
Don’t you shoot me, little sparrow swooped and squawked. I just love looking at their little personalities. I wouldn’t shoot you little bird, unless’n I was hungry and I ain’t hungry. I don’t know if he and I will never be friends. He is just too impudent. Will we ever get over this younger generation of birds. Thankfully the stately Mr. turtledove was there to improve my thought of birds this morning or I would have been angry.

The Dixie Ducks and the Buzzy Bees!

Mr. Ant was carrying a find that was more than twice his size. I was giggling at the fact that he could hardly carry it. I am not on a fast and now that you’ve stopped eating bugs that means there’s more for me. I nearly died laughing that he would be so impudent with me.
Ms. Wasp was buzzing around the courtyard, simply taking in the sights. The entire bug community had marked me as on the bird’s side, until I swore off eating bugs this morning. They were afraid of me and now they are friends. I guess that is what the bees came to the front to tell me the other day and I hadn’t the time to listen. They do a lot of singing about this and that. I humor them, when I can, since I don’t speak, yellowjack. I knew it was something urgent, but that joke about the cookies and cream in my coffee this morning had made it to the grapevine a lot earlier than I had thought.


Yesterday, the bumblebee family were buzzing around the entrance as we made that turn to go into work. Whatzzzzzzzup, they buzzed. I really smiled that they were so considerate and polite to us in the morning. Almost as kind as the bees at the Patterson farm that we met while we were strawberry picking. In NY the bees are very unkind and defensive. They absolutely never give a greeting. I was shocked to see that the Patterson Farm bees were actually curious to see what the children were doing and had no intention, at all of stinging them. They had their full of strawberry blooms all day long and are especially friendly to children. They seem to have a bumble choir that greet the children with songs at the water fountain.

We welcome you to our strawberries,
We hope that you have fun,
The sweetness of our strawberries,
Are joys for everyone.

Ez and I heard them, but the NC children seem to be used to this gracious welcome from the bees. We were still standing there listening to the tunes that they were singing, when everyone else had gone to lunch.


It looked like among the flowers, Ms. Dandy-lion was perfectly crocheted in circles, in the flower bed. I am sure that the caretaker won’t have it. He always checks for weeds. I don’t know why such a beautiful leaf structure, should be considered a weed. The flower is not so pretty as the pansies and the hyacinths, for sure. But, I do wish that I could crochet a circle as perfect as the Ms Dandy’s leaves.

We have patches of tulips and hyacinths as well as the pansies to delight us, outside. They are getting along prodigiously. This is quite unlike last year when the smoking hyacinths gossiped and chatted about the ivy and Mr. Tree’s short acquaintance. As I recall, it was the talk of the courtyard. She had gotten all the way up to the branches, before they all ridiculed her to shame. She thought that she was going to the top of the garden with him and she died of a broken heart. Sad year it was for Ms. Ivy and the hyacinths just laughed her to scorn.



Today the Duck chicks met me at the entrance. I was so delighted to see them. They were like the Dixie chicks. Evidently it was morning practice for them for the Easter concert. They are doing a special Easter Sunday Song for service. It was a pretty song, in quack, although, I couldn’t make out the words. I was sure that it was God glorifying.
They were quite a trio and Ma Duck had trained them well to take Holy Week to practice their parts. Daisy Duck doesn’t like taking the lower harmony. She thinks that she is supposed to be a soprano, but she keeps cracking. I won’t be pigeonholed, she said, pardon the pun. Pigeonholed or Gooseholed, it really doesn’t matter, You are supposed to hit that low note and It doesn’t sound Quacky unless you do. I love to watch the sisters argue. It is familiar fondness that sisters can’t seem to find the note, no matter what we do.

Rain, Rain, come again!

There shall be showers of blessings. God is so good to allow more rain than we know what to do with.
The plains across from our housing community, has become a marshland and looks somewhat like the rice patties in Japan, that I have seen in pictures. We would need to import some alligators, to make a marshland movie. I find it beautiful. God has taken us so far from the drought of 2 years ago, that we hardly know what to do, but complain about the water everywhere.
How Green was my Valley? Perhaps that was a complaint against God's multitudinous dark providences, or perhaps it was a remembrance of the beauty of the culture that had endured the dark providences of life together. Whichever, Lewellen named it precisely. The beauty of the dark clouds, shine the contrast of God's overwhelming care, more dynamicly.
We drove from my job and the dark clouds were ominous, in the direction that we were driving. We often imagine that the sunbeams behind the dark clouds are slides that the angels slide down to us on. This imagination started, when we first came down here and Evvy was still a little girl. The first dance that we went to, she and I; we were driving and imagining the parties of the angels glorifying God. "Go Gabriel..." We laughed at the angels enjoying themselves, like we do. The angel slides were so obvious that day. We were not used to this much sky being obvious to us, having come from a place where there is more of human buildings, than sky to be admired.
Little did we know that the angels were coming to minister to us, in party form. We would cry and God would hear us before we cried it. The children could count the many times that God had delivered us from danger in the car, in the Bronx and Brooklyn and New Jersey and all over. Enoch said, it is amazing that it has been so long that God has not had to deliver us in this way. The last time that we were stranded, we were babies. Halleluia!
Well, the closer that we got to the mall, where we were taking the ladies for their socializing, the more the car started to peeter out. We knew it was going to break down. The transmission was nearly gone and the car had been welded together, the light of the battery was gone and the engine started to sputter.
Dry as a bone and the battery was obviously going. We saw the angels push the car back home with no power. The rain was coming down and the wipers worked intermittently. No lights and no dashboard lights and 6 stranded people, with a very big angel running them down the highway and his helpers running interception for him. They were obviously saving us. Only unbelief, couldn't see them. Finally, we got so close to where we started and he got very tired. Even an angel's strength is limited, running that much weight up the highway. The devil tackled him at the 10 yard line. The road service from Allstate took us the rest of the way home and some very good neighbors. God is good.
Yea, though I ride in the valley of the highway, Lord, Thou art there. We have seen him protect us on the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Major Deegan and the LIE and the Belt Parkway and now we see that the angels can find us, even in NC. Halleluia!

I was determined to see the sunrise, this morning.

I was so glad that I had taken my glasses along with me. There was all kinds of scribbling in the sky that I couldn't decipher. Where is Brother Marius? I asked to myself. He would never have all this love talk going on, in His watch? I thought that there was no moon, because of all of the scribblings and then peeking, one little sliver of moon pulled the covers from over her head. Oh, no! she moaned. Is it noon already, we never see you till midday? Oh no, Miss Moon, I decided to watch some sunrise this morning. I can't get up yet. I am much too tired. With that she pulled the covers back over her head and went to sleep.
I kept waking her with my noisy feet and knee. Is that your knee clicking like that? Go to sleep, I implored, I promise I will be as quiet as I can. By the way, who is on cloud duty, I can't read it. She said there is a duck lover who decided to write the sales and a map to the best eats in the neighborhood for the ducks, they can read it. and then she pulled the covers back over again.
It was clearer, since she said that. I do see a duck and the lines of where the food could be found. It was clearly lined up perfectly and in some sort of language, but nothing that I had seen before. I guess you have to be a morning sky reader to understand the jokes that they write in the morning sky, down here.
I know that the ducks will appreciate the newscast and the coupons for where they can find the best eats, for their buck, but I do like it when you put Brother Marius on cloud duty, the sky is so clean then. Oh, I guess I will have to wake up then said Miss Moon and she woke up and pushed the covers away from her head. Have a good day, I said. She said, I will, hope to see more of you. Maybe, I said.

The story of the crossing guard

Dear Christina,





I always said that they need a crossing guard for the deer on Old School Road. Today the poor tragedy happened and one of the students of the deer school was laying on the side of the road when I passed.

We were down here for only a month or so and Uncle Ben hadn’t yet learned how to drive in the NC way. ( they drive much, much slower than we do in NY.) Someone was driving slowly, in front of him and he was sharing his usual, blessing upon them that he does when he is driving(you know what I mean). Suddenly we were shocked when a group of about 10 or 12 deer ran swiftly across the street. This was a shock, because we would have hit them, if we didn’t have that wonderful neighbor annoying us with his “Sunday driving”.

At that point I started writing to the Governor, Please Mr. Governor, we have a precious school of deer, in our neighborhood and my husband almost hit them the other day. They keep regular school hours and I am requesting that you post an officer at their school crossing. I got a letter back from our esteemed Governor, which informed me that there is no provision in the law to protect the wildlife here from being roadkill. They do not pay taxes and we cannot afford to put an officer at every deerschool crossing.

I was mortified. Those poor deer mommies, who brave the elements to get a good deer education; I feel sorry for them.

I wrote the next letter to the Newsteam Channel 22

Dear People who care about deer,

I am new to NC and am very concerned about the care and treatment of the wildlife in my neighborhood. I am dear friends with the mothers of the deer and they have expressed to me their concern about their children not having a crossing guard. My husband almost hit one of their children, the other day and I would have been haunted with that thought. I do believe that you people really ought to care a whole lot more about the deer population and how well they are educated in the future. If all of the deer mommies decide to keep their children home because of the safety issues that we are contributing to; then where will be. We will have a lot of ignorant deer on our hands getting into trouble loitering and doing all sorts of criminal things. I really think we ought to be concerned.

We need a crossing guard for them.

Yours Truly,

A concerned mother

I got a call from the Television station and Uncle Ben answered it for me, because I don’t talk on the phone to anybody. He said it is the television station and I said take the message. He told me that they were responding to a letter from me and wanted me to read it for them on the editorial portion of the show. I said I would be happy to read my letter with all of the gumption that I have about the subject. This is very important to me. I don’t want another deer mommy grieving because we refused to do something about it. Uncle Ben told me that they wouldn’t take his word for it. I had to talk on the phone, something, I wish never to do. I hate the phone! I talked to the man.

He said is this Mrs. Walker? I said what’s it to ya! He said did you write a letter to us about the problem with the deer in your neighborhood. He obviously hadn’t read the letter, but was the contact person and was the person that they have call people to get on the tv. He really thought that I was writing about deer control in the neighborhood. I went along with it, because I wanted my subject considered.

Last Monday, I went to the station to read the letter.



I wore my Sara Palin glasses and makeup! Its awefully hard to read when you have all those lights on you. I read it with all of the gumption that I had and by the second sentence all of the directors were calling for a cut, but I was live. Everybody thought that I was crazy but the station got calls from the people in the neighborhood who have had to clean up the roadkill. And the Governor had to change his mind and put an officer on the crossing and a light also. Now we will have well educated deer and safe crossings for the deer in our neighborhood.



Thanks for listening to my pretend dilemma, Chrissy.





Love Auntie Jayne

The Robins didn't recognize me in Em's coat...

The robins were having a table talk discussion. Aunt Julia was hosting the party and the mushrooms had the lot of them inebriated with glee. I thought that the robins felt close enough to me to join the party. Mother Robin was pecking and pecking small fragments of the mushrooms for the young girls to eat as they gabbed about everything from soup to bees. (They are off nuts for the holiday)
The younger birds didn’t recognize me in Emily’s coat. They started flying from one to another saying she’s got a gun fly over there. She’s got a gun. I said to myself, what did I do? I saw that I had my hand in my pocket and that scared the younger crew. Mother Robin kept right on pecking she was completely out of touch with the riotous activity of the younger girl robins. I laughed as I got out of the way of their snowy glee.

Presnow Sparrow games.

Yesterday, Ms. Oak was in such a tizzy. "Snow is coming" she whined. "That means that I will be stuck inside icicles and snow for who knows how long." The sparrow family came to comfort her and give her tickles. They jumped from branch to branch, making her laugh and shaking her, because they knew it was going to be a while before she would feel anything in her extremities.
They made a game out of it. In the end they had shaken all of her outer branches and forced the needed nutrients to her extremities in the funnest game that I have seen the sparrows play.
Look, mother, said Sally Sparrow. Look how high that I am boinging on this branch. Davy Sparrow started to compete with her. "Bet you can’t go this high!" "Yes, I can!" They laughed together and Ms. Oak had totally forgotten that she was upset, by the end of the game.

The Robins came back from their vacation at Disney.

I saw them on their way back north. It probably will not be raining, because they never would have braved it back this way, if snow were coming.
They were just as fat as I have seen them. They must've had a Thanksgiving feast with the Florida cousins. I cannot imagine what type of delicacies were on the table of the cousins. I can't wait to see the family reunion planned for this summer in the Robin family. Great Grandma and Pop Robin are coming up to see the new babies of the couples when they hatch. So much to look forward to, this Spring. Mother Robin, is now Grandmother Robin and it is a new season of life for them.
For the love of fat robins.

Father Robin took out the smart board.

The whole flock were travelling south and I saw them on a break, between here and Florida. Father Robin showed the flock the sine, cosine and tangent curves in the clouds and how they were growing closer in their rapidity which meant that snow was coming. Each row of clouds was counted and as they got to ten, he flew past them to mark the 5. I wasn't able to stay there till they counted all of the spirals. It was so interesting. Father Robin gives his fledglings all they need to travel with the flock successfully. None of them were lost and none of them were surprised or afraid of the weather.

The bunch of robins observing the clouds, like I look at the little clouds over the pond. How is the structure of the large clouds in ringlet lines like straw over the pond comparable to the huge spiral lines of clouds in the sky to the birds. They were looking at them to calculate something, it seemed. What would they be calculating from the ringlets? Gathering stuff, maybe severe weather, or maybe it tells them how far they have to go to get to the warmer weather. There was definitely some reconciling going on down there???

Bimulous!

Puffy precipitous looking clouds in the sky and the trees were quiet and sullen, as though they were waiting for the burst of new life that usually comes during the next few weeks. The trees were begging for their new leaves. The precious drops of rain had sunk deeply and I could see the little nutrients golfing as to which tree would get the nitrogen from here or there. They do 18 holes and try to get the nutrients into the phloem and the xylem so that the real work of the tree can begin. Photosynthesis is happening right before our eyes and the little angels who were doing their flying practice last season remote controlling the pollen where it lies were now golfing the nutrients where they go.

Yesterday, Mother Goose nearly got hit by a car. It wasn’t funny, but I did laugh. It is always funny, to me, when premature spring fever gets under Father Goose’s feathers. He has no discretion in the least and pinched her, right out in front of everybody. She yelped and flew just short of the street. Mother Goose was just settling into their elderly sedentary relationship, when Father Goose snapped her right out of that thought. Where is this spring nonsense coming from she squealed? She is funny about those things and public displays of affection are always taboo for her. He knows this, but does it anyway. They are hilarious to watch. The goslings were tickled at how Father had made her jump so high. And it is still is a number of weeks till Spring. I wonder if he will make it through the season at this rate. He was acting old until just this morning.

Like water off a sparrow’s back?

Why would they feather their nests with the wet bark from Mr. Tree? The young couple were as cute as could be feathering and choosing the delightful branches together. Her northern husband is not a micromanager that her father was. He just enjoys the sight and the experience of putting the pieces together. What a contrast to Father Robin who had to be convinced and take a trip to the Library of Feathered Sciences before he would even put a single strand in the nest. I wish I could get the new sparrow couple together with Mother and Father Robin for counseling. Mrs. Robin would be a lot less stressed if she had a well raised fellow like sparrowling caught up there in the North. Father Robin has calmed down a bit it is true, but that is only since the fledglings have left the nest. I don’t see hide nor hair of them, like honeymooners, its true, but he did take years off of Mother Robins life with his rantings.

The couple were making eyes at each-other and dreaming of being partners in parenting together. Their premarital counseling had concentrated on the differences between them. This storm made them reminisce about the differences that had attracted them. I just love how you chose that precise large piece of bark for our nest, the dashing sparrow complimented his bride. She was really surprised that he found it fun to do this. For her it is quite a chore carrying the eggs and flying and picking is not one of her favorite things to do. She winked back, now, out of habit. They are really loving eachother regardless what she feels these days.

Tracy Sparrow shows her craft

Tracy Sparrow wanted to show me what she had done with her twigs from Christmas. When I walked around the building, she played hide and go seek and then jumped out to say boo. I was surprised, but not shocked. Hi Tracy.
She flew over and showed me her twig whittling that she had been working on, since Christmas. That is adorable I oogled. She flew off in an encouraged way. It is hard for mother sparrow, no matter how she tries, their doctrine forbids, fawning over the peeps and that has made Tracy a glutton for attention, being the 4th peep to have hatched from the nest. They never seem to see anything she does and they never seem to acknowledge, when they do see. I really did admire her work, but I oogled more because it was Tracy, than I ordinarily would have.

Mrs. Bluejay was showing off her new shape and ridiculing my slower pace, these days. I told her that my knee was hurting still, she just waved her tail to show me that she has no problem in that area this season. I said, so what!

The Ducks and Blackbirds had a dance party this Christmas.

I missed it, for hanging out with the sparrows. Mother Robin clued me in on the whole thing. She sat in a tree with at least four of the young and not so young couples that she came up from the south to visit. These young couples are too much in love to have sense enough to move with the weather. I am retired from laying eggs now and Mr. Robin and I stay as comfortable as possible these days. I was surprised to see her, because it had been so brisk.
She said the couples and her would never darken the doors of such a display. They had all kinds of line dancing and the turkey trot. They stayed in the trees until they played her favorite song, some Spanish song, that I didn't catch the name of. She did go down and dance, just that one and then she was up in the tree talking about the attire and deportment of such practices of the other bird populations who would go to such extents in their celebrations. They had a live band and everything. To hear Mother Robin tell it, I think I will request a personal invite from Mother Duck for next Christmas.

Goswing Christmas!

Christmas at Mother Goose’s House.

My, oh my, she is a frazzled one for Christmas. Her preparations have to be just so. I’ve never seen a bird so in a tizzy. It was fun to watch her ruffled feathers get all over everything as she checked the pies again and again and looked over the bread baskets and smacked the little hands who tried to mess up her preparations before the time.
Mother is a stickler for pomp and circumstance. She had her elder goslings calligraphy the place settings and checked and checked the magazines from Martha Goswing to find the perfect colors for the table settings for this year. Last year it was the green family, this year, blues were all the rage. She will never be said to have place settings that are, “yesterday’s news”. Current and in the scheme is her claim to fame. Every bird invited to the feast knows that they will be privy to the absolute highest in foul cuisine. I felt out of place because I didn’t know that there was a Christmas color of the year and dressed in my usual red Christmas dress. No one was dressed that way and everyone looked at me as though I was not in the “in”.