Wrong!

Happily, I was wrong. (write that down)  I meandered over to Eagle Point last night...grasping at the hope that I was wrong and the eaglets had yet to fledge.  A grown ass woman yearning for her nest to still be occupied...pathetic. I barely made it there as the fields were plowed yesterday in preparation for planting and my "roadway" by the bean field had been turned over.  I bounced my golf cart and it's cargo across the furrows and came to rest in my "spot!"  I saw something move...........then I saw a beautiful white head and yellow beak....then more movement from the bowl of the nest.....then a big wing waved to me.... Woo Hoo...they're still home!  I think they had been bedded down and more to the north in the nest the past few times I had checked.  I had not seen an adult either so was sure they had either fallen out or fledged....Our cousin Kay had alerted me to a PBS show about Eagles a few nights ago and they had alluded to the fact that fledging isn't usually until about 10 weeks....We still had a couple to go by my predictions.  Anyway.... One seemed to be hunkered down in the nest but the other slowly appeared to be working on wing stretches.  That one actually stood on the east side of the nest (away from me) with it's back to me and on the edge..... I thought, "Oh my he's gonna jump!"  He didn't!! Whew....  I was there till dusk (8:30) and the nest quieted again.  I'm heading there again at lunchtime to see what I can see. I know they're anxious and ready to go but I'm not quite ready for them to leave.
I have gotten some good information from Cornell on different cameras to buy.  I'll solicit some help from my techy nephew Jamie this week-end and see what we can muster up for the fall.  They say that September is the time to get the cameras up as Millard and Abigail will return to the next to remodel and solidify it for the winter and early spring. Eggs can be laid as early as early March. I'm willing to throw in the $ and NYSEG is willing to help me get the camera up.  Two big hurdles right there... I may have to ask my nature friend David if he'd climb the tree this summer and help us decide placement.  He's like a monkey and would be a huge help... He just climbed a tree to scope out a crow's nest.........and lived!
I'm heading to Eagle Point now then back to examine some pileated woodpecker holes.... Supposedly they're rectangular....we shall see...  This bird thing is exhausting :-)

Mom ( I think)

Mom on the left, one baby lying down and one sitting up on the right

NO!!!!! please don't go!

The nest is as wide as the photo... think were all behind the leaves when I thought they were gone.

Woody Woodpecker:-)

The answer: Why fly away when it's perfect right here♥

My eaglets appear to have fledged:-(  I'm sad they're gone and I no longer have the ability to watch them grow.  I carted to Eagle Point several times over the long week-end each time hoping they were just away for flying and/or hunting lessons and would return at bedtime.  No such luck.... wishing them safety for the next couple of months while they hone their skills. I know last year's fledgling was still around this winter so maybe I'll spot them again sometime.  I wonder if empty nests make the bird parents as sad as humans?  Thankfully, as much as things change, they stay the same and my nest is nearly full again.
One of my other very favorite birds is the pileated woodpecker.  We have a pair of them here at EIEIO. Today, one came to visit right at a downed tree stump at the edge of the woods...within camera range! He stayed for about 1/2 an hour and provided me with some pretty cool photo ops.  A short video hit pay dirt as he pecked out a lovely grub for lunch. Doesn't take much to make me happy.  Now if I could just get the opportunity to photograph an owl, my bird bucket list would be nearly complete.
I've asked for a spotting scope for my anniversary. We'll see if anybody was listening!

Everybody comes with Baggage

Hey, who's that handsome guy behind the United counter?  Finally Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport can keep their paws off your panties...unless of course you plan to come to the airport packin'! Check in should be a bit more stream-lined now....and as long as your flight isn't delayed, you should be in the air on time!  I mean really, you only have the option of three destinations so how tough can it be.  If you're not going to Detroit, Newark or Philly, you're in the wrong airport.  In my humble opinion,  the lines are now shorter, the safety is enhanced and the scenery is way better......just sayin!!

New Kids on the Block

EIEIO has welcomed three new 'toddlers" to the Funny Farm.  They arrived last night and appear to be settling in pretty well.  Louise (blackish head) is a pretty feisty little gal and Maude is pretty complacent. Number 3 has yet to be named....that will be up to Bailee.  They are only 8 weeks old and not ready to mingle with the old gals and especially Steve Harvey.  Steve has trouble playing well with others and he's a bit of a pedophile so we're keeping them apart for awhile. They're residing in the smoke house for now and hopefully not sharing it with Rocky (our resident flying squirrel)  All three new girls are Easter Eggers.  Hopefully by August, they will be laying beautiful green/blue (some of us say they're blue, others say green) eggs for us.  We miss having that daily blue egg:-(  Brownie, our only adult Easter

Egger appears to be going through Henopause and hasn't laid an egg in almost 3 weeks.  She keeps sticking her head out of the fence and flaps her wings a lot.....hot flashes I presume!  We had anticipated having some ducks this spring but our timing was off and all the stores had their ducks (sold) out!  Next year for sure as duck eggs are Deeeeeeelicious!

Vote...it counts

Today is school board and budget voting day.  While immigrants are flooding our borders, money is being funneled to other countries, welfare is rampant and politicians are greedier than ever, our schools are dying. Today is one of the only days that we can make a difference....albeit only a tiny difference, a difference nonetheless!  Board members serve selflessly (usually) and for nothing but the small "feel good" surge that finds it's way through them when someone thanks them, a team surges to victory, parents get involved and kids achieve even the smallest modicum of success.  This year, as in many of the past, our small districts are fighting the government, the onset of Common Core, bogus mandates and requirements that come from people who "know not" of what they decree and the looming burden of it getting worse and not better.  So much is asked of us as parents, grandparents and taxpayers but let us not forget what is asked of our educators....whether it be in the classroom or the front offices.  We're now in the position of trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear..... (well that just dated me!)  Our kids deserve a quality education in a safe environment.  It's our job to provide that.  Today we can help....we can make the stop at school and pull the lever for yes.....it's a huge start. By now, you should have learned a little about your neighbors who have stepped up to volunteer to keep our schools afloat. Some may not have a business or educational background but they have compassion and common sense....two things that are sorely absent from upper level politics.
Please take a moment today to give our kids and grandkids a fighting chance.  If we don't speak up for them, I can pretty much guarantee that nobody else will!!  We can make a difference...trite but true!

"Her"..I mean "Him"

It was a cool, rainy Sunday and I decided to catch a flick in the HUT (Hatfield's Underground Theater.)  I chose Joaquin Phoenix's latest movie, "Her!"  In the beginning, it seemed pretty far fetched and awkwardly weird but as the film progressed I became intrigued and a bit unnerved.  This lonely man, Theodore, was healing from a broken marriage.  His familiarity with technology seemed born from his job and his intelligence.  He was a professional letter writer.  He would write everything from thank you and congratulatory letters to lovely prose and poems. His clients would provide their handwriting, photos and a bit of background and Theodore would write them through the lives and those they loved. (Personally, I think it might be a pretty awesome job and I began to get hooked!)
Long story short, Theodore purchases an operating system, which he then gives a female voice. Samantha, as she named herself, is always available, always inquisitive, always interested, supportive and never demanding!  Perfection in a piece of software......... Their relationship continues as Samantha is as close to or far away from Theodore as he chooses.  When together, she (as his phone's camera) sees what he sees as she travels with him in his front pocket supported not only by what she sees and hears but a nerd-like, over sized safety pin that keeps her from slipping down into the darkness of his shirt.  They date, they double date, they vacation and they even make virtual love....no fuss, no muss, no mess;-)  If Theodore needs "alone" time, he just doesn't turn her on......
By the end of the movie and over Jess's multitudes of "this is freakin' weird," I began to think that a virtual mate might be just what the doctor ordered (even if he was a psychiatrist!)  Companionship on an as needed basis, intelligent conversations on any subject, no extra laundry, Nonexistent expenses involved in the relationship and the probability and availability of a newer model every couple of years made the idea a bit enticing (imaginatively, of course)!
Then it happens!  It almost always does in the movies! Samantha begins to be aloof. Theodore questions her virtual absence and learns that she's been the operating system for 8,316 others and has even fallen in love with 641. She insists that this doesn't change her love for poor Theodore but makes it stronger. It appears that even technology has the gift of gab and can baffle with bullshit! The old "it isn't you, it's me" explains that she is "going away to continue the exploration of her existence!"
I've decided to just fast forward past the proverbial, perfect operating system and just create my own imaginary, "Him."  Oh wait....I think I did that 40 years ago!

I care!

I love all the lists of rules to live by, rules for good mental health, rules for better physical health....yadda yadda yadda.  They generally all include some form of exercise and good eating habits. Most say it's never too late to start to live healthier.  I say it's never to late to shut your trap and mind your own business.... Saying it doesn't mean I do it!!!  These 12 steps to self care are doable.  I'm not one for taking steps (especially if there's an elevator) but I'm actually already on board for many of these.

1-    I'm generally physically unable to do it anyway!
2 -   NEVER had a problem with this one!!!!
3 -   I do like to please people but not because I have to.. because I like to!
4 -   Mine are generally pretty good! I can spot an idiot as soon as they open their mouth
5 -   A little self-deprecating humor never hurt anybody
6 -   Dreaming is a must
7 -   Got it
8 -   You bet
9 -   I feed myself regularly, bathe often, do the things that make me happy and surround myself with smart, funny people!
10 - The weather and the stock market ... "Let it go!!!" Damn song!
11 -  Drama drives me insane...short trip....Negativity can be turned around but I'm not sure I have the patience or desire to deal with those folks.....(unfriend)
12 -  Got it, Need it, Give it, Enjoy it!!! ♥♥

The Value of Sterling/Silver

As you all know, I hate stupid people. I'm really not a hater although I do hate mushrooms, rice and gravy. I don't really have time for them...(the foods or the people.) I particularly don't have time for the Donald Sterlings of this small world.  ( I know, I'm giving him time right now.)  He's a racist! Plain and simply a bigot.  He has more money than brains and more ignorance than couth.  Sharon Osbourne on The Talk described him as Jabba the Hut.  I think even Jabba was a better creature.

I applaud Mr. Silver (NBA Commissioner) for his bravery, his conscience, his moral compass and his decision.  Mr. Sterling verbally bit off the hands that fed him and degraded the very core of his team.  It always grinds on me a bit to hear about owners of sports teams.  I really think we could come up with a new moniker other than one that expresses a modicum of racism every time it's mentioned.  You can own a company, you can own a home, you can own a vehicle and yes, you can own a team..... you should not, however; own the personnel....ever.  I think there's a constitutional amendment about that!

Mr. Sterling is a slug.   That's my name for a slime ball and a thug!  I don't think anybody really wants to hear from him anymore....and a lot of us didn't want to hear from him in the first place...in fact most of us probably never even heard OF him before he opened his big mouth.  I can sum up my feelings with this ever appropriate post I saw on Face Book today:

Best Mother's Day ever....

What a perfect day! Mother's Day 2014 is in the books......in our memories and in our hearts!  I had my whole family present and accounted for.  Jeffrey had the garage clean as a whistle...(hasn't looked that good since the day we moved in...actually it looked  better.)  Yesterday morning, B, Jess and I went to breakfast and then off to visit with Mom. It was clean as a whistle there too (must be a Mother's Day thing) and we enjoyed a short but sweet visit.  Arriving back home, I settled in on the porch with my Kindle, B was playing in the yard and Jeff was prepping for dinner.  Doesn't get much better than that!  Soon the house (and yard) was filled with family..old and new.  Bailee was thrilled to no longer be the runt of the litter.  Sadie (Lacie's niece age 4) arrived and Bailee took over as the tour guide.  The eaglets popped up and were ready for pictures right on cue.  The falls fell beautifully for photos and sightseeing and then it was dinnertime.  Deep fried turkey and Cornish hens, Jeff's special mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, tossed salad and bread filled our hungry tummies followed by Mother's Day gifts and Trifle for dessert>>>>  It was P-E-R-F-E-C-T ♥
 Handmade Mother's Day gifts and cards, our new favorite bracelets, pictures to treasure and lots of love made this Mother's Day the very best ever.....and I've celebrated 35!  I hope it was as wonderful for all of you who faithfully follow me through this often self deprecating, self satisfying, self styled prose I enjoyed penning and posting.  It's cathartic and enjoyable all rolled into one...
                                                     HAPPY MONDAY!!

Turkey prep

Our Mother's Day dinner

Jess's new necklace from Lacie and Bailee

Lacie's gifts!

L-O-V-E from Jeff and Lacie

Mother's Day with Grandma

Jessie Hugs

"My" Eagle Babies

Deposits♥

This 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.”

She went on to explain, “Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.”

And with a smile, she said: “Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less

 —

           HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the fabulous women in my life! Your deposits in my account are priceless!

Best Foot Forward

Today is a first for me.  At 62, there really aren't a lot of firsts left.  My bucket list is short...and this isn't on it but I'll give it the old college try....you know how well that turned out!!!  My dear friend and nursery mate is treating me to a pedicure..... and I didn't even know they were sick:-(  Lee has them and loves them.  I'm not really sure what that says about him.  I have never been one to spend a lot of money on me.  I've learned through the years that I shouldn't cut my own hair so I splurge there.  I can handle self-manicuring and I'm not really a nail polish kinda gal so clear for special occasions is it.  I have had a massage which I thoroughly enjoyed to the point of almost instituting a "lie-in"...that's a sit-in while horizontal.  Finally I was gently encouraged to get up, get dressed and leave:-(  It seems counter productive to rub me all over, lull me into a naked self confident state and then make me move.  I have yet to be massaged since!  Was that TMI?  I seldom buy new clothes, obviously, because the ones I have now are so comfy and it seems crazy to begin the process of molding new ones to conform to each little nook, cranny and bulge.  Besides, I'm at the stage in my life where if you don't like what I'm wearing, don't look. I'd rather buy a new storm door than a new dress....pathetic I know but that's just the way it is. So back to today's first.  I'm not quite sure these sweeties (at the salon) are ready for my feeties but time will tell.  My feet aren't ugly. In fact, one year in Florida, I won a pretty foot contest.  Of course there were only 6 ( 12 actually) entries and one pair of feet was 86 years old.  My heels have been conditioned  to comfortably walk over beaches or hot coals and my toes are relatively all in the correct formation and heading in the right direction.  I think I'll take a before and after, just so I will have it to prove to myself....and everybody else who "can't believe I haven't ever had a pedicure" that they will look pretty much the same now as they will at 11:00. Now, to locate a pair of open toed shoes.....I know I must have one pair somewhere.....maybe Kinney's!

Bird Brain(ed)

Probably scattered-brained is more like it.  With all the nest analogies lately, it seems birds are on the top of my interest list the last few weeks.  I'm enamored with "my" baby eaglets, ugly as they are.  When the wind is whipping, I'm sure they're going to lift a wing and be carried away by the currents.  Millard and Abigail are always right there to lend a talon but I'm nervous.  This morning we had a young barn swallow teetering on the edge of a porch post while adults were swooping in and out. At first, I wasn't sure what kind of bird it was and thought they were attacking...As much as I profess my birding skills, I'm really just a bird brain. After identifying the little beauty, I wasn't so worried.  I also never realized what a beautiful bird they are... possibly because I turn into Tippi Hedren the minute one swoops toward me. (Ok, youngsters...she starred in Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds.)  After my bird ID session, I looked out toward the feeders and there was a beautiful Baltimore oriole.....another guest on my bucket list.  Only one other fleeting time has one stopped by to dine.  Jess, in the village no less surrounded by 101 cats, has had FOUR of them at her feeders. I immediately headed to town and now have a nice, juicy orange waiting for his return.  I hope he brings friends!!!!  I have yet to see any bluebirds here but I'll bet they're hiding somewhere. The hummingbird feeder is up and they have some exercise equipment this year too... A little swing to enjoy while they watch over the feeder.  I expect them any day.  I'm pretty thankful that my feathered friends continue to drop by.  Who'd have thought that one could glean so much pleasure from listening and watching the

                                                                           birds!!

We're back!!!

We're back on the lake!!  Well mostly just by the lake but we'll take what we can get.  Found a neat little strip of beach for lease along the west side (our favorite side) of the lake.  We're only 10 miles from our house and it's pretty much perfect.  We have a little beach structure to house our "valuables" (and a porta potty), we have a little deck, some dock, lots of cinder blocks and rocks to construct a better fire pit and CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER...!!!  We are psyched!  We already have our list of goodies to collect, purchase and replace. I see some quality swimming, floating, fishing and maybe even boating at our new little piece of peace!  It really is the little things!!!

Happy May Day

I was pretty sure I would wake up this morning with flowers everywhere... After all, if April showers bring May flowers, we should look like Holland today!!!!  I did deliver a few virtual May baskets via text message this morning.  They were free and the sentiment was priceless.  I know I talk about it every year but I received many May baskets when I was young...  A neighbor who I shall not name but has an ice cream shop just down the road, always brought me flowers on May Day.  He'd ring the doorbell and run back across the street to his house.  Although it was over 50 years ago, I remember it well.  I messaged him this morning and he remembers too.... Whew....We forget so much these days that when a memory sticks, we grab a hold! 

So if you're reading this on a "not so" beautiful Thursday May Day, conjure up a good memory and hang on to it for a bit....It feels good!