Decisions!

We all make multiple decisions during the day. Pass or stay behind?  Speak up or hold your tongue?  I try to make reasonable decisions based on fact and not emotion but I'm not totally successful.  Three months ago, a mere 15 minutes prior to surgery to replace my Medtronic spinal stimulator battery, I made a decision.  In my anxiety I asked, "What do you do with the old battery?""  The surgeon replied, "I think we throw them in the trash."   Knowing this battery has brought me so much relief and probably cost a boat load of money I asked, "Can I have it back?"   It seemed logical at the time. So this week I came home from a long day at work to find a Fedex note on my door saying I needed to be home to sign for a delivery. Not knowing what it was, I wasn't that excited about this delivery.  I spent 10 minutes speaking loudly into the Fedex answering system without success I finally got to speak with a real human who informed me the delivery was from Medtronic.  Remembering back to a pre-surgical conversation about the battery, I knew I wanted this delivery.  I made arrangements to pick up my package from a closer Fedex location. I picked up my package.  I got my battery. I remembered back to that conversation. "I want that battery back," I said, "It has traveled to three continents."  The Medtronic representative asked, "Which three continents?"  I replied, "North
America, South America, Africa, and wait, Australia too!  Four continents (sounding a lot like the Count from Sesame Street)!"  So now I have a battery sitting on my coffee table and I wonder why I wanted this? In June it seemed important.  Now I wonder, was this the best decision?  Is it really a conversation piece?  Yes, this blessed battery has brought me much relief from the pain of sciatica, but do I really want the battery?  I know the battery has been sanitized and filled with epoxy and etched with the words, "not for human use" although it has been for a very human use, my human use to be exact.  Did I make a reasonable decision? Cut me some slack.  Things gets nervous facing surgery!  The implant of this battery was the conception of "Orange-Sue" so for that reason alone, it seems important.
 

I Went To Jail

Last night, along with the other 19 people in my class, I went to jail for a visit.  They let me out again.  Actually, a funny thing happened on our way out.  We climbed the four sets of stairs from the basement and walked right past the exit door into the jail lobby again and sort of a panicked before we realized our mistake. Sheepishly we turned back and left; free to walk to our cars parked downtown Anoka. After two and a half hours in the Anoka County jail I was ready to be free again.  We learned about warrants, liens, and writs and orders for protection.  I learned enough about the eviction process to know I will never, ever, rent a room out.  We learned how orders for protection differ from restraining orders.  Our speakers thanked us for signing up for this course.  They appreciate any information we can spread that will increase the public trust in law enforcement. We learned about the foreclosure process which, thank goodness, is slowing down now.  The people who work in the civil department of the sheriff office have a job where no one is ever happy to see them.  We moved on to the jail next. Our speaker said he thrives on his job at the jail but acknowledges it takes a lot out of him.  Jailor to inmate ratio is 1 to 60.  He says his goal is that everyone, staff and inmates, are "nose above toes" at the end of the shift.  Saying nose above toes means alive.  We were shown a collection of knives that have been confiscated including one blade concealed inside a lipstick case.  I twisted the lipstick and a tiny blade circled up and I got creeped out. This was only one of several creeped out moments ahead on this jail tour.  We start our tour.  In the booking area is a young man bent over a trash barrel heaving his guts out.  A jailor rubs his back and says, "We've all been there buddy."  I have a "sympathetic to puking stomach" and so does our speaker so we rush through that area to the photo booth.  We see the retina scan machine, the palm print machine, and the finger print machine which is all digital now; no ink.  I think it's weird to see, in person, these things that I read about in books and see on television.  This is real and there are real people going through this experience for the first time.  Intakes are patted down.  Body cavity searches are not done without a court order and no one orders that here in Anoka. But things are brought in via body cavities.  The people who work at this jail see the side of human behavior that most of us don't see and don't want to see.  Depending on cooperation level, the inmate is sent to one of several holding cells.  More cooperative people are put in a room with others.  Less cooperative people are put in rooms alone.  Really uncooperative people are put in rooms with less things for them to mess with.  We move down the hall way and the inmates look at us.  One woman smiles, waves, and says "Hello!" as if she knew us personally.  Another creeped out moment.  I do not want to see anyone that I know.  What if I locked eyes with a coworker?  A former acquaintance? One of my former Girl Scout troop members? A relative?  I look away and down the hall while noticing that the windows looking into each room down the hall look to be the same exact glass and frame as my former office at work.  Both buildings were built by the county in the same decade so that makes sense.  We crowd into an elevator that randomly sags under our weight at odd intervals.  Up to the third floor we go into the secured room where the camera shots are viewed.  A big control desk has a NASA looking multitude of twenty monitors each viewing a different part of the jail. Two people work this desk during the day and only one at night. The person in control has the button that allows staff to open doors.  This guy has a busy job.  Our speaker speaks while we stare at the screen.  A state highway patrol vehicle comes into the sally port.  Six staff are paged to get this inmate out of the vehicle.  He is not cooperative and he lies on the cement garage floor with six people trying to stop him from hurting himself.  We watch, on camera, as he comes into the booking area.  People around him seem a little more relaxed when he impulsively tries to smash his head against a cement wall.  I saw him do it.  This is a hard moment for many inmates.  The criminal justice system has brought them to the end of the road and they do not want to face the music.  The first 24 hours are the most dangerous for most inmates.  Another student asks about what she thinks is a fight between inmates.  I see she is looking at inmates playing handball.  The speaker thinks she is talking about another screen where two inmates are horsing around.  There is so much to look at in the office and the guy working there is opening and shutting doors while watching all these screens and answering the phone at the same time.  Our speaker talks about suicide attempts he has witnessed and stopped.  He talks and we listen with great interest for an hour in this room.  My feet are killing me but I don't care; this is super interesting. We leave the room and walk toward the elevator.  I peek over the third floor balcony.  I see inmates staring at us intently from the first and second floor levels. All, and I mean ALL, their eyes are staring up at us either directly or in the round mirror. Ai yi yi! Suddenly I feel very uncomfortable.  Maybe a downy woodpecker who spots a Cooper's hawk soaring overhead and clings to the side of a tree hoping to be inconspicuous feels the same way?  I'm not the only one.  Others of our group move away from the side of the balcony so they can not feel the inmate's eyes on them.  I ask the speaker if he has ever been hurt on the job.  He's worked here for 20 years.  He shows me a four inch scar just above his shirt color from the side of his neck to the front of his neck. Oh my. I work too and sometimes in agitated situations.  I have a couple barely visible scars on my skin.  I do not have a four inch scar over my carotid artery!  Yet this guy says this job is his passion; his career.  I don't think I could do it.  I don't think I could face this kind of danger day in and day out.  He jokes and says the Anoka County jail "always leaves the light on."  I'm glad he is there.  Frankly I could not do it.   Whew!  Any inmate's information and picture is a matter of public record.  To see who's staying at our jail tonight go to:  http://www.anokacounty.us/727/Inmate-Locator

What Was I Doing On This Day Nine Years Ago?

Normally I would have no idea what I was doing nine years ago but, thanks to Facebook reminders, I know now that I was having a really, super great day nine years ago today.

On this day in 2009 I was in a rubber raft with my friend, her son, and his chocolate lab, Harley.  We left Estes Park in the morning, drove over the mountain, unloaded the raft, and moved a truck to where we were going to pull out.  We took two vehicles.  I rode with Harley.  Harley sat with me in the raft.  Harley was an experienced rafter on the Colorado River. After awhile I noticed that when the sides of the river were steep, the water would go faster and Harley would wedge himself under my legs.  When the sides of the river were flatter, the river would go slowly and the dog would stretch out and relax.  I enjoyed every minute of this 5 hour river raft trip but the rapids were the best.  My friend caught this photo of me in the middle of a joyous "yooo hoooo!"  The day was warm and sunny but the water was cold enough to numb my legs in mere seconds.

 

I love white water rafting.  I never knew that before this trip.  I was so lucky to get a guided tour like I did.  I should make plans to go again.

First Customer is a Downy

I lashed this wooden pole to my deck to hang suet.  Believe me, it wasn't easy getting that cup hook into that wooden pole.  My first customer, at least that I saw, was a downy woodpecker.  Seems appropriate to start with the smallest first.  This way I won't have to don snowshoes to refill the suet this winter.

I just have to shovel the deck to see the woodpeckers.  This year I expect to see downy's, hairy's, red bellied, and pileated woodpeckers from the comfort of my favorite chair without chunks of suet dirtying my new deck.

Locked In A Battle

I am in a battle with the buckthorn growing in my yard.  I attacked them yesterday.  Armed with a racheting pruner and a spray bottle of Round-Up, I attacked.  I prefer to pull them out by the roots.  If I can pull them out, they die without having to spray poison on my property.  I can pull buckthorn. I pulled buckthorn as tall as my armpit.  I tug and tug and can feel/hear their roots letting go and snapping.  But the buckthorn fights back.  I was so into pulling buckthorn yesterday afternoon that I didn't realize I was forming a giant blister on my right forefinger until it was too late.  I'll need at least a week of healing before I can pull buckthorn with my right hand again.  Tricky stuff that buckthorn.  Some trees are so large they have to be cut.  I cut the branch and the stump hides under leaves to avoid the squirt of Round-up.  Those that can be pulled resist me enough that my hamstrings are screaming today.  I'm not giving up.  I won't allow the buckthorn to win; not in this yard while I'm here.

Win Win

Today I moved my 9 chickens from one spot of prairie to a fresh spot of prairie.  The fresh prairie will benefit the chickens.  They dive right into the new land pecking at the fresh greens, and scratching the new ground.  They scratch with the left claw, right claw, left claw again and peck at the ground.  What are they ingesting?  Bugs? Worms?  Gravel?  Dirt? Tasty roots?  The area they inhabit for the next seven days will be demolished by next Saturday yet the chickens improve the prairie as much as the prairie improves them. The chickens disturb the soil, apply fresh fertilizer, and shake things up a bit.  The prairie plants that I treasure have long roots that will withstand the behavior of chickens.  The time is coming when the chickens will move to their winter headquarters where they will remain month after month after frozen month.

A Friend Named Denise

After work I went to the gym to swim laps.  I finished and was getting ready for my shower when a song came on the speaker system.  Whew!  I travel back in time.  Here I am in 1975. I live in Saint Cloud.  I work at a nursing home part time to pay for my expenses at Saint Cloud State. I meet a new hire.  Her name is Denise. On break Denise and I talk.  She says she goes to Saint Cloud State.  I say, "I go to Saint Cloud State."  She says she is in the elementary education program.  I say, "I'm in the elementary education program."  She says she is from Roseville.  I say, "I AM FROM ROSEVILLE TOO!"  We become close friends.  Our friendship is intense.  Every time a song comes on the radio we loudly sing the chorus together.  Oh, we must have been so annoying!  I realize it now but at that time, Denise and I are having a great time together.  Three months later Denise quits her job.  I never see or hear from Denise again.  I haven't thought of Denise in years but today, in the shower, I softly sing the chorus and think of her. 

Love Story

I see you from twenty feet away at the grocery store and I stumble toward you heedless of the other shoppers.  You sit in a slanted box. I reach for a plastic bag and select six of the best looking ones and put them in my bag. I’d like to take more but I know I should pace myself.  I see others like you.  Some have whiter flesh, a flatter shape, and are cheaper but I don't buy them.  I buy you and you alone. When I get home I gently transfer each one of you into a wire basket.  You taste best at room temperature.  After supper I select you from the top and rinse you gently under the tap. I hold your golden deliciousness up to my nose and inhale.  Golly, this smell is so freaking good.  I rub my fingers against your furry skin and hold you up to admire your shape.  You are so round and firm! Some people think you look like an ass but I don’t.  You are a perfect roundness; firm but not hard.  I slice you in half with my knife and remove your stone.  I slice you into pieces.  You taste so delicious my mouth floods with saliva.  I lick your juice off my fingers.  I enjoy my fruit orgasm.  I can hardly wait until my next meal.  Why do I love you so much?  Is it because you only come around this time of year and I am facing 11 months without you? I love you so much I could eat you up. 

 

Ode to Colorado Peaches!

 

 

Think About Rainbows and Lollipops!

Am I enjoying the citizen academy of the Anoka County Sheriff's office? Yes, yes I am.  Would I ever consider a career in law enforcement? No.  Oh, hell no.  Would I even marry a person involved in law enforcement?  No, no I would not.  The sacrifice seems enormous to me now. Now that I know more about the crime in Anoka County, I am a changed person. This week in the citizen academy we learned about the CID division - criminal investigative division.  How are the crimes investigated?  Arson, murder, sexual assault, felony level child abuse or vulnerable adult abuse, drugs, and human trafficking. Was I engaged in this education? Yes. Was I fascinated?  Yes.  Did I raise my hand to ask questions?  Yes.  Am I happy thinking about it? No.  Could I sleep after this second class?  No. Driving home in a rainstorm is nothing compared to the knowledge I was given in this class.  We stay late for a case study about a murder/arson case.  Fascinating!  Who quotes Kevin McAllister when the judge asks, "Do you have any last words before sentencing?"  An Anoka County resident, merely a few blocks from the Sheriff's office, does.  "This is my house.  I have to defend it."  He quotes Kevin from Home Alone? To solve a tenant, landowner dispute!  Seriously, who can sleep knowing this terrible, terrible side of humanity? To meet the actual people who interviewed this fellow and who combed his house for evidence is an honor.  Lucky for me, this guy is behind bars for life.  It could be he has mental problems.  But to throw gas on a tenant and light him on fire - Wow.  I learned that the American people are greedy. We comprise 5% of the world's population yet consume 80% of the legally available opiod pain relievers.  It is not wonder heroin is a huge problem.  Drugs are a problem but sex trafficking is another.  Twelve  year old girl children are picked up from school, sold three times that evening and dropped off at the end of their block to go home and do it all again tomorrow.  Exploiting children is a business commodity.  Money is made.  Big money.  A sheriff puts an ad on Craigslist advertising a 13  year old girls for a mere 30 minutes and 8 grown men show up at the door, knowing the girl is 13, ready to pay for the priviledge?  This is a very, very difficult class.  I hear sirens at night and wonder who is driving? What are they going to face?  Will they be okay?  Forfeiture - some agencies will take your car if you drive while intoxiacated and others won't.  If they do get your car, the laws on how they can spend those profits are very limited.  Any of the proceeds can not be spent on salaries. Remember years ago when the Gang Strike Force got into trouble? In the long run, maybe that was a good thing. If all the salary of a gang strike force is spent on salary the result can not be good.  Am I outside my comfort zone? Yes; and that is good for me.  Am I looking forward to next week when I get to go inside the jail? Yes, except for the pat down I can expect now that I have an artificial hip.  This class is life changing.  I'm glad I signed up.   
 

Four Varieties

Every day my chicks get a little bit bigger and the chicken run looks a little bit smaller.  I have four varieties in there now including my eldest Buff Orpington (largest, fluffiest, calmer, maternal), Americaunas (smallest, easy going), Polish (craziest feathers, small but not as small as the Americaunas, prone to panic), and Cuckoo Marans (larger, assertive, also prone to panic).  Each chicken is different and all are entertaining.  They eat a lot and are growing fast. Last night my normally calm Buff Orpington was sounding her alarm over and over and over.  I went out there and asked her what was wrong.  I saw that my pollinator nest had fallen out of the crabapple tree and was lying in the grass, not moving, close to the chicken run.  No foxes or cats or squirrels or predators were visible.  I think she was upset by the nest that had fallen.  I talked to her, "Chillax.  Everything is okay," but she kept it up until the sun went down.  And in the morning she sounded the alarm again in the dawn's early light.  I'm sure she has either quit squawking, decided the nest was not a danger, or her voice box has given up. 

Inside the O'Brien

Lisa Genova is the author of two other books I have already read Still Alice and Left Neglected.  So I pounced on Inside The O'Briens when I saw it sitting there on a shelf at my library.  The first book was about Alzheimer's and the second about head injury and this one is about Huntington's Disease.  If a person wanted to learn about what a heartbreaking disease is like, they should read Inside The O'Briens.  This book will make you cry.  I'm not an overly sensitive person and this book had me bawling like a baby. Huntington's disease, although awful, only affects 37,000 US citizens so it doesn't get the publicity, public support or medical research that it deserves.  In this story a police officer from Boston named Joseph O'Brien finds out he has Huntingtons Disease (HD).  He later learns that his mother died from it and several of his adult children don't have the disease but they have the gene that insures they definitely will get the disease in the next ten to fifteen years.  Adults have the right to get tested or to refuse to get tested.  Knowing you have a 50/50 chance of getting the disease which takes away your physical abilities of walking and eating and moving while also causing you to go insane is a terrible thing.  Is it better to know or not to know?  What would you do?  Most people find out they have Huntington's in their 30's and for most people, this is after they have had children and possibly given the death sentence of HD along with other genetic traits like blue eyes and wide feet. This novel was excellent in exploring HD from the perspective of the patient, his wife, his four children and even his grandchildren.  Bring tissue though.  This book is sure to make you cry.

Hearing Owls Lately

Ever since I have returned from Italy, I have woken up to the sounds of barred owls calling almost every night. Two of them call back and forth. They sound like they're down by the Rum River and possibly as far away as the Boy Scout camp.  Sometimes I hear their typical "Who cooks for you?" call. Twice I've heard their "Hoo Yah!" calls.  One night I heard their strange monkey calls.  I think it is such a delight to sleep with my bedroom window open so I can appreciate these awesome raptors communicating.

 

 

A Memory I Had Repressed Until Saturday

I went to a family reunion this weekend.  My aunt was singing this song.  A memory bubbles up from the bottom of my brain to my mouth.  "Oh," I said, "My mother would sing that song to me all the time."  Some songs are better off repressed.

Tinkers

Before I read Tinkers by Paul Harding, I read his book Enon which is not a sequel but does focus on the grandson from the book Tinkers.  This author writes in a quiet and slow fashion but his books are not boring.  He has a real talent for describing the scene in such detail that I can picture it exactly.  When I read his books it's like I'm going on vacation to Massachusetts.  Paul Harding is a good writer and I think he deserved this Pulitzer Prize.

Citizen Academy

Sometimes I sign up for classes in the evening if I feel I have the time or if I feel curious.  This time I signed up for a six week class offered by the Anoka County Sheriff Citizen Academy.  All day yesterday I wondered if I could stay awake and alert from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Turns out I can stay awake and alert that late and even later.  It was me who said, "Yes, lets!" when the officer asked at 9:40 p.m., "Shall I bring my dog in and show you some obedience tricks?"  I was there until 10 o'clock.  I drove straight home and went straight to bed but laid there with my round eyes wide open trying to process all I had learned in those three and half hours.  I got a tour of the sheriff's office including the sheriff's office, the ammo room, the detention rooms, the sally port, the SWAT dressing room, the roll call room, various cubicles and, most interesting of all, the garage.  In the garage were the sheriff's ATV's, boats, and SWAT vehicles.  The sheriff has about a dozen boats including zodiacs, big boats with 100 HP motors, shallow craft, and an air boat like I have seen in the Everglades.  I had to ask how often that airboat was used.  I know Anoka County has a lot of swamps but I was curious.  I didn't mean to imply, by asking, that I thought the airboat was unnecessary.  I was just curious.  Turns out the air boat is used about 12 times a year.  I'm glad they have it.  I got to see the SWAT bearcat (seen in photo) and the other SWAT van.  This bearcat is armored and the glass is also armored.  On the driver's side there you can see a ram.  This has a hydraulic ram that can be used on a second story window or to lift up a roof to see where a suspect is inside a house.  When the SWAT team is used, there is no knocking and "Is anyone home?"  The SWAT team opens the door with a ram because the situation calls for the element of surprise.  The bearcat and the other SWAT van have platforms on the outside of the vehicle for SWAT members to stand on so they are ready to leap off and get busy upon arrival.  Only a few SWAT team members have the skills to drive this heavy, 10 cylinder Bearcat with solid rubber tires.  I picked up a SWAT vest just to get a feel of how heavy it was.  I groaned.  It was heavy enough to make me groan. After that the bomb sniffing dog and his handler gave us a demonstration where the dog found some gun powder in one of the five suitcases it sniffed.  This dog sniffs the buses of the Minnesota Vikings and the opposing team before they are allowed in the stadium.  Payment for this beautiful dog is time spent with a green tennis ball and some belly rubs. I work for money but is that so different than belly rubs?  The drug sniffing dog found some heroin and some marijuana under a truck gas cap and inside a locker.  Payment for this very intense, well trained German Shepard is tugging on a length of fire hose.  I really had no idea this class would be so informative and interesting.  Do I feel weird about having to wear black pants and black shoes?  No.  But the white polo with a giant yellow star on the shoulder?  makesmefeellikeathirdgrader  I'll take it though.  I look forward to the next five Wednesday nights.  

Freckles

My book club read a book written in 1904 named Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter.  Gene is the author but her real name is Geneva.  I liked the story because it had a lot of nature in it.  The author wanted to call it "The Black Feather," and that is the name of the book published in England but the publisher liked Freckles better. I would have preferred the black feather.  In this story turkey vultures play a big role and that doesn't happen very often.  The setting is in a swamp in Indiana.  Much is described about the snakes, moths, birds, butterflies and trees of this swamp which is first harvested of all the lumber and later drained for farmland. For all of the swamp the story is a sad one but for the people in the story, the narrative is so sickly sweet it set my teeth on edge.  I try to imagine someone reading a novel written in 2016 in the year 2116 and what would they think of the writing?  It's hard to judge a book that old fairly.  The story of Freckles was engaging and it went by fast. We had a good discussion about it.  I believe Gene Stratton-Porter was a nature writer and she threw this story in so the publisher would publish her other books about the moths of the swamp. 

Artemis Fowl

While on vacation for three weeks I had some spare time on my hands so I read a few books.  I found Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer on a book shelf at Offspring #1's home.  At his house the book shelf is very organized.  The lowest shelf is tightly packed with indestructible children books.  The second shelf also has children's books but these are not indestructible.  The books on the second shelf are packed in so tight that a child can't get them out.  But if she asks Grandma to read one to her, Grandma can't help but do it.  This book was far from the bottom two shelves and I read it in a couple hours.  I had heard of it but never picked it up before.  This was a real treat to read.  Artemis is a 12 year old villain.  He wants to steal gold and will go to great lengths to do it.  But in the end a negotiation is made with this 12 year old genius that surprisingly makes me question, "Is he really a criminal or just a hurting 12 year old boy?"  Great story. 

No (Wo)Man Ever Sets Foot In The Same River Twice

It was Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher from 500 BC who said, "No man ever sets foot in the same river twice."  Wise, but sexist, I agree with Heraclitus.  The day was sunny and the water was high so I thought this trip down the Saint Croix River would be easy.  Yeah, no, the water was high and the waster was fast but the wind was blowing from the south at 22 mph.  We had to paddle to make progress.  Heck, we had to paddle to stay in the same place.  The wind was trying to blow us up Taylor's Falls to the upper Saint Croix.

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Experienced paddlers are we.  How many years have we been doing this?  I think it is more than 20 years.  The Taylor's Falls Princess paddle boat paddles by.  We all wave because one of my siblings hates it when we wave.

At the Eagle's Nest rest stop we stop to trade paddlers.  I see a flower. I have heard of cardinal flowers and I deem this could be a cardinal flower. 

The wind is strong but we are stronger.  Just look at this canoe full of healthy, hardy young'un.  Can they be in a canoe by themselves?  Shoot!  We could hardly keep up with them.

I rename the woman in the back as Pocohantas.  She is an amazing paddler.  Who knew?  Shoot, I remember her complaining how hard she worked the entire way while she merely let her paddle float from front to back. That wind would have made me spin around in circles.  My Offspring #2 asks me, "How did you manage when we kids were smaller?"  Frankly, I have no idea.  I only know that we did.  And we have managed to keep the younger relatives interested in returning which is huge.

This trip had been rescheduled multiple times due to floods and schedules.  Having it on Sept. 11 is late but, on the other hand, makes my summer seem longer and I am good with that!

That Bird Yesterday

That poor bird that flew into my window yesterday turned out to be a scarlet tanager.  This is the first one I've seen this year and that is extra sad because it is now dead.  I knew it was too big to be a warbler. I cleaned the house and can't seem to find my bird field guides anywhere.  Those black wings were so striking.  Funny how a bird so red can turn so green.

Sad Moment This Morning

Today was a good day for the most part.  I got many things checked off my mental "to do" list.  But this morning, as I plugged in my coffee pot, I heard a collision.  I looked up to see white feathers exploding off my patio door.  Oh, oh, not a good sign.  There I found a greenish yellow bird with black wings and a white eye ring in the death throes.  Oh, poor thing, it must have mistaken the reflection of the trees off the patio door for more forest.  I don't know what kind of bird it was.  It seemed a little large for a warbler.  I have a bird-safe emblem on one patio door and a glass mosiac on the other. This poor baby must have been flying low.  My darn house was in the way of it's migration.  So sad.

Didn't Mean For That To Happen But Happy That It Did

When we stayed in Rome we stayed at the Albergo del sole Al Biscione Hotel which is one of the oldest hotels in Rome.  We got a good deal and it was only a five minute walk to the Pantheon and a 30 second walk to a plaza where fresh fruit and vegetables were sold every day. In fact, on our last day in Rome, I said, "I'll be right back," and comfortably walked, by myself, to the piazza to buy some souvenirs.  As I did that I was impressed with my comfort level.  Go, me!  Five days in Rome will do that to you.  I passed by the "David" bobble heads which, although is my nephew's name, would have been a totally inappropriate gift for an aunt to buy.  I passed by the Jesus bobble heads, the David boxer shorts, and the Pope Francis bobble heads to buy a couple Pope Francis calendars.  This is the hotel where I felt the earthquake shake my world.  I will never forget that 3:40 a.m. moment.  Never.  Now that I am back, more and more people are coming forward saying, "I thought about you when I heard about that earthquake and I hoped you were OK." I am touched.  Is this a sign of how much I am loved as the wonderful person that I am or is it a sign of how much I bragged about my trip before I went?  In either case, I'm touched. 

Climbing a Volcano

During most of my 3 week Italian vacation I stayed in Catania. We had 5 days in Rome and 2 days on the east coast of Sicily but mostly Catania.  At the fish market in Catania we stopped at the tourism office to ask about visiting Mount Etna.  A most entertaining tourism guide gave us directions.  "You go straight," she said, "Always straight."  In a most entertaining sing-song voice she added "Dee dee dee dee deee dee."  To me that meant, the road was not always straight.  When we actually drove to Mount Etna the road was windy as heck.  We took a cable car part way up to the volcano.  The top of the volcano was cloudy today so the views were limited.  Sometimes the clouds temporarily cleared and I could see three peaks.  From the top of the cable car area some people walked and others took a bus and walked after that.  

I didn't take a bus and I didn't walk the entire way.  While Offspring #2 walked up the trail, I sat and rested.  The lava rocks looked like those in front of my fireplace.  I thought the landscape looked lifeless until I looked down and saw a ladybug.  I thought it was dead but I was wrong; it crawled away.

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I sat for nearly an hour waiting for Offspring #2 to return.  In the meantime a pollinator landed near me.  There were no plants to pollinate and I thought this bee was dead but later it crawled away.

I watched the families walking up and down the volcano.  Some were French. Others were German.  Many families burst into song walking together with linked arms..  I thought that was very cute.  I envied their non-arthritic joints.  Eventually Offspring #2 came back.  She had gone as high as to feel rocks that were warm to the touch from the volcano.  When we re-entered the cable car area, a man handed me a small green drink in a cup.  Being a tourist I drank it down without asking.  Holy cow! There was alcohol in that sample!  This was some kind of pistachio after dinner drink.  Wowser!

We took the cable car back down to the parking area where, what to my wondering eyes should appear?  A snowy owl?  What?   Was this real or a side effect of that green drink I had?  This fellow was advertising a raptor show at a city halfway down the volcano.  The snowy owl was complaining loudly.  Who would expect to see a snowy owl on Mount Etna?  Not me, that is for sure.  I suspect this snowy owl was captive and that made me a little sad.

On the drive back down the volcano to Catania we came across a herd of 30 animals.  Ten of the animals were sheep, ten were goats, and ten were dogs.  Three humans accompanied this group.  By the time I turned my camera on the last sheep was trundling by.  "Dee dee dee dee dee," we drove down Mount Etna to Catania again.  Fun day!

Italy Remembered

Honestly, and I have to be honest or my nose might grow, my first two days in Italy were hard and exhausting.  To be in a country where you don't understand what is said to you and you can't read the signs, it's exhausting.  Perhaps I look exhausted.  Vietno means prohibited.  That would have been a good word to know.  "No Capisce" also would have come in handy and I knew that phrase.  I've watched the movie, The Godfather, after all, but I forgot it. In the ancient walled city of Erice, a man asked me, in Italian, the way to the piazza. I understood his question and I had just been to the piazza, but to tell him the way was impossible with my limited language skills.  He said to me, "No capisce?"  I replies nodding enthusiastically, "Si! No capisce" even though I did capisce.  Sometimes it is handy to claim ignorance.  Later in the week a young woman approached our table while we were having lunch in Catania asking for money.  I totally capisced. But I said, "No capisce."  And the waiter intervened for me, saying I didn't capisce.  Not capiscing was hard. While at the mall I saw a sign that was explained to me that babies should be carried, no pushed in the stroller down the ramp from one floor to another.  I knew this baby would not handle freedom followed by constraint in the stroller again after a short interval so I chose not to capisce that sign.  After the first two days I gave up on capiscing and was able to relax and enjoy myself. I tried though.  In my attempt to speak Italian strangely French and Spanish words emanated from my mouth.  It was very confusing.  One day I asked my companions, "Why did the bellhop say Bon Jour to me?"  The answer?  "Because you said 'Merci!' to him instead of 'Gracie.'"  Oh, yeah, my mistako. Twice I went into what I thought was the women's restroom only to find a man in there. Both times I left and checked the sign on the door - definitely a dress and not pants on the sign so I returned and purposely forgot about the man.  People can make mistakes. On the flight home the agents at the desk were Italian and I had some difficulty but once on the plane, the main language was strangely, pleasantly relaxingly, English.  Wow, it felt so good to be understood again.  Kudos to those American immigrants! I don't think I could do it.

Cute Chickens

Check out this cute Polish against the background of my remaining Buff Orpington, Chicken Caruso.

Polish on the left and Cuckoo Maran on the right ask, "What are you looking at?"

Chickenson Caruso has turned out to be a good Mama.

How can a person look at a Polish chick and not smile?

The Phyllis Diller of chickens!

Smokey!

Today Offspring #2 and I volunteered to be Smokey the Bear at the Minnesota State Fair.  And from that experience I suffer from emotional whiplash again.  I go from unknown random old person to Nature's rock star band back again to random old person. It's hard for an ego to take.  One moment kids run to you as your extend your arms for a hug. I can feel their little hearts beating beneath my paws; knowing I have made their day.  When my hour is up I remove my jeans, fur and hat and no one cares if they see me or not.  I can go from unknown to rock star quickly but the transition back to unknown is harder for me to take.  Despite the whiplash, that hour being a bear is one awesome hour.  Was I soaked to the skin in my own sweat?  Yes, yes I was but no matter.  For one hour I was famous!  Loved it!

Not Sure

I woke up this morning uncertain of where I was.  My first thought was I wasn't sleeping on seats C, D, and E of row 35 on flight D109 from Rome to Minneapolis.  For that I was grateful.  Next thought was the sound of the birds I was hearing. Blue Jays.  I heard blue jays.  Unlike the Sigonella housing development, I wasn't hearing Eurasian magpies, Eurasian jackdaws or barn swallows I usually heard.  The sound of a blue jay is unmistakable.  Hearing blue jays meant I was home.

Eurasian Magpie

Sicilian Baby Food

Horse

Sheep

Bunny rabbit

One one of my last days is Sicily we went to a toy store. I bought a couple things.  I mean, really, a chance to buy my grandchild a gift and to spend my Euro's before I leave? I bought her a set of bow bows (plastic dogs and cats - her current obsession) and a toy broom, mop and bucket.  And then we went to the grocery store that is in the mall.  I forgot how hard it is to shop with a tiny tike along. Whew!  But this baby food? I'm not judging.  I am a vegetarian but I realize meat is good for humans to consume.  But in the US you can not find horse or bunny on the menu.  Horse was typically reserved for the really poor people. In Italy horse is on the menus.  I saw horse steaks and horse meat balls.  Horse is not for poor people. Horses are raised for their meat and it is a good source of protein.  I'll stick to my beans and vegetables.  I fed my kids meat and I'm glad I did during their growing years.

Taormina

We visited Taormina, a city north of Catania between Mount Etna and the blue, blue Mediterranean Sea.  The city is perched on a steep cliff.

The old part of the city is within walls.  Between the walls are restaurants, shops, churches, wine bars and narrow alleys.

Inside one church I took a picture of a votive candle holder.

This beautiful mosaic was outside. People could walk by and touch it.

The picture doesn't do justice to the blue green color of the sea.

We had lunch al fresco.  She's chomping on breadsticks.  I had fresh hand made canolli with spinach and cheese.  Handmade pasta!  Wow. The wine was good too.

Handmade pasta!  I can't eat for 3 days after this meal.

Those Old Tricks Are Slowly Coming Back

Granddaughter and I had an evening together.  First thing on the agenda was to don a fedora and go for a walk looking for Bow Wows.  We found some.

Then it was time for supper.  She got all she wanted of red cabbage, gnocchi, ricotta, Italian cheese, and tiny pears.  Eventually I had to hide the cheese because, well, it's amazing how much she likes cheese.

Time for a bath before bed.  It is extremely funny to hear Grandma say, "Ahhh!" whenever she gets splashed.

For the past 3 weeks I have spent time with my granddaughter.  I have tried to keep her entertained.  She loves books and swinging on her swing and playing with her toys.  Long car rides can be tough.  She loves my pig key chain so I will leave that here. She is much better at tolerating meals at restaurants.  Frankly, I forgot some of my old tricks that are just now coming back to me.  Songs like, "How Much Is That Doggie In the Window," "Rock a Bye a Baby, Mommy is a Lady, Daddy is a Gentleman and Eva is the Baby," and "Where is Thumbkin?" I remembered.  It wasn't until today that I finally remembered that old classic, "Bumblebee Bumblebee Coming From the Barn!"  She loved it!