A Fresh Start

This morning I took it upon myself to move my chicken coop and run to a new spot of yard. The move went fine and now my chickens have fresh grass instead of living on a thick and nasty carpet of manure. The chickens have been in the same area for about 20 weeks now. I cleaned most of the manure out of the coop as well and added that to the compost barrel. The five chickens were cooperative for the most part. I am happy that job is done!

Tyrannosaurus Rex Spotted In Local Neighborhood

Yesterday a tyrannosaurus rex was spotted. Here is a photo.  See it back there between the two sheds and beyond the chicken run? Granddaughter #1 was fascinated. She took me by the hand to see it. She held my hand tight and pulled me along saying, "Run Grandma, run."  This Grandma is unable to run but I can pretend to run by taking quick steps. We were both running toward the t rex when it turned and came toward us. Granddaughter turns around quickly and pulls me by the hand saying, "This way Grandma. I will save you!" While we are running around the yard the chickens who live in this yard are absolutely panicked by this apparent predator. Feathers are flying and chickens are running for their lives. The combination of excitement, joy and fear was a cathartic release.

Ice Out on Rum

On Wednesday afternoon I found myself in Anoka with an extra ten minutes. I didn't have time to go home. I didn't have time to shop. So I drove to the public parking area above the dam to make some phone calls and watch the water go by. The ice had gone out on the Rum River earlier that day. Huge slabs of thick ice floated quickly past me. As the ice slabs reached the dam one end tipped down and the other end tipped up. Sometimes the ice slabs made a big splash and sometimes they didn't.  The water on the other side of the dam was only a couple feet lower that the water above the dam. The weather was nice so I saw quite a few people out enjoying the day. Some people were fishing from the public dock.  Some people were walking their dogs. Some people walked by hand in hand. Other people walked by themselves. The sight of the ice flowing over the dam and down river was mesmerizing.  Once over the dam the ice slabs broke apart into smaller pieces. Some ice slabs had branches or rocks on them which made me wonder how far they had come. Were some of these ice slabs from Saint Francis? Were some of the ice slabs from the area of the river that is closest to my house? What do the creatures in the river think of this big event?  Are they happy to have more oxygen and sun light in the water? I haven't heard my red shouldered hawk yet but I imagine that with the river open it will come back soon.

Last night I picked up a friend of mine and we headed to Shoreview for a meeting of our Minnesota Master Naturalist group. As we turned off of Highway 96 we saw a big white bird dive at a bald eagle that was flying by.  The eagle swerved suddenly to avoid impact and flipped over and flew upside down for a couple seconds. Two white gulls flew by but the bird that attacked the eagle was bigger than a gull and the wings were hawk wings; not gull wings. We parked, grabbed the binoculars and the bird book, and went to look again. We stood in front of the library looking into the space above the intersection when the eagle flew by again and the white hawk attacked it again. I had the hawk in my binoculars for a long time but I cannot tell you what kind of hawk it was.  Perhaps it was a leucistic red tailed hawk or some other kind of hawk.  I thought it looked like an angel. After that excitement we went into our meeting where Bob Dunlap spoke about his birding experiences. As a boy he got hooked on birding and loved to travel around and look for birds. His passion for birds influenced his mother, Jan Dunlap, to write mystery novels about birds. He showed us a picture of his wedding where he had a board up so people could write down what birds they saw at the event. Somebody wrote California Condor and we know that wasn't right. This speaker had a great sense of humor.  He spoke of being a millennial. Almost all of us were Baby Boomers.  I had always thought of my parents as belonging to the greatest generation but according to Bob, they were in the silent generation (1925-1945). That was a new term for me. He gave us data on bird counts. At one time Cardinals were rare birds found only in the farthest southern counties of Minnesota.  Now we have Cardinals in every state in Minnesota. House finches were rare and now they are all over.  Turkeys were rare and moved in from the west across the state. At one time Eurasian collar doves were non-existent but I believe they will be everywhere in the next ten years or so.  I just hope they don't drive out the Morning Doves. At the end of his talk he showed us a video of a birding excursion to Columbia.  He had gorgeous photos and videos of toucans, humming birds, slyphs, and wood peckers. I really wish I had gone on that 12 day trip because they saw almost 400 species of birds plus howler monkeys and turtles and snakes. Someday I might go to Columbia on a birding trip.

Science Museum

Yesterday I took a day off work to get some things accomplished and also to meet Offspring #1 and family at the Science Museum in Saint Paul. Oh, the Science Museum is a magical place. We were there six hours and the children could have stayed longer. Out of the windows overlooking the Mississippi River we could see that Shepard Road was flooded. The buildings on Harriet Island were so flooded that if I stood inside the picnic shelter I would have river water up to my waist. Grandgirl #1 is into dinosaurs so she was happy to see the TRex in the entrance.  She happened to be wearing a TRex shirt so that was perfect. Her sister was asleep in her parent's back carrier so we used the first couple hours to focus in on the dinosaurs. Near one room full of dinosaur bones there was a miniature glacier set up and also a miniature mountain. Kids could play on the scenery. She had a great time sliding down the glacier and jumping off the mountain with a couple of other children about her own age. We ate peanut butter sandwiches for lunch in the café. We went to a demonstration about fire. I sat on the floor as the scientist popped a balloon with a lighter. The next balloon had water in it.  He held it over his head with the lighter on it but it never popped. For his next trick he burned a $20 bill.  He soaked the bill in a mixture of alcohol and water. The bill was dripping liquid.  When he held the bill with tongs and lit it with his lighter it flamed up as the alcohol burned and then the fire went out without actually burning the money. He had a fire going in a little bowl.  He put a five foot tall cylinder over that little fire and spun it to create a funnel of air. The fire grew five foot tall in mere seconds. For his last trick he had a balloon of hydrogen. He added the hydrogen to a bowl of soapy water. He lit that on fire and "Boof!" A huge flame flared and died instantly. After that show we wandered around some more. We saw the mummy. We went to the area about the human body.  I was in charge of the one year old by myself when I put my arm in a blood pressure machine to take my blood pressure. As soon as the machine squeezed my arm she started wandering off.  I could not do much about it.  Luckily she didn't go too far. Sometimes she would get bored so I would find a display where she could press buttons and that kept her interested. Also, she enjoys washing her hands in the bathroom so we did that too.  She likes to rip off the paper towels that come out automatically.  I think Grandgirl #2 would stand there ripping paper towels all day if I let her. I think the reason the visit went so well is that we let the children set the pace and make the decisions. I found a medical chair we could sit in that would vibrate when you held the handles.  Oh, we all had fun with that one. We ended the day in a children's play area where they could wash the dishes and play with puppets. I haven't been to the Science Museum for a long time and I am sure glad we went.

Two More Harbingers of Spring

This morning I woke early and I left to swim a few laps at the gym. I stopped to buy coffee at the McDonalds restaurant across Highway 10 from the Coon Rapids high school.  As I walked to my car with my large coffee I heard a red winged blackbird calling, "Tweeeee tweeee." So I drove down that service road along the highway that leads close to the eagle nest. I opened my windows to listen for the birds. I spotted a red winged blackbird male proudly displaying his red epaulets.  I came to the end of the road and turned back again. This time I heard (but did not see) a killdeer calling.  Yep! Spring is here. Even the birds confirm the fact that winter is over at last.

A Harbinger of Spring

Today I was standing outside doing some work and I heard the call of some sand hill cranes for the first time this year. To me the cranes sound like dinosaurs calling.  Their distinctive voice makes me feel warm all over because it is a harbinger of spring.

Friday Shenanigans

Not every moment at work is productive.

Faithful

I listened to the actress Amber Tamblyn read Faithful to me. The book was written by Alice Hoffman.  Normally this author adds a little magic to her stories so my ears were perked for that to come into play.  I won't tell you if there was magic or not. Some things are better off not known. In this story the heroine's name is Shelby. She starts off at age 17. A tragic thing happens and Shelby becomes ridden with guilt. It's as if she is carrying a 100 gunny sack of guilt on her back. Does Shelby find redemption? You will have to read this book to find out. I liked Shelby even though she isn't very nice. She likes dogs though and I like dogs too.

First Day of Spring

I found two eggs this morning in my chicken coop. These are my first eggs from my chickens in 2019. The eggs are dark brown so I know it was a cuckoo maran that laid it. Either Heckyl laid one and Jekyl laid one or Heckyl laid two or Jekyl laid two. In any case, I will quit muttering the word slacker when I am out doing chicken duties.

Thought For The Day

The Other Einstein

I had fond feelings about Albert Einstein but all that changed after reading the book, The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. The other Einstein was his wife, Mileva Maric, a brilliant physicist from Serbia. She studied math and physics and was an outstanding student. Even though she was the only female student in her classes, she excelled until a guy named Albert turned her head. Albert didn't think there was room in one family for two geniuses so he stole her ideas and took all the credit. Mileva was an overlooked woman of science. And now I am not such a big fan of Albert.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

I get up this morning and see that it is cloudy out. I brush my teeth and then go into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.  Outside white precipitation is falling AGAIN! Bad words were said.  No need to go into details.

My Favorite Season Is Coming Soon!

A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period –
When March is scarcely here

A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.

It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest Slope you know
It almost speaks to you.

Then as Horizons step
Or Noons report away
Without the Formula of sound
It passes and we stay –

A quality of loss
Affecting our Content
As Trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a Sacrament.

poem by Emily Dickenson

Five Days Left

Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer takes place over five days.  The two main characters, Mara and Scott are both members of an internet forum for parents of adopted children.  Mara and Scott become emotionally intimate because sometimes it is easier to share your deepest thoughts with complete strangers. Mara and her husband have adopted a daughter. Scott and his wife are doing foster care for an inner city first grade boy. The story of Mara and Scott, some of it shared via their forum comments, comes to a very dramatic ending on the fifth day. I could relate to both Scott and Mara. Both are trying to be good parents but go about it in very different ways.

Parking Lot Ducks

Actually there is another pair of ducks on the sidewalk but they are hidden by the snow bank.

The Parking Lot Attendant

I was drawn to read The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat because of the pretty orange cover. This prize winning first novel is about a young girl who narrates the story. We never see her name though.  Her parents are immigrants from Ethiopia.  Strangely her parents raise her one at a time. Abandoned by her father before birth, her mother raises her until the father comes back and then the mother takes off. They live in the Boston area where another man from Ethiopia runs a parking lot.  As the narrator reaches the end of her high school years things get pretty weird for her. I think it is very refreshing to read books from another person's perspective.  My life was no where near the life of the narrator in this book. This book was a pleasant escape from my life right now.

One Scoop At A Time

Today I spent two of my precious weekend hours shoveling the white precipitation so I could get my car out on the road. Unlike the dire weather reports we only got 6 inches instead of the predicted 18 and the snow was light instead of heavy. The forecast was for heavy, wet snow. The air temperature was warm enough that I soon worked up a sweat and had to take my coat off.  I shoveled in my snow pants and a sweatshirt.  As the black capped chickadees sang their love songs I answered. Just like eating an elephant, I took that driveway on one scoop at a time.  I used three different shovels to get the job done. That job is done. But, seriously folks, isn't this enough now?

Don't You Feel

Today I was reminded of a song I had on a Maria Muldaur album.  In college my two roommates would sing it aloud together.  I haven't thought of this song for years and I don't know how I could possibly ever forget this song because it is a most memorable piece of music!

Eagles On The Nest

This afternoon on my commute home I saw the eagle sitting on the nest just off Highway 10 and Main Street near Lowe's.  During this year I have seen those eagles sitting in the tree that holds the nest but never on the nest. I had heard other people tell me it was on the nest and I did believe them.  It's just more fun to see it for  myself.  Other bird signs of spring include the romantic calls of the cardinals and black capped chickadees. The goldfinches are leaving their olive green feathers behind and regaining their canary yellow feathers. The crows are leaving the roost in Minneapolis and cavorting on street lights in Ramsey on my way to work. Soon I will see turkey vultures roosting near my house. When I heard a red winged blackbird call then I will know spring is here.  Come to think of it, I should really move that blue bird house near my bedroom window farther away from the bedroom window. After the first batch of blue birds has fledged the house wrens move in. The early morning singing of a house wren is not a pleasant sound to hear when I am trying to sleep. Well, moving the bird house will have to wait until the yard stick deep bank of snow melts and the ground thaws underneath it.

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler

Today is Fat Tuesday. I could have planned anything for this day.  I could have planned a trip to New Orleans, for example, to celebrate Mardi Gras. I could be on  Bourbon Street right now watching the parade.  Sadly, I am not there. I am living my life and seeing my dentist twice a year.  As I prepared for my dental appointment this afternoon, I took my toothbrush and toothpaste out of my desk drawer. I clean my teeth before I go to the dentist much like a homeowner cleans the house before the housekeeper comes to clean. I have been at this job for a long time. I think that orange (my favorite color) toothbrush and toothpaste are probably older than many of my coworkers. Do they even make Close-Up toothpaste anymore? Does toothpaste expire? Whatever! I had a good dental report.  Happy Mardi Gras day!

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan

The other night as I was leaving the theater with my friend we were discussing the suffering of women in the 1970's. In a pale effort to cheer ourselves up I remarked, "Well, at least there is no foot binding anymore."  My friend remarked that she had just finished reading Lisa See's book, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  "Shut up!" I said to her, "I am almost done with the very same book right now!" How odd we both read the same book. She read it because she is going to join her mother in a book club reading next week and this is the book of the month for that group. The story is about two women who live in China. Both Snow Flower and Lily were born in 1824. Both of them had their feet bound on the same day. The agony of having your feet destroyed by your own mother is hard to read. The word filial comes up often in the book. Parents make decisions and the children are expected to obey and be quiet about it. Nevertheless, woman like Lily and Snow Flower find ways to cope with the hard life they live. I enjoyed this book very much and I am ever so glad the crazy tradition of foot binding is a thing of the past.

I Can't Say No To A Brownie!

At the grocery store today a small girl with a brown vest, pigtails, a smile with missing teeth, and a Brownie pin asks me, "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?" Who can say no to such a question? So even though my cash was in the car and it was a dangerous windchill out there today, I walked back in the store with my twenty dollar bill and paid for a box of shortbread cookies. The Brownie was going to short me five dollars but the leader helped her make accurate change. I just can't resist the charms of a girl selling Girl Scout cookies.

Stewardess!

Last night a good friend and I braved the cold and met for Thai food on Saint Peter Street in Saint Paul.  After that we headed to the History Theater for a sold out performance of Stewardess! The last play we saw there was a musical about the Glensheen Mansion and the shenanigans of Marjorie Caldwell.  We liked that show so we thought we would like this one too. This show was less musical but also based on a true story about the largest pay out class action suit for gender discrimination by Northwest Orient Airlines. This show was both funny and depressing. Mary Pat Laffey was a stewardess for Northwest Airlines. She loved her job but she didn't think it was fair that she got paid less, had to be weighed all the time, wasn't allowed to wear glasses, could not be married, and had to retire at age 32. So she did something about it. She was loved and hated for her decisions.  The life of a true Minnesota heroine can be lonely. Having lived through this era I could completely relate.  I cheered when the Gloria Steinham character appeared on stage.  I booed when the Phyllis Schafly marched across the stage carrying her protest sign and offering freshly baked bread and home made jam to the audience. I did. I really booed.  Don't even get me started on Phyllis Schafly. She drove me crazy in the 1970's,  Just the thought of Phyllis Schafly raises my blood pressure. The last performance is today and that too is sold out.  If this play comes around again, I suggest you go and see it.

Owls Calling

This morning I was eating my morning bowl of rice, pears, coconut and Greek yogurt with cinnamon and cardamom when I heard a noise out of the window.  A barred owl was hooting, "Who cooks for you?" Another owl answered the call. After that came the monkey sounds.  These owls were really close by. By the time I got to the window the owl calls stopped. I sure had a pleasant moment though while the owl calls lasted.