The Grove Revisited

It was like we were returning to a magical kingdom when we went back to Owl Grove last Sunday. The whole area simply took on a green shimmer and sparkle as we pulled in. We kept our excitement quiet and moved slowly through the trees hoping and hoping to find evidence of last year's nesting pair. We looked for thick, chalky owl poop around the bases of the trees. We found it. Two trees wore lots of poop and we decided they were perching trees since we couldn't spot a nest. We found pellets under a couple of trees. A couple of the pellets were fresh and at least one was bone bare from one of last year's meals. Last year's nest showed no signs of occupancy but we decided that the female could have been hunkered way down in the hole. And then we heard it: a distinct warning trio of hoots. We decided it was the male cautioning the female to keep extra still and quiet. We were delighted. We have evidence that the pair has returned to their nesting territory. We drove away content.

The Owl at One Year

This gorgeous weather reminds me that Bobbie and I are coming up on a year since we started the owl adventure. And, my, that adventure has taken us from the excitement of discovering the owl to the book writing and then to all the venues we've been to market the story. Just recently, I spoke to the Lutheran Educators Winter Conference and Bobbie and I created an exhibit to share at the Literacy Conference in Salem. That same day she did several book talks so the owl covered lots of ground that day. We still have books to sell and events to manage and we look forward to all the interesting people still to meet. If you haven't read the book, we still have lots to sell. Just post a comment and I can send you one or you can order one through wirthwhilepub@gmail.com.

And Back Again

It was a big house and it was FULL of women. We were 13 (if I counted right) all together and we were all related in some way or other. We just did girl things and shot out in all directions in Seaside, Cannon Beach and Gearhart but we all came back in the evenings to be many parts and pieces of my dad's and my brothers Gary and Bill's lives all resting comfortably under one roof-safe, sound, happy together.

Seaside: There and Back Again Twice-A Five Minute Blog

(Class starts in 14 minutes. I'm ready.) We spent two days and one night in Seaside last weekend. I will spend two days and two nights in Seaside next weekend as well when my sister and I join our up north relatives for some fun time together. In between the two trips, I will like thinking about the warm sun and blue sky and no wind in Cannon Beach as we zigzagged from shop to shop. I will recall the sound of the ocean when we finally figured out that that was the sound we were hearing behind the shouts of the card game, the whir of the ceiling fan and the dull rattle of the TV that no one bothered to get up and turn off. And even though my sense of smell is nearly non-existent from too many years of lap swimming, I can still sense the brisk tang of the air as Pat and I walked along the Promenade in the early morning. One good cup of clam chowder and three tastes of Pat's excellent bowl of clam chowder with its just right thickness and its take a few seconds to smack the lips to figure out the clever seasoning and I'll happily make the return trip in a few days. It will be a different Seaside experience next time but many things will remain the same. (Class in four minutes. I can hear the door clanging open then shut. Time to go.)

By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Pat and I just returned from a trip to the sun, the blue sky and warm air all wrapped around Montezuma's Castle, the red of Sedona, the amazing historical sights of Jerome and unforgettable vegetation. I fell in love with the cacti, especially the saguaro. They are everywhere and they look like motionless desert inhabitants. History can't say what happened to some of the tribes of long ago such as the Sinagua who lived in the cliff dwelling at Montezuma's castle, but I say they are all alive and patrolling the land in the form of these stately growths that thrive in the desert. The Desert Botanical gardens in Phoenix pay tribute to all manner of these hot weather wonders as well they should.
Combine all that with time spent in the excellent company of who is probably my oldest friend left alive, and I say it was a trip of a lifetime. What a joy to spend time with this kind, generous and full of personality friend in the gorgeous setting of her home. Her husband Irvin is absolutely the host with the most. The best two cacti in the desert are there in honor of these two wonderful people.
And, yes, there are owls in Arizona. The native people obviously had high regard for them as they show up in their art work everywhere. And I had to look twice at the several owls I saw on, of all places, TV antennae. So the elders of the modern retired tribe have reverence for them as well. But the owls weren't real. They were just used as odd ways to adorn the otherwise ugly spires of TV land.

Secret Messages from North to South

Sarah and Kelly: Any sign of the sun yet?
Mary Mac: This is YOUR year! You won't believe it!
Peg: Don't forget your knitting next month.
Tracie, DeAnn, and Lisa: Are you counting the days?
Brian: Sorry. Sports do not rule.
Ashley: Super invitations!
Amy Lou: Don't get sick.
Sheila: Time to choose a date to create the site.
Kathy H: I miss your comments.
KW: Have you started (or finished) the February project?
IW: You're still the Queen of us all.
Bobo: Baby your voice.
Lee and Sarah: The Glock has awfully good fondue.
John: You were right. I lost your card and it's time to think about dates to wander in your wilderness.
Susan: I want to hear about the grandboy.
Jill and Steven: How was Christmas?
Irvin and Cheryl: See you Thursday!

Unresolved

I'm not about to fool myself with New Year's Resolutions this year. I'm especially not going to make any promises about my aging body which is moving lower to the floor and sagging more almost weekly. No amount of stringent dieting seems to keep it from this strange movement that is never discussed in women's magazines.
I can't do too awful much about my skin either. The sight of my own back is scary with its new spots, lines and funny little lumps. I might visit the dermatologist to get rid of some annoying growths that periodically cause me to adjust my clothing in unbecoming ways, but that's it. No expensive creams or lotions for me.
Anything that older women do to their faces that involves going to fancy doctors is not an option I choose. I want my face to go out the way it came in-natural and untouched. Same goes for my hair which is now snowy white and which I find that I rather like.
Those little veins that have appeared here and there on my legs are a nice purple color. The batwings on my upper arms aren't all that bad and I'm not wearing orthopedic shoes yet. I do confess, however, to wearing comfortable, low shoes and I think about how much I walk rather carefully these days. And so what if I have to clothes shop at speciality stores so I can get a decent fit?
I am what I am. I resolve to TRY to make good eating choices, get some exercise regularly and stand up straighter than I used to. That's it.