It is kind of a cliche that this time of year can be hard on people…the trying to find the right gift (or hurry to make the right gift) …the shorter daylight hours…missing those who are no longer in our lives…those both living and passed. I was doing fine until the morning of the 24th of December. I was stressed with the cleaning I wanted to have done before company came on the 25th. I took it out on my husband and daughter and one of them then said something that triggered my meltdown. Lots of crying and isolating for an hour or two. I think I needed the cathartic release of the crying…getting rid of some pent up feelings. Then a few good hugs and kind words pulled me back into being present in the moment. The house got cleaned with help from family and I got to watch my favorite holiday movie: Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors
It also has been a time for calmness and quiet and pretty lights.
A time for Nature’s colors…
The subtle change in color of native poinsettias…
And A Red Bud Leaf’s Boldness
A time for bareness…
And a time for fullness…
Our yard full of Red Oak leaves from neighbor’s tree
A time to light up the darkness…from the neighbor’s lighted blue and white inflatable Llama for Hanukkah to…
“Illuminations” at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Tis the season for expressions of love and peace like the one I saw on a child’s sweatshirt at the Wildflower Center. It read: “Make smores, not wars”
And the Monks Walking for Peace …
This is a screen shot from You Tube…
As I write this on December 30th, the monks are on Day 66 of their Walk For Peace. They set out from Ft. Worth, Texas and are heading through the southern U. S. towards Washington, D. C. Their saffron robes walking down rural highways have created quite a following. People are following their progress on Facebook and Instagram. Even Aloka, the little dog traveling with them, now has his own Facebook page.
In towns large and small, people greet them and feed them and put them up for the night. And the crowds of the curious and hopeful are growing. The monks try to walk about 25 miles a day, even in the cold and wet.
I have been following them via You Tube videos since they were in East Texas. I am in awe of them and of the people turning out to greet them. They have helped me come back to center in my own life in many ways:
Tis the season to be grateful for life, family and friends and
to carry forgiveness into the new year ahead.
Tis the season to keep moving on towards peace and love.
“Love and accept each other, and always be kind”-quote from another holiday movie: Dolly Parton’s Circle of Love
Last month’s blog told of the Great Horned Owl Family that took up residence at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin and my obsession with them. My obsession continued into May. Most mornings I would tune in to the live owl camera (courtesy of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology) to see how the two owlets were doing. And in the evening, while watching t.v., I would set up my iPad nearby so I could check on them periodically. I learned to take screen shots off the iPad.
I also volunteer at the Wildflower Center. When I was out there I made it a point to go look at them in person, roosting in their nest in a nook up above the archway that leads into the central courtyard.
Back in March the question was whether or not Athena, the mother owl, would return to nest at the Wildflower Center as she had since 2012. Fast forward to May and everyone is anticipating the eventual fledging (leaving the nest) of the owlets. The big question was “when would they leave?” “Would it be tonight”?
It was a waiting game, but not boring. The chicks continued to grow and behave in new ways. I was amused by their cuteness and concerned about their well being.
May 1st- Wet Chicks
May 4th-Waiting For A Meal
Sometimes the nights would be peaceful and the sounds of frogs and chuck will’s widows (night bird) could be heard along with the burble of the nearby water feature and the gentle cheeping of the younger chick.
But, at other times, event noise would keep the little ones alert. Sometimes the owlets appeared alarmed at the sudden shouts of wedding guests cheering on the newly weds after the reception.
I am old enough to remember when rice was thrown at the bride and groom as they left the guests. Later, rice became birdseed. And now, the guests blow bubbles at the lucky couple.
May 4th- One Chick Seen Behind Plant As Bubbles Float Upward Past The Nest Area (the bubbles are the little x shapes)
The parents were most excellent owl parents and continued to feed the chicks and watch over them.
May 7th- Parent Bird Has Just Fed The Chicks
The owlets would move around in the nest between parent visits. They would groom themselves.
They would jump, and flap their now mostly feathered wings. They would chew on old carcasses.
They would wait.
May 12-Mama Can You Hear Me? (the younger bird was often cheeping)
May 13- Where Is Our Food?
They flapped more and more and got closer to the edge of the nest area…usually staying on the plant side of the stone ledge. But, sometimes sitting just on the lip of the ledge. And then it happened.
May 14th- Older Chick Loses Balance. Tries To Grip Ledge And Disappears Downward. Junior Is Looking Elsewhere.
The Senior Chick has accidently fledged. Some of us were watching live as this happened. I saw the bird practicing flapping and I think I even said out loud “Watch out! You are going to fall!”
May 14-Junior Dozes By Himself After Other Chick “Fledged”
May 15- All Alone The Next Morning
The Senior Chick was spotted in a nearby tree the next morning and was being fed and attended to by adult birds. That was a relief to hear.
There was a lot of activity on May 15th. The remaining chick was peeping and moving around in the nest and flapping. In the evening the parent birds were returning to the nest every few minutes with small bits of food (maybe crickets?). It is thought that they were encouraging the younger owlet to go ahead and fledge. It would be easier to continue to feed the youngsters if they were in the same location. At one point I saw the owlet flapping on the edge and then he backed up as if he realized how close he was to the ledge. But, then went to the ledge again! It was like he was trying to get up his courage.
May 15- Camera Goes Wide Angle In Anticipation Of Fledging- Athena and youngster
May 16- I visit the Wildflower Center for a volunteer shift and see the owlet up in the nest on the left side of the plant, on the ledge and cheeping.
May 17-Junior Flapping On The Edge
I start to wonder if anyone is taking bets on when the remaining owlet will fledge. He looks ready, but apparently he is not. There is an event that night. It is the evening “Members Only” opening of the animatronic dinosaur exhibit (Dinosaurs Around The World, May 17-July 17). The roar of a nearby dinosaur can be heard periodically, as well as a toad croaking in the pond.
May 18-In the evening there is a party event (probably a wedding) and the little owl was panting some and moving around nest area. Music and toads could be heard. At 10:54 p.m. the owl was sitting on the left side of the nest area, waiting. All of a sudden a loud human yelling began and photo flashes illuminated the area, including the nest area. The startled owl moved behind the plant as the wedding party finished their business. He was back out a half an hour later and I captured this photo.
May 18- My Last Shot Of Junior (taken 11:28 p.m.)
May 19- 7:20 a.m. He fledged! The camera was again at wide angle. He flew to a wall by the nearby pond and then went into some plants behind the pond. Then a parent bird showed up on the edge of the pond and flew off with a carcass in it’s talons, as if it was saying “Follow me!”
I missed them immediately! I am grateful that I got to witness this part of a life cycle. One of the wedding songs I heard played in the background one time was Louis Armstrong singing “What A Wonderful World” and that pretty much says it all.
Others have spotted the birds in trees on the property and they are well cared for by the parent birds as they learn to fend for themselves. Only time will tell if we get to witness this miracle of life next year.
Check out the Cornell Website at :
Allaboutbirds.org
And the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at:
Wildflower.org
And for some excellent photos of Athena and her chicks and other life at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center check out photographer Bill Boyd’s photos at:
I missed my slow walk this morning. I missed my slow walking friends, but right now it is too hot for me to be outside.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is visited by thousands of people each year. Young and old, locals and tourists, the people come to view the flowers and other native Texas plants. Trails wind around the 284 acres and people can move at their own pace. There are fast walkers that get their steps in and medium walkers moving from one patch of spectacular floral colors to the next. There are parents pushing strollers and kids running around the lawns in the children’s garden. And then there are the groups of very slow walkers. They can be seen in groups of 6 or more, huddled around a flowering bush, taking turns to get the best angle to get a good shot with their close-up camera lenses. Some carry binoculars that they point at the trees and grassy fields. These women and men are participating in the weekly Fauna Survey, finding, identifying and documenting all the non-plant life that call the Wildflower Center home.
The Fauna Project is a weekly survey event led by Val Bugh (check out her website: http://www.austinbug.com). She has been at this since 2010 and has amassed quite a record of the bio diversity contained within this site. Her special area of expertise is entomology. The walking is slow because there is so much to see. At least every other plant will have a little insect on it doing something: eating another insect, mating, hunting, etc. Each survey is different. Here are some of my photos taken on the surveys so far this year.
Red Eared Slider Turtle (February)Robin (February)Leopard Frog (March)Ribbon Snake (March)Great Horned Owl Mom On Nest (April)Fox Squirrel (April)Tarantula (April)Buckeye Butterfly On Milkweed (April)Juvenile Great Horned Owl (May)Texas Spotted Whiptail (May)Beetles On Thistle (May)Dragonfly (May)White-tailed Deer Print (May)White Eyed Vireo (May)Texas Spiny Lizard (June)Beetle (June)
So, get out and do a slow walk. You never know what you might find.
According to their website, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is home to at least 1,800 insect species (93 of these are butterfly species), 148 bird species, and 15 mammal species.
Natural Musings 