Woke up in time to take a walk around the neighborhood this morning with Steve. Our community really has so many birds. In just a loop, we saw blue jays, cardinals, red-bellied woodpecker, tufted titmouse, mockingbird, American robin, a red-shouldered hawk, mourning dove, grackles, crows and a couple I couldn't identify (no binoculars). When I drove away I added white ibis, a cormorant and a muscovy to the list.
Went to visit a very sweet man around the corner who is a fly fisherman. Had a lot of fun with him and had my second lesson on how to cast a fly rod. Totally fun. He promised to take me fishing. His wife passed away last November. Felt sorry for him but he says he'll have more time to go fishing!
Have a story in today's paper about boaters approaching right whales as the play in the Atlantic Ocean. (Link should be in Google ticker to the right) Why would someone venture that close to a 60-ton wild animal? Absolutely boggles the brain.
Also had my first-ever restaurant review published in the paper today.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Rain
Melancholy mood today. Need to kick things into gear. Weeks past deadline on a Sunday story I really wanted to write.
Thought for the day from Forbes.com: "Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises." - Demosthenes
News today from the NJ: Judge set a hearing for March 23. Appraisals should be finished. Sale could take place last week of March. I've never felt less in control of my future.
Fascinating story here from Forbes about a librarian and her wacky children's book blog.
Thought for the day from Forbes.com: "Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises." - Demosthenes
News today from the NJ: Judge set a hearing for March 23. Appraisals should be finished. Sale could take place last week of March. I've never felt less in control of my future.
Fascinating story here from Forbes about a librarian and her wacky children's book blog.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Weather
Finally, we had a gorgeous weekend with sunlight and warmth. I managed to get out on the St. Johns River Friday and Saturday. Friday I paddled down from Lemon Bluff to a conservation area near Mullet Lake Park in Sanford. Simply beautiful.
On Saturday, a friend took me shad fishing. What a blast. I've never been fly fishing before so that was fascinating. My perfectionist tendencies rear themselves in almost everything I do and this was no exception. The art of flyfishing takes great practice so my attempts were beyond frustrating. Patience may be a virtue but certainly one I'm lacking.
I was supposed to spend the entire afternoon on the river Sunday shad fishing but circumstances frustratingly beyond my control intervened. After driving all the way out for a tempting glimpse of the river, I headed home again.
The changing character of the St. Johns along its entire length amazes and fascinates me. It meanders and spreads wide at State Road 46 with a vast flood plain. To me, it's one of the most beautiful views in all of Florida. The river looks completely different in DeBary, where I cross it several times a week. Here the river runs in a deep channel, always busy with boats. Boaters were out in force this weekend, enjoying the first gorgeous weekend of 2010.
Later Sunday, we drove to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and walked the Scrub Ridge Trail where we had a delightful encounter with a half dozen Florida scrub jays, Florida's only endemic bird species.
On Saturday, a friend took me shad fishing. What a blast. I've never been fly fishing before so that was fascinating. My perfectionist tendencies rear themselves in almost everything I do and this was no exception. The art of flyfishing takes great practice so my attempts were beyond frustrating. Patience may be a virtue but certainly one I'm lacking.
I was supposed to spend the entire afternoon on the river Sunday shad fishing but circumstances frustratingly beyond my control intervened. After driving all the way out for a tempting glimpse of the river, I headed home again.
The changing character of the St. Johns along its entire length amazes and fascinates me. It meanders and spreads wide at State Road 46 with a vast flood plain. To me, it's one of the most beautiful views in all of Florida. The river looks completely different in DeBary, where I cross it several times a week. Here the river runs in a deep channel, always busy with boats. Boaters were out in force this weekend, enjoying the first gorgeous weekend of 2010.
Later Sunday, we drove to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and walked the Scrub Ridge Trail where we had a delightful encounter with a half dozen Florida scrub jays, Florida's only endemic bird species.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Valentines Day
So someone close to me used to tell me that Valentine's Day was a made up holiday to make money for retailers. I would argue the day's merits for romance and recognizing those you love. But the older I get the more I see the other person's point.
So many expectations and so many unfulfilled dreams all wrapped up and tied with myriad bows, hearts and red flowers. The day creates sadness and angst in the hearts of so many. I have teenaged nieces who hate Valentine's Day. If they hate it now, how will they feel in another 30 years when no illusions of romance are left?
What if you don't have a sweetheart? What if you just lost or broke up with a sweetheart? What if the one you love loves someone else? Or what if you love more than one person? Or can't spend the day with the person you'd most like to spend the day with?
We've had a nice quiet day. I'm making lasagna and strawberry shortcake for Steve. I stopped buying him cards a long time ago. He hates them. So why push the issue?
He brought me red roses, a lovely card and then scored a real victory with a soft, cuddly, dark teal (my favorite color) fleece jacket that also happened to be on clearance, which made me happy in more ways than one!
Others close to my heart also remembered me on this special day and for that I am grateful. But I'm still thinking that Cupid seems a lot less about magic and wonder and a lot more about materialism.
So many expectations and so many unfulfilled dreams all wrapped up and tied with myriad bows, hearts and red flowers. The day creates sadness and angst in the hearts of so many. I have teenaged nieces who hate Valentine's Day. If they hate it now, how will they feel in another 30 years when no illusions of romance are left?
What if you don't have a sweetheart? What if you just lost or broke up with a sweetheart? What if the one you love loves someone else? Or what if you love more than one person? Or can't spend the day with the person you'd most like to spend the day with?
We've had a nice quiet day. I'm making lasagna and strawberry shortcake for Steve. I stopped buying him cards a long time ago. He hates them. So why push the issue?
He brought me red roses, a lovely card and then scored a real victory with a soft, cuddly, dark teal (my favorite color) fleece jacket that also happened to be on clearance, which made me happy in more ways than one!
Others close to my heart also remembered me on this special day and for that I am grateful. But I'm still thinking that Cupid seems a lot less about magic and wonder and a lot more about materialism.
Duck, duck drive
Spent the morning driving around Saturday, one sure way to stay warm in Florida these days. Took Steve with me to Umatilla to look at a rare long-tailed duck in a pond there. Missed my first turn because I wasn't paying attention, but it proved fortuitous because I was able to convince Steve to let me take a quick walk through Renningers Antique Market, which I dearly love. As usual, I found something truly gorgeous but did not buy it. It was a pair of footed or pedestal cut glass bowls, teal in color. Simply beautiful, but $110 each. Yowza. While I'd cheerfully pay that if I had it, I'd live in fear of someone breaking the bowls and that's just not worth it. I like to use our old dishes and things so it feel like the pieces continue to live the life they were created for and ultimately that's all anyone can ask for right?
The long-tailed duck proved to be a bit of misnomer because it turns out the females don't have long tails in the winter. So she was a long-tailed duck, sans tail. But it was fun to check off one more bird on my life list which is very near 200.
At around 6, my daughter and I left for the drive to an LDS chapel near Green Cove Springs where she could attend a youth dance. The place was packed and she had a wonderful time, so even though I doubted the wisdom of my actions on the drive up, it proved well worth the effort. It helped that I dropped by Gander Mountain while waiting and found a great pair of $130 hiking boots, for only $55. I've looked all over because I blew out my old pair and need to get a new pair before Alaska, which is only 115 days away.
The long-tailed duck proved to be a bit of misnomer because it turns out the females don't have long tails in the winter. So she was a long-tailed duck, sans tail. But it was fun to check off one more bird on my life list which is very near 200.
At around 6, my daughter and I left for the drive to an LDS chapel near Green Cove Springs where she could attend a youth dance. The place was packed and she had a wonderful time, so even though I doubted the wisdom of my actions on the drive up, it proved well worth the effort. It helped that I dropped by Gander Mountain while waiting and found a great pair of $130 hiking boots, for only $55. I've looked all over because I blew out my old pair and need to get a new pair before Alaska, which is only 115 days away.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Certainty ...
So the furor over the future of The News-Journal heats up this week, with speculation mounting that the judge will rule on the proposed sale Friday or Tuesday. Then the closing should happen a few days after that. However, all sorts of factors could intervene, including paperwork requesting a stay. A Corporate e-mail arrived trying to allay the fears but unfortunately too many of us are already worked up over our futures and what that means.
For a group of journalists who have a very specific skill set who face a job-seeking world already filled with unemployed journalists, the prospects seem very scary. Lots of stomach butterflies, stress eating and of course the ever-present morbid newsroom humor.
To read more on The News-Journal saga click here:
For a group of journalists who have a very specific skill set who face a job-seeking world already filled with unemployed journalists, the prospects seem very scary. Lots of stomach butterflies, stress eating and of course the ever-present morbid newsroom humor.
To read more on The News-Journal saga click here:
Faster than a speeding bird?
I heard a bird above my head as I went into the house Wednesday morning after dropping Rosie off at school and looked up to see a speeding red-shouldered hawk zooming across the lawn. He passed the roof line so I couldn't see where it was headed but it sure was fast.
Then my best birding buddy tells me he saw a speeding peregrine falcon diving to grab a pigeon. Made me wonder how fast these birds fly. In a quick search, I didn't turn up a great scientific site, but did see numerous references in Wikipedia and other sites. The peregrine, when diving, flies at speeds of up to more than 200 mph. A red-shouldered hawk, they say, may speed faster than 110 mph. Truly amazing.
Had dinner at a wonderful restaurant in downtown DeLand last night, the Cress. The combination of flavors in the creole fish over mushroom thyme grits with a sauce seemed like a festival on the palate.
Then my best birding buddy tells me he saw a speeding peregrine falcon diving to grab a pigeon. Made me wonder how fast these birds fly. In a quick search, I didn't turn up a great scientific site, but did see numerous references in Wikipedia and other sites. The peregrine, when diving, flies at speeds of up to more than 200 mph. A red-shouldered hawk, they say, may speed faster than 110 mph. Truly amazing.
Had dinner at a wonderful restaurant in downtown DeLand last night, the Cress. The combination of flavors in the creole fish over mushroom thyme grits with a sauce seemed like a festival on the palate.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Birds, blue sky and water = perfection
Not everyone would agree that paddling a kayak on Sunday is a proper Sabbath observance, but I for one find it to be as spiritually satisfying as attending church.
Paddled between the Lemon Bluff boat ramp and Mullet Lake Park in Geneva today, but using the term paddled only very loosely. When I'm alone I love to just drift in the kayak, merely steering. That allows me to study everything I see.
Lots and lots of dead fish today along the banks, but fairly certain they're mostly two exotic species, so it shouldn't hurt the life cycle for them to be gone. It did make me wonder though how much weight the average vulture has gained over the past two weeks as they feed and gorge on dead fish.
The return paddle found a smooth, glassy river with the blue sky and palm trees reflected in the water. Gorgeous. Saw at least 21 bird species. Here they are:
bald eagle
belted kingfisher
black vulture
boat tailed grackle
fish crow
great blue heron
great egret
killdeer
laughing gull
limpkin
little blue heron
osprey
palm warbler
red bellied woodpecker
red shouldered hawk
royal tern
tree swallow
tri colored heron
turkey vulture
white ibis
wood stork
Paddled between the Lemon Bluff boat ramp and Mullet Lake Park in Geneva today, but using the term paddled only very loosely. When I'm alone I love to just drift in the kayak, merely steering. That allows me to study everything I see.
Lots and lots of dead fish today along the banks, but fairly certain they're mostly two exotic species, so it shouldn't hurt the life cycle for them to be gone. It did make me wonder though how much weight the average vulture has gained over the past two weeks as they feed and gorge on dead fish.
The return paddle found a smooth, glassy river with the blue sky and palm trees reflected in the water. Gorgeous. Saw at least 21 bird species. Here they are:
bald eagle
belted kingfisher
black vulture
boat tailed grackle
fish crow
great blue heron
great egret
killdeer
laughing gull
limpkin
little blue heron
osprey
palm warbler
red bellied woodpecker
red shouldered hawk
royal tern
tree swallow
tri colored heron
turkey vulture
white ibis
wood stork
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