Elephant in the room

OK I lied, just one post.  Limiting my internet time has lead me to some interesting thoughts.  I was raised thinking *If I die* not *when I die*. By thinking this way,  we avoid thinking about the inevitable, that our time here has a limited number of days.   We have no clue as to when our time here will be done, and absolutely no choice as to when our number will finally comes up.  By thinking and living *IF* we truly can get lost in the mundane of the everyday.  We take our lives and loved ones for granted. If we live by *WHEN* then we realize that every moment is precious, and we relish each and every one we are given.  LIFE IS GOOD, LIVE FOR TODAY! 

90 days

For the next 90 days,starting on the 15th,  until my birthday, I am going to take a much needed internet break. I feel overwhelmed by the constant  bad news of the world.  I'm also tired of hearing people complain constantly. You can't stay away from it on FB, there is constantly something horrific on my news feed.  People abusing other humans and the animal abuse is just completely out of control.     I've turned off most of my friends from my FB feed,  Every evening  I will post on the Hawk Watch page, as I've committed to doing that, I will also wish my friends *Happy Birthday* at that time.  I will check my messages, but  I will not sit and cruise on FB, nor will I use it on my phone.  I won't be posting in this Blog either.  My plan is to JUST BE.  Spend all my time in the physical world instead of the internet world.    I'm looking forward to the break.  I will miss posting about this Falls birding, but plan on writing notes in my little journal.  The birds are migrating and I must go! lol 

Watch

I spent most of today outside.  I was at the watch for many hours and also walked Monty.  The hawks have been trickling in.  I had only 19 birds on Wednesday, there were 0 for yesterday as the leader left after 1.5 hours.  Today there was a total of 72, with zero cloud cover that wasn't a horrible count.  After I left the watch I went down the street and watched a family of Red-tails for a while.  One of the young was up on the wires screeching for a hand out from his parents, he soon noticed one of them in the field eating something and promptly flew down, hit the bigger birds who flew off and began to eat.  Tonight I headed back out to watch the sunset.  Later on I plan on getting out to look for the Northern Lights.  I'm enjoying a few days off from cooking as hubby is away.  It frees me up to spend a lot of time out in nature. 

Sunset

Watched a herd of dear sparing and eating under the sunset.  What a way to end a wonderful day.

Backyard birding

9:45am~10:15am  64 degrees Cloudy NE winds 10mph  Full Moon.

Today I sat out by the pond for a half hour and watched the birds and animals. 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chickadee, WB Nuthatch, Tufted Tit-mouse,  Raven, Blue Jay, Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, RT Hummingbird, Goldfinch, Mourning Dove,  Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk, Bull Frog, Green Frog, Water Glider, Pond Snail. 

It was a little difficult to keep my concentration on the sounds of nature vs. the traffic that flows past our home.  Every so often there were no cars and it was blissful.

Monty and I went for a nice long walk out at Liberty Loop.  There wasn't too much bird life left as the ponds are mostly dried up now.  Some egrets and GB Herons.  Lots of interesting insect life.  I found one Monarch Caterpillar. 

Birds are migrating

Lots of great bird activity out on my walk today.  Forest was full of warblers, fly catchers,  thrush, oven birds.  Broad-winged flight has begun.  Really looking forward to the next week or so.

Need to write about something that happened to me yesterday.  I feel as though I looked right into someone who I love very much, soul yesterday.  Looking into their eyes so deeply that I felt their pain and love.  Incredible moment that I now feel I totally understand that person and our relationship.  It had me crying today for all the wasted past thoughts and feelings.  I now know better and will do better. 

 

Final 100 Day challenge photo.  Love my dog so much.