My Dad

Yesterday was four years since the passing of my Dad. I still miss him more then I can express. Although I don't cry much over him anymore, I still have a deep ache that I guess never goes away. You never *get over* the loss, but you do learn to live with it. My sons also miss him, life is just not the same with out his funny wit. Because he died so suddenly, we had no warning and no goodbyes, I think that complicated the grieving process for me. I can finally talk and laugh about him. I am most grateful to him for giving me my love of nature. He was also one of those people with the Natural Intelligence, as is his one grandson Derek. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences I feel we are truly born different then the rest of the population. One of my friends actually wrote a college paper about me on this very subject. From as far back as I can remember, he fed the birds in our suburban LI backyard. We also spent much of our family time on the beach. We were lucky to have a boat, and access to a private beach on LI, Gilgo Beach. Back in the day, few people had boats and fewer frequented a boat access only beach. I spent a glorious childhood snorkeling, swimming and seeing lots of shore birds. My dad was at his best while out on the water. My fondest childhood memories were alway out on Great South Bay. He was always happy and beaming while at the helm of his boat. My dad collected decoys, and I now have his collection. Mom kept their shorebird collection. Our Summer vacations were spent at Mr. Whites Cottages on Peconic Bay out on the North Fork of LI. We stayed in a tiny cottage right on an inlet. Weeks full of stars, seafood, fishing, snorkeling, and lots of nature. A paradise for me. Over the years of my childhood, my dad was also one to bring me home every turtle he found crossing the road. We now know better then to do this, because a turtle crossing a road is either heading to lay eggs or coming back from laying eggs. Having those close up personal times with many species of turtles gave me my other love, and I still keep a turtle to this day. He brought home, snappers, diamond back tarpins, box turtles, wood turtles and painted turtles. I was only allowed to keep them a few days and then he would release them in a nice natural area. We now know that turtles have home areas, so this is never a good idea either. I know better and have done better, my turtle is captive born and bred and replaces the same species, Asian Yellow Pond turtle that I shared from the age of eight until I was thirty four with. It took me ten years after losing Pee-Wee to locate a breeder in Florida and have at the time four month old PJ join our family. He now lives in a fifty gallon pond in our family room.

Ice storms again today, feeders are just loaded with birds. First thing I did this am was to get new food out tho the birds. Getting wet during the Winter is very hard and dangerous to them, they need lots of fuel to stay warm.