In the Service of Her Majesty The Queen

I spent most of the day at a coworker's house where we
worked some more on the project. She cooked lunch, and
it was better than eating at a restaurant. She's an excellent
cook.

We sat outside under her patio funiture umbrella a lot of
the time, because the day was so nice after the rainy
overcast days we've had.

And it was a nice day...warm and sunny, a light breeze
keeping it from feeling too hot.

I talked with the neighborhood woman from the corner
house down the street, the one who knows everything
there is to know in this neighborhood. She told me that
a family of large hawks lives in the live oaks that borders
my property. They migrate during the winter and come
back around this time of year.

So now I know why the songbirds were so agitated the
other day. And that the large bird that was being dive
bombed by the crow the day before was indeed a hawk.

I suppose it is silly, but I am excited that the hawks live
in my trees. I think I am going to have to get binoculars,
after all. I really want to see their nest.

So a good day today.

I hope your's was, too.

And now, to all those that will go to sleep on this side of the world,


The Nightly Mission:

There is joy to be found
in the small things.

All by themselves they might
not seem like much.

One by one they add up
and make a life.

Look for them as you go
through out the day.

Take them with you into
your dreams at night.

And wake up in the morning!

G'Night.

 

I look for the hawks this morning and do not find them.
I think they have settled in the live oaks by the overflow
reservoir between this neighborhood and the highway.
I hope not...those trees will be cut down soon to make
way for new business development. If they do settle
there, I'd have to sit on the back porch to see them,
and I won't do that. Too many hornets.

With the current economy, new development might
not occur soon...hopefully. But this little town is rapidly
growing, despite the economy, so who knows. There
is a brand new huge store in the area, a local chain that sells
everything imaginable for the home, both to contractors
and private individuals, that was built during the last few
months and just opened last week. New houses are going
up all over, and new businesses as well. Soon it will not
be necessary to go to the nearest large town to get good
prices.

I see one of the large redheaded woodpeckers peck away
at one of the live oak's dead branches. Not too long ago,
I saw a much smaller woodpecker, a replica of the bigger
one, but I haven't seen it since.

The red cardinal, the male, takes a bath in the birthbath,
then flies to sit for awhile in the straggly bush at the
neighbor woman's yard. I was told that the bluejays
will drive off the cardinals...perhaps that's why they
haven't been around much lately.

The day is clear and bright again, no rain clouds. It is
fairish cool (ha...great grammar) outside. It looks to
be a good day.

And I hope it is, for me and for you, too!

 

This could very well be my last post for awhile....

J and I are taking N and his friends roller skating. She got great prices through her job as part of their "family days".

I DO NOT rollerskate. I tried when I was a small child and never liked it.

Now... let's just say I'm more than a little worried. I severely injured my right knee years ago and the thought of tearing those ligaments again in any sort of fall, weighs heavily on me. I'd rather not be laid up for 6 weeks healing again. Once was quite enough.

I'll still go out there and give it the 'ol college try". If anything it should be quite comical.
Oh well, there's plenty of little kids around to break my fall. :evilgrin:

 

Well then, there will be 2 of us. I did something to my knee today, don't know what, and am not walking very well. Ibuprofen, ice packs and an ace bandage will hopefully do something.

I hope you enjoy rollerskating more than when you were little.

 

Stay on the wall. Don't fall on your hands or knees. Fall on your ass, DON'T use your hands. Tuck your chin down, arch your back. DON'T use your hands. Practice falling backwards on to your butt at home.

Of course, wear head, knee, elbow and palm protection. And DON'T use your hands.

 

MADE IT!!! LOVED IT!!!

Safe and "reasonably" sound.

3 spills in my first go around. The last one was the rough one. Only a slightly bruised part on my left hand, the fleshy part below the thumb. The back'll be sore tomorrow, but what the hell. Managed to fall on my left side, not by choice BTW, thereby sparing the right knee from any risk.

I was nowhere near good when I left, but my skills kept improving each time I went around. I even managed to pick up some speed and not fall. I think if I had another hour or so, I could have really settled into it. Repetition is the key.

J and N's 2 friends had a blast. N, not so much. He really didn't take to it and was unwilling to listen to any advice from J or his friends. He still kept at it, for awhile, at least.

N's friends, A who's 9 and R who's 6 (they're brothers) took to it like ducks to water. We actually had to keep R away from the inside track, where the fast skaters where. That kid is FEARLESS. Nothing stops him. I almost believe that pain makes him laugh. He shrugs off everything. He's quite the amazing little man.

J and I shared a bit of a laugh with N's friends when we suggested that we have N's birthday party at the roller rink. The look on N's face was priceless. Something between utter shock and sheer terror. Quickly turning to laughter, thankfully

All in all, a very good day.

 

To all who are probably already asleep on this side of the world, and those who may go there soon,

A very brief and hasty

The Nightly Mission

Sleep hard and well
Wake rested

But do wake up!

G'Night!

 

Night, Scry! Some patrols go to 3am. So some are still awake.

 

It's overcast, again. I think another cold front is moving through.

I saw a very large bird fly overhead. It wasn't a buzzard, but I
am not sure that it was the hawk, either. It was all 1 color from
the underneath. Black.

I also saw 2 large white birds fly north. Probably some type of egret.
They were big, though.

A day of big birds. Shades of Sesame Street. Heh.

My leg is somewhat better, but I am still peglegging it around.
I can't put one leg over the other, either...didn't realize how often
I do that, until I can't and keep wanting to. I am still doing the ice
pack, wrap and ibuprofen.

I can't drive, either, so I am housebound. VERY irritating. I have
a friend who said she'd bring me whatever I need, and I am dying
for iced tea, but I won't ask her to drive all the way here just for
that.

Other than that, nothing much is happening here.

I hope you are having a good day.

Mine is passable. I like that word.

 

Poster this in an edit earlier, but woke up with no aches/pains/strains. Very happy about that.

Those above mentioned items would have made it a little hard to do laundry and cook dinner tonite.

Scry, with your knee, how well can you walk on it? It it very or even massively swollen? Any discoloration or bruising? I'm just concerned that you may have torn a ligament. Did you fall or twist you knee?

 

I still haven't found the hawk's nest. If it is built, yet.

The next door neighbor woman went to the store and got me some iced tea.
I used to drink it plain...no sugar, no lemon, just tea. But in this instance,
the south converted me. I drink it southern style, very sweet.

It was nice of her to offer. She told me about everything that has been going
on lately, and is having a hard time. I reminded her that she could always talk
to me, if she wanted. I have good ears.

I saw a hummingbird today. Looking for flowers. There are none. I hope some
of the neighborhood residents have hummingbird feeders. I don't and am not
going to be able to get one...

Now there are scattered clouds, like sheep, all across the sky. We are supposed
to get another thunderstorm, but it doesn't look like it, to me.

I do not like hobbling around.

The day is ending fast. Night is coming.

I hope you had a good day, and have a good night, too.

 

To all who go to sleep tonight on this side of the world,

An ungodly early Nightly Mission:

Rest your head in the arms
of slumber, and your heart.

May nothing give you harm,
wake you up with a start.

When you get up the next day,
and feel the tap tap tapping
begin, tell it 'Go away.'

Wake up in the morning!

G'Night.

 

Grey and overcast yet again.
Sporadic light rain...just enough to keep the pavement damp
and meld all the rain spots.

The birds fly about, so it is likely this will keep up all day.

Down from the trees, the squirrels are industriously digging.

A couple of butterflies flutter by.

No sign of the hawks.

My leg is better, I think. Still wrapped and ice packed.

I hope you have a good day and find joy in your life.

 

Two squirrels, young ones, are the last to chase up the live oaks to their nests.

I would not like to be a squirrel. They constantly have to stop what they are doing,
sit up, and look nervously around. I can't imagine being that paranoid. And living
with it from moment to moment, all day long. Everybody's prey, I guess.

The birds are mostly settled down, except for some last minute exchanges of
perching sites, generally accompanied by much squabbling and fluttering of wings.

My friend has a parrot. Smallish, not one of the big ones. Still lives to 70 or 80 years old.
I don't believe in caging birds, but I don't say anything, as my opinion will have no bearing on what she believes about her bird. But we were talking about the hawks here and how agitated the birds were the other day. She told me that a hawk often sits on top of one
of the telephone poles by her house, and that her bird knows it, somehow. It can't see
outside. But it, too, will get agitated. Strange. Birds must hear exceptionally well. So
that adds to my belief that my windchimes keep the buzzards at bay.

The layer of clouds overhead has broken up into scattered little ones, and the rain has
stopped. It is getting cold, but I doubt if it will be as cold as it was last month. The
cold front was late getting here, I think. There will be no thunderstorms tonight.

I almost forget about my leg, until the muscle reminds me when I put my weight on it.
I put the wrap back on, but leave the ice off. I'm tired of having one cold leg, even if
it did make it feel better.

I meet the vampire again in 2nd Life, ask him about the war I think I saw. It wasn't a
war. He was destroying a computer-generated avatar, not one that was um inhabited
by a human. As he put it, '2nd Life is for humans, not machines.' A vampire with
ethics. It would seem a contradiction, but I already knew he had a strong set of values.
I asked him how he destroyed it and he said he had a powerful gun...so that was what the fire bombs I saw were.

The moon waxes and will soon be full.

I hope you had a good day! I hope you have a better night!

 

The moon is gorgeous tonight.

Out in the middle of the cul-d-sac, in the middle
of the night, the women in the immediate
neighborhood hold a conclave. We discuss all
the problems that have arisen in the last week.
Not gossiping, but offering support, as only
women do.

I walk further and longer than I have in days
and probably shouldn't have. The wraps are
back on, and likely more ice.

But it was more real life social interaction than
I have had since I hurt my leg...

My smoking is going up the scale, rather than
the reverse...one neighbor brings me lights,
not ultra lights last night, tonight the other
neighbor brings me regulars. My lungs no
doubt love that.

All in all, a good night.

I hope your's was, too.


To all who will sleep on this side of the world,

The Nightly Mission:

Let it go, let it leave your mind
before you lay your head down.

Clear the balance beam where
pain gains strength, lives and grows.

Sleep and heal what needs to be
there for you to be who you truly are.

And wake up in the morning and smile.

G'Night!