A New Season

Spring has sprung, a new season has begun. We started the season with what was supposed to be a big storm. It brought wind and rain, and was cold for southern California. I would say it was short lived unless we are in for more of the storm. The sun is out at this time.

I was enjoying the sweet sounds of a favorite bird in our yard this morning. The cheery little house finch was singing his favorite tune to rid our day of any gloom. This little bird is partly colored in red, especially the male bird. In the bird kingdom the males are the most colorful. This time of year there are several birds sporting yellow. One of them is the yellow rumped warbler.

For a number of years we had a yellow rumped warbler that visited us each time it passed through our neighborhood. It would tap on our kitchen window. We couldn't figure out if it saw its own reflection or if there was something else that he saw and wanted. This was an annual event which greatly entertained us. I don't know how long these birds live and if this was really the same one each year. This ritual has ceased for now. We also have different windows now.

Mockingbirds are quite entertaining too. If you hear a bird singing at all hours of the day and night it could be a mockingbird. They have a variety of songs. They are called mockingbirds because they do mock sounds they hear. They are sassy little guys too.

If you have ever been attacked by a bird it could be a blackbird protecting its nest. They are very protective of their nests. Mockingbirds could also do the same.

Crows are in abundance now days. They can be mean to the other birds. They kill the young of other birds. I don't mind hearing the caw caw caw of crows, but I don't like them bothering the smaller birds. We also see ravens sometimes. They are similar to crows and hard to tell apart if you aren't into birding. Ravens are larger than crows and there are other small differences. Crows are in larger groups.

To learn more about any birds mentioned here you can look them up on Google or purchase a good bird book. San Diego is a good place to be to enjoy many varieties of birds.

Spring started on March 20th, but the first full day of spring is on the 21st. That bit of information was in the news. In the spring we have warmer days to look forward to as well as many lovely flowers in bloom. Laura has many flowers in her garden in our front yard. There aren't really any for picking for bouquets, but we can enjoy the color as we walk towards the house. There are succulents and bulbs as well as lavender and many others. I guess green is the dominant color though.

I love pretty blue skies with fluffy clouds for the background on my pictures. Many people like just the pretty blue sky, but I think it is prettier with big fluffy clouds right after a storm. Looking east and seeing snow covered mountains in the winter is a treat too. It was supposed to snow in our mountains during our recent storm. I don't know if it did or not. We got to see snow when we went to the mountains with Bill when he was here.

Where else can you go to the mountains and desert as well as the beach all in one day? San Diego is the place to be.

image credits: wjklos; Noël Zia Lee; pheαnix

A Pigeon Story

Over the years we have had a number of pigeons. Some were young ones Paul brought home from North Island where he worked. When a young one would fall out of the nest Paul is the one people would turn to to care for the bird. Just because Paul was a birder it was assumed he was an expert with birds. Though not a pro at caring for them he has a big heart and could not say no to helping with the young pigeons.

We found a pretty white pigeon on a busy highway, near the freeway, one time. We rescued it as it was in trouble. We brought it home and cared for it. We had it for some time.

We ended up with a cage full of pigeons for a period of time. Paul built one cage we used for a number of years. Later on a neighbor gave us a larger cage that we put to good use. Eventually all the pigeons flew the coup one way or other. We had pigeons in our yard for quite a while.

Since we had the cage of pigeons we also attracted other birds. We were able to catch a cockatiel that must have been someones pet at one time. Birdie flew into the pigeon coup for food and water which enabled us to catch him. We had him for a number of years in his own cage in the house. Paul named him Cockatiel Dundee. Cockatiels originate from Australia and Paul thought of Crocodile Dundee, thus Cockatiel Dundee. Our Birdie, as I called him, did not let us handle him as he was not used to handling. He got used to us being near him and liked attention. He could hear our car in the driveway and knew when someone was coming home. He would get all excited.

Cockatiel Dundee lived a good life for a bird that could have been a good catch for a cat. Other birds  have not been so lucky. We have tried rescuing others with no success. At this time we do our best to keep our cats inside. We do not want our cats to catch birds. We had one cat a number of years ago that caught two birds at once. And that is the truth.

Later on when our pigeon cage was empty we got a young pigeon from one of our neighbor children. J.J. is the child who found the pigeon and gave it to us. I named our new birdie J.J. after our little friend. We kept J.J. in a cage in the house as the weather was too cold for him to be outside. Our birdie got used to being in the house near us. But when he got older and the weather was better we put him in the large cage outside. He thrived as expected.

Eventually the door to the cage fell off and it was time to let J.J. fly the coup. After all he was a pigeon that needed to spread his wings and fly. He stayed nearby and made friends with some other pigeons. He would walk into the house if the door was open. He was comfortable with us.

We would leave the door open for the dogs to go in and out. J.J. thought it was for him. One day when we got home from doing our errands we were greeted by J.J. and his girl friend up on our bookshelves. When J.J. left the house he left his girlfriend behind and she was not happy being with all those strange people. She was in a scary place without him. She eventually flew outside to join him. He continued to visit us for sometime. Eventually the pigeons discontinued visiting our yard. We still enjoy other birds in our yard.

We Say Goodbye To Our Son

Our son Bill had been visiting us since Christmas and the time came to say goodbye the other day. He put it off as long as he could. He has a house in Florida that he needs to get back to. Bill is retired from the Air Force and doesn't have another job at this time. That is why he was able to be here for so long. He is single so did not have someone anxiously awaiting his return home.

Bill had a period of time that he was not able to get back to see us in San Diego as he was busy with the Air Force and he needed to replace his car to make the long drive. He needs his car when he is here as we don't have one and he has a lot of places to go. Bill and his Dad are both birders so enjoy going to all the places that birds will be seen. Laura also enjoys looking at the birds and going on excursions with her brother. I enjoy the rides too.

While he was here we went to the desert and the mountains several times. Bill met a new friend while he was birding so they went a lot of places together. It is nice to have a friend with the same interests as you have. The last time we went to the Salton Sea Bill's friend Mark was with us. Actually Bill and Mark headed that way at least one more time to observe the birds.

We always enjoy our mountains when possible. We drove through the Lagunas more than once this year. Bill also went to Palomar Mountain more than one time. I was with him on one of the trips. It had snowed so it was pretty, white and cold. I have to admit that I mostly go for the ride and don't get out in the elements when it is cold.

We went to Borrego Springs and nearby Anza Borrego Desert State Park on one of our rides. Actually Bill did that more than once this year. I won't try to mention all of our excursions as we did a lot while he was here. We enjoyed our coast on a number of occasions as would be expected. We always enjoy a walk along the cove in La Jolla when we get a chance. Sunset cliffs are pretty too and a good place to see some birds. The Point Loma area is also good. We also got to the Del Mar area, and other places in the north county. We found some new parks and nice areas for birding in several San Diego neighborhoods.

Of course my favorite place is Coronado. That is our hometown even if we don't live there anymore. That would be where Paul first started birding. His mother was always interested in the birds in the tree outside her kitchen window and in her backyard. I'm sure that helped gain Paul's interest in birds.

Bill became interested in birds when he was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in the Phoenix area. He wanted to figure out places to take us when we went to visit him. That started him finding birding spots to show us. Paul had liked birding in Arizona ever since we first went there in the late 70s, way before Bill was there.

Another favorite place we were able to get to while Bill was here is Griff's place in Valley Center. He has ten acres that we enjoy exploring. We visited Griff twice while Bill was here this time. We have managed to get to Griff's more times in the past year as we have had other rides there. We had two different family gatherings there last summer. Once with our daughter Kathy, son-in-law John, my sister Donna and brother-in-law Fred. Another time with Becky and Jay when they were here on their honeymoon. Earlier in 2010 Bill had been here on two different trips. We visited Valley Center then too. Griff was with us on Christmas and another time while Bill was here.

My cousin Dagna and her husband Joe also visited us once since Christmas. Donna and Fred were also with us that same day. Dagna and Joe try to get here soon after Christmas each year. They live in Oceanside. We went to their house last year when Bill was with us.

I guess I can say that we have had a lot of things going on in recent months. We are blessed to have family that can come to see us. We still need to get out of San Diego more often to go see loved ones. Laura, Bill and I went to Colorado last year to see our family there. I want to get back there to see our new great grandson and the rest of the family. I want to go to Pacific Grove to visit Paul's brother and sister-in-law. We have not been there in a few years. It is always good to get out of our comfort zone to go see family. They are dear to us.

I pray that Bill gets home safely. He plans to enjoy the birds along the way instead of his usual quick trip across the country. He may get back here before too long. He is hoping to do so, but did not promise for sure. It is a long way and takes a lot of gas. I think he enjoyed his time in San Diego and didn't seem to want to leave. Hopefully he will move to our part of the country eventually. He has had thoughts of doing so.

You Never Know What A Day May Bring

 You have probably heard that we do not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow. Looking this up on Google I find song lyrics but not the scripture I had hoped to find. At least I'm learning to use Google, but I prefer to have Laura to help me.

Yesterday I had my plans all made to go to Ladies Bible Study in Coronado. I had things in order to take what I needed for the lunch we were having after Bible Study this morning. We had been to Griff's on Tuesday and had picked avocados for me to share with the ladies. Yesterday it was apparent that the avocados were not going to be ripe so I bought some for our Mexican themed lunch. They are just right to use.

This morning I was up early to get ready to go on the bus to Coronado. Laura was going to the library in Coronado so was going on the bus with me. We were doing great until we got to Imperial Beach where we change buses to go down the Silver Strand to Coronado. It turned out that no traffic was allowed on the Strand as there had been a major accident. This meant that the bus would not be going to Coronado. So I would not be able to follow through with my plans for the day.

I made a phone call to the church from a nearby pay phone to let the ladies know that I would not be there. We were not only having the luncheon after Bible study, we were also putting "Welcome baskets" together to share with new neighbors or others we want to invite to church. Thankfully I had already taken my items for the baskets to church on Sunday. They would do fine without me as they have done much of the past year. I used to lead the group, but Jane does a great job as Bible study leader and others lead the activities quite nicely.

Yesterday I had called Jimmie Sue to let her know I would be there and to see if they needed anything else for the activities planned. Thankfully I did not need to promise to bring any extras. I could not have kept my promise.

Since we couldn't get to Coronado Laura and I decided to get on the bus and head to the Imperial Beach Pier. This was a good decision as it was a beautiful day in our part of the country. I didn't need my jacket on as we walked on the pier. The water and the sky were so blue you could hardly tell where one began and the other ended. We enjoyed seeing all the fishermen on the pier as well as the birds overhead. Someone had caught a starfish which I think should have been put back in the sea. Earlier this week Laura, Bill and Paul had seen more birds as well as porpoise in that area. It is always fun to see the porpoise and seals when they swim nearby. They are a rare treat to observe.

More than a year ago (maybe two years) Laura and I rescued a drowning pigeon at the beach. We were standing on the pier observing the sea birds when we realized that one of the birds shouldn't be in the water. It was a pigeon that had ended up in the waves and was struggling to survive. The waves were taking it closer to shore so we were happy about that. Then when it finally hit the beach another bird started to pick on it. Laura and I headed towards the beach and the pigeon to see what we could do. We decided to take it home with us as it was too weak to survive otherwise. I put it in an extra bag that I had available and we got on the bus with it and headed home.

Laura named the pigeon Pierre. We had a small cage for him which was o.k. for a short time. After a week, when he was strong enough to fly, Griff drove Pierre and me to the pier area where we let him go near the other pigeons. The last we saw he was with the many pigeons in the park next to the pier. He was one of the prettier pigeons and I think of him when I'm in that area and see one with his type of markings.

We never know what a day may bring. What does God have in store for us when we begin the day? We did not know that we would not get to Coronado today. We had a different adventure instead. We did not know we would be rescuing a bird that day so many months ago. Each day has something to behold. One thing we need to realize is that God holds the future and we need to be ready to meet Him at a moment's notice.

The people in the car accident on the Strand in Coronado did not know that this would be such a horrific day. One was innocently minding his own business and was car jacked and taken on a frightening ride. Then there was the crash and both people in that vehicle were killed and others were injured. I don't really have all the details, but we do know that this was the day these two people needed to be ready to meet their Maker. We don't have any promises about what tomorrow will bring. We may just be the one that couldn't get to our job on time, or to an appointment. But we could be the one heading for our final breath here on earth.

One gentleman I talked to was going to his first day on a new job. Many others were about their daily business. They did not get to their destinations on time, or at all. But that is not as serious as being in a deadly car crash.
                                
                                        
                                         "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow"


                                        There are things about tomorrow
                                        That I don't seem to understand,
                                        But I know Who holds tomorrow
                                        And I know Who holds my hand.



Song by Ira Stanphil

We Begin the New Year -2011

Happy New Year!! Yesterday, on the first, we were up very early so we could be on our way at five a.m. Actually it was ten minutes after five when we finally left our Court as I had to go back to find my hat. Then I still wondered whether or not we did everything that needs to be done when we are going to be gone for the day. All safety measures taken, all cats cared for, all our things we need with us? This was just for a one day trip. Can you imagine what it is like for a real trip? Actually someone has to stay home when it is for a long trip as we have too many pets to care for.

The sun was rising as we headed east on Interstate 8 over the mountains. We saw a beautiful sunrise as we reached the desert. It was a jacket kind of day for Laura and me. The guys don't seem to get cold very easy so were comfortable with shirt sleeves. Their minds were on birding in the Salton Sea area. We didn't do our usual walk at the waters edge as they were after a certain bird for the day. They finally found the Bean Goose towards the end of the day. This is a goose from Europe so it would have been way off course.

Between Paul and Bill they found over eighty kinds of birds for the day. Paul had 77, possibly more. Laura also did some birding with them. But I mostly enjoyed reading and seeing the scenery for the day. We went on a lot of country roads as we have many times in the past. That is what birders do when they have certain birds in mind. It is called chasing a bird when they are looking for a certain bird. You could hear hunters in certain spots too. But we hunt with binoculars or scopes. If we had the right camera we could get some shots that way, but not with a gun. We have family members that are hunters so I will not be negative about hunters. It is just not our idea of fun.

Paul, Laura, Bill and another birder saw a Bald Eagle kill a Snow Goose. They were watching Snow Geese by the thousands, lots of White Pelicans and numerous other birds when this happened. That is when they were looking for the Bean Goose. It was quite a while later that they found the only Bean Goose to be found. Other birders were looking for him too, including one gentleman from Canada.

In our travels of the day we found ourselves on highway 111 at 1:11 pm on 1-1-11. I'm not big into numbers but this is a fun fact. Some people planned their weddings for this date. And some babies were born on this easy to remember day. The first baby of the year was featured in the local news. He was born ten seconds after midnight. They were aiming for a tax deduction by having the baby in the old year, but babies have their own schedule. We have our own little December baby since we have our first great grandson, born on the 13th.

On the way home yesterday we enjoyed a sunset as we headed west on the Interstate. It was dark when we left home in the morning and it was dark when we arrived home last night around seven pm. It was an enjoyable day with family, a nice way to begin the new year.


This morning in church we enjoyed the singing and the sermon. The message by Pastor Carey was a blessing to me. A good way to begin the year. We learned about God's holiness, our sin, God's grace and our faith. God is Holy. We are sinful, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.  God's grace is what he has done for us, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 Our faith is what we must do in response to what God has done for us. We must receive this gift by faith. We need Christ as our Saviour. We don't want to be caught dead without a Saviour. This is so simple, but we want to complicate it and make our own set of rules. Why don't we just believe what is truth? It will save us. Our works don't save us. Only God can save us from our sins. He loves us!!  :)

Image credits: colin brown; Maggiejumps; Maggiejumps; Billy Lindblom

New Years Blessings- 2011

It is New Years Eve, Friday, December 31, 2010. I was thinking about things people do to begin the New Year.  The other day when we were walking at LaJolla Cove we saw some swimmers going into the cold Pacific Ocean. It was nine in the morning and I was wearing a jacket. But those faithful swimmers were doing their morning ritual no matter the weather. I can picture them jumping into the icy waters on the first day of the year. We see pictures of people in the news doing their Polar plunge each year. I'll stay in my warm jacket and watch the brave souls. Makes me shiver thinking about them.

Laura and I read the book, "Swimming to Antarctica," by Lynne Cox. She is a long distance swimmer and likes the challenge of very cold water. It was an enjoyable book, but I'll leave the endurance records to her and just read about it. I admire people who get out there and challenge themselves like that.

Bruce, Charlie, Swede, Clarence

Paul's brother loves to go cycling every day. Charlie and some of his friends who are all in their 70s, except one may be in his 60s, enjoy an annual cycling trip together. They have done the Rockies in Canada and points south. This year they were in the North Cascades. Each year they will be a little more south during their excursion. They impress me each year as they continue this tradition of pedaling up hill and down for great distances and enjoying the scenery. These fine gentlemen are all graduates of Coronado High School.

Some people begin the year on a birding expedition. That is bird watching to most people. Paul and our son Bill enjoy starting the year this way. The idea is to see how many varieties of birds you can get in a day, or a month, or the year. Paul has a thing about lists so he has lists for each excursion, each month and each year. Plus whatever other list he comes up with. Then some people just enjoy the birds and don't bother with lists. There are people who do an official bird count this time of the year too. Paul used to go on bird walks with the Audubon Society and really enjoyed this activity. When you are with other birders you can find more birds as others may see or hear one that you would not have otherwise. Paul enjoys going with our son as Bill has a good eye and ear for birds. Laura enjoys seeing the birds too.

I'm glad that Bill takes his dad birding as I get to go places and see things I wouldn't get to do otherwise. We get to go to the mountains, the desert and many of the nice coastal areas in San Diego. When we had a car we would be able to do some of these things all through the year. Now we depend on going with family or friends for these adventures. But there are local things to do on the bus. Sometimes we go to the I.B. pier or other nearby walking areas. We need to do this more often.

Some people ring in the New Year with parties or fireworks. Some stay home and watch the festivities on T.V. We are doing good to be awake at midnight. I hope all of my friends and family face the New Year with the Joy of the Lord and may you enjoy the Peace that only He can give. Maybe some are going to ring in the New Year by singing and praying with other believers at the church of their choice. Do remember to count your blessings. Hugs :)

Homegrown Poetry

In the last blog I was writing about going through our parents' belongings and deciding what to keep and what to throw away. Yesterday Laura was going through my old scrapbook that includes a lot of little treasures from when she was quite a bit younger. We enjoyed a few good laughs and were touched by some findings. I had forgotten much of what was inside the book. A favorite is some poetry that Paul wrote in the sixties. He always kept a journal but this poetry is rare. He was not impressed with himself for writing poetry, but I was impressed. I liked it so much that I copied some without his permission. He now knows that I did this so I'm sharing them with you.

   

                                                   White Crowned Sparrow

                                      White Crowned Sparrow with the yellow beak,

                                          What kind of wiggleworms do you seek?

                                                 I don't eat worms, I eat seeds,

                                            They are sufficient to fill my needs.

                                                 So what of the wiggleworms,

                                                    What happens to them?

                                                  They're eaten by a blackbird

                                                       Whose name is Clem.

                                                      Clem is a blackbird

                                                         So big and fat.

                                                        He's even chased

                                                          A skinny cat. 

  

                                                                         

                                  Clem, the Brewers Blackbird, was big and fat

                                     He even chased, as you know, a skinny cat.

                                   He chased him from room to room on the fly

                               Till the kitty's master came and baked him in a pie.

                                 The pie baked at one hundred degrees fahrenheit,

                                    Gave Clem a hotbeak so he took to flight,

                                          Singing, "I am not a dainty dish,

                                          When cats really should eat fish.

                                     I'll not be the one to make a skinny cat fat."

                                                    Black Brant Brando

                                Black Brant Brando with the waddly webbly feet

                            Wandered along the bayside in search of food to eat.

                     His waddling changed to runling  when a Plymouth Station Wagon

                        Chased him along the bankside until his tail was draggin'.

                                     He drug down into the salty watery bay

                                         Doing his very best to swim away,

                                     When in the middle of the bay he saw

                                  That the Plymouth didn't want him after all.

                                      Much relieved, he went about his hunt

                              Trying to avoid becoming just a duck sized runt.

                                 For wasn't he already the smallest of the gooses?

                              Yet his ambition was to be bigger than the mooses                                                                            

                                                        

If you heard me laughing as I typed this I wouldn't be surprised. Paul has a sense of humor that I haven't always appreciated, but I loved these when he wrote them and I still do even after all these years. He was a fledgling birder in the mid sixties when he wrote these. He didn't even use the term "birder" in those days. He said "bird watcher" as most people would.

As I continue to go through my treasures I'm sure I'll find more to share. We found some of my water color paintings last week that makes me want to buy some new paints and brushes.

Poems by Paul W. Marvin,Jr.

Image credits: jessicafm; SamJuk; gdahlman