Gobsmacked right back
Wednesday July 01st 2009, 4:58 pm
Filed under: Friends,Wildlife

imgp7937A side note–welcome home, Don! And a huge thank you to Robin, an old friend who surprised me today when my mail came with a box from my Bethesda hometown: with lanolin-based soap and four handknit dishcloths.  Wow.  Cool.  My kitchen just got greener–no more paper towels wiping the counters off.  Thank you, Robin!imgp7941

I stepped outside this morning to water my tomato plants and, coming back across the porch, suddenly caught movement next to me. I peered carefully around the birdfeeder just as the chickadee peered around from the other side to make sure the coast was clear–and there we were, eye to eye, standing still, about a foot away from each other.  Wow.  And then it zipped away.

As Michelle put it, “Now you have pets! And you don’t even have to clean up after them!”

Meantime, after dinner last night, I drove back down to San Jose and met up with the garage band; there was a goodly crowd and introductions were made all around and names put to emails.  I gave Eric first choice of Margo Lynn’s fingerless gloves, and he allowed as how they would be just the thing, that his hands do indeed get cold during some of his wildlife photo shoots. Noro for him, Margo Lynn, and in the pair he picked out for Craig, who wasn’t there but usually is–I didn’t know if I’d be able to get back down there, and Eric offered to pass them along for me. He told me to mail Glenn’s to Santa Cruz, that Glenn was caring for the lone survivor of the San Francisco nest and it had a broken clavicle.  It seemed to be healing nicely, but it did tend to tie Glenn down there.

Eric showed me one of his photos of two falcons midair, one with prey, the other facing the camera and squawking. I looked at it and laughed, “Aak! Don’t look at me! I’m having a bad feather day!”

A few minutes later (maybe I missed hearing something the first time? Certainly not a rare thing to have happen) Eric showed me another large picture.  There’s a more cropped version of it here. He said the hummingbird was actually defending its nest Clara had gotten a bit too close to.

I loved both Clara’s calmness and the spunk of the little thing, not to mention the photography. Then when I tried to give the picture back, Eric said, “No–this one’s for you.”

My jaw hit the ground.  Gobsmacked.  It was signed and dated, too, on the front, with a description on the back of just which falcon where when–it’s a collector’s item. As a matter of fact, there was a fundraising auction that had just ended that had included a copy of that photo, which with all my recent medical bills I couldn’t afford to consider but had quietly wanted to.

And here this was in my hands.  As a gift.  Wow.  I must say I instantly pictured the biblical King Soloman ripping the photo in half and mailing half to Margo Lynn to be perfectly fair–she’d knitted his gloves, not me.

Saying that I knit those five lace scarves sounds like a rationalization, but I’m really going to enjoy that photo. (Margo Lynn, forgive me?)


10 Comments so far
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Totally forgiven, Alison!

After all, if it had not been for your idea, and wishing to have something more appropriate for Eric and Craig and Glenn, I would not have been insprired to knit the mitts. So enjoy!

And I figured it was just me knitting in your stead, and repaying the deep red scarf you sent to me as a surprise some years ago. It all goes around and comes back again – just like a fledgling, eh?

Comment by Margo Lynn 07.01.09 @ 7:16 pm

What a cool photo! A collectors item to be sure.

Comment by Michelle 07.01.09 @ 8:13 pm

Alison, it’s a wonder that you haven’t landed somewhere in the San Jose Merc, what with your visits, gifts, and the like. Enjoy!

Other fun:

EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 40

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day you ‘ ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks. Then try 50-lb potato sacks, and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand, and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I’m at this level.) After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each sack.

Comment by Don Meyer 07.01.09 @ 8:55 pm

Oh… I love the picture. Clara looks huge next to the hummingbird. What a sight! The dishcloths are very lovely. You attract nice and thoughtful people.

Comment by Henya 07.01.09 @ 10:22 pm

Henya’s said it already. I don’t want to rain on your happy gobsmacked parade but Michelle, with “pets” there will always be SOME cleaning up after. I wouldn’t get rid of all the paper towels just yet ; )

Comment by LynnM 07.01.09 @ 10:37 pm

Ahhh, Alison, sometimes you have to recognize the gifts that come back to you. As sweet as Margo Lynn’s gift was, this was something meant just for you. Margo Lynn’s is coming, I have faith 🙂

Comment by Cathy (catsandyarn on ravelry) 07.01.09 @ 10:49 pm

Great posts! So many good things happening. I’m so happy for you that you were the recipient of that photo. It’s beautiful!

Comment by Joansie 07.02.09 @ 4:59 am

I’m simply delighted for you. Good things for good people.

Comment by Channon 07.02.09 @ 6:28 am

Smiles all around for warm hands, beauty captured in photo, knitting serenity, & uplifted hearts. 🙂

Comment by TripletMom 07.02.09 @ 10:02 am

Oohhh I LOVE that photograph!
I remember a hummingbird hovering just beneath the bill on my dad’s farmer hat, almost beak to nose.
They are brave wee things!

Comment by Diana Troldahl 07.02.09 @ 2:22 pm



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