City Hall, round two
Wednesday June 17th 2009, 10:35 pm
Filed under: Life,Wildlife

So tonight I improvised with the garage band.  Besides, all great ideas in Silicon Valley are supposed to start at garages anyway.  I drove to downtown San Jose again, this time having been coached in the use of Richard’s camera, which is much better than mine, and joined the Fourth Street Garage fledgewatchers in the open air of the top floor.  Introductions all around.  “Oh, *you’re* the one who wrote the lyrics!”  And I was going, so you must be the Eric of the photos, and you must be, and…

The peregrines flew right overhead several times, and with Eric’s help I got to see pictures of some things I’d just missed by being a few minutes too late. I can’t wait to see them posted online.

But could I take my own?  I did remember to take the lens cap off–yeah, after about two minutes (smacking forehead).  But even so, I just wasn’t fledging with that camera yet; I told Eric my husband was going to have to come take his own.  I’d quickly realized I could look down at the thing and inwardly fuss at my own incompetence, or up, to see the peregrines in their last little bit before they settled down for the night. I chose the peregrines. Sometimes life demands that you simply pay attention, now.

There were two on the louver, then a third landing with not quite the grace of its parents, but definitely getting there.  A fourth stood watch on the ledge above, and then a parent soared in but then hid halfway down on the far side of the building from the little squawkers. They’d eaten enough for one night.

Eric told me some of the history of the nestings at City Hall, pointed out where Kya had been rescued, described where Clara’s favorite tree was–and I was delighted, because when I’d been in the library last week, I’d seen what had to have been her going right through there to that tree, but whizzing by so fast she left my eyes almost in the dust.

The other reason I went tonight was to drop off some lace scarves as a thank you for some of the people who’ve done so much work to delight and teach and share with so many.

Listening to Eric and laughing over the teenage antics of the young’uns, I was thinking, you know, I do need to branch out on this lace scarf thing for my little carry-around projects in my purse.  Gotta add something less gender specific.  The FO pile could use a fingerless glove project or two added in for cold hands holding heavy equipment outside on that top level, and it does get brisk.

He told me there was a music fair downtown last summer and that one of last year’s juveniles, at a time when its siblings had dispersed, hung around it squawking overhead loud enough to be heard over it all: hum a few bars and he’d happily sing it for you.

I can throw in some lyrics for the little tiercel.  But then, as Glenn the biologist can tell you, he’s already got his own bands.


8 Comments so far
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The birds have almost grown up. It is so much fun to be able to “see” them though your eyes.

Comment by Henya 06.18.09 @ 12:18 am

What fun! And yes, Richard can go take his own photos…

Comment by Channon 06.18.09 @ 5:49 am

When I was an undergraduate my senior project was to study the spectra of a handful of stars using a 14″ telescope. This required many late night freezing sessions hunched over a laptop while coercing the telescope to do my bidding. One night I spent 4 hours searching for stars but I couldn’t find a single one. I didn’t understand why there were no visible stars because it was a beautiful, crisp evening. It wasn’t until I was packing up to go home that I realized what I had done.

I left the lens cap on the ‘scope. I still haven’t lived that one down.

Comment by Michelle 06.18.09 @ 7:29 am

Sometimes life demands that you simply pay attention, now.

When I went to the Andes last fall, we got off the buses at one point and one of the ladies started madly taking photos. All of a sudden she stopped dead and announced: “I just realized that I am HERE and they are REAL and I should be looking with my eyes instead of through the viewfinder!” Same coup de foudre.

Comment by Margo Lynn 06.18.09 @ 7:55 am

Bird watching! Such fun. They ARE amazing creatures.

Humor:

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was “DON’T!”

“Don’t what?” Adam replied.

“Don’t eat the forbidden fruit.” God said.

“Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve…we have forbidden fruit!!”

“No way!”

“Yes way!”

“Do NOT eat the fruit!” said God.

“Why”

“Because I am your Father and I said so!” God replied, wondering why He hadn’t stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! “Didn’t I
tell you not to eat the fruit?” God asked.

“Uh huh,” Adam replied.

“Then why did you?” said the Father.

“I don’t know,” said Eve.

“She started it!” Adam said

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“DID NOT!”

Having had it with the two of them, God’s punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven’t taken it, don’t be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

Comment by Don Meyer 06.18.09 @ 8:20 am

How lovely to connect with the watchers :-}
And I have tears of happiness in my eyes at how different your yesterday was from a few months back.
Blessed Be.

Comment by Diana Troldahl 06.18.09 @ 9:59 am

*groans*

Comment by Lanafactrix 06.18.09 @ 1:51 pm

“I can throw in some lyrics for the little tiercel. But then, as Glenn the biologist can tell you, he’s already got his own bands.”

*groans*

Comment by Lanafactrix 06.18.09 @ 1:51 pm



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