I packed my laptop on Friday afternoon so I didn't get to tell you about the return of the pigeons.
I thought I'd seen the pigeons up on the roof of the house during the day but, as it is, one pigeon looks pretty much like another.
But 4 of us were out reading in the gazebo about 5 pm and., lo and behold, they came back to their spot on the banister of the gazebo! Bern tried giving them crackers and grapes and watermelon, which they equally ignored though they let her get right beside them to off them the food. After our dinner, their mom came to feed them on the gazebo roof. They followed her around and generally annoyed her until she finished her task and flew away.
Back to their 'home' on the banister they came and spent the night huddled together even through a monsoon type rain at about 5:30 that woke most of us up.
They were gone when we left at 8:30 or so to head out--Mimi and Tim to Williamsburg and the rest of us to our midway motel in Stofford/Aquita, Virginia.
I don't worry about them as much as yesterday and the day before, but I do wonder how many days they'll come back to the gazebo banister before they move on.
And I hope they stay together, whenever they find a new 'home'. I think of them as brother and sister since one is slightly smaller than the other. But who knows about the gender of pigeons....
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
The Birdies...
Yesterday, in the early afternoon, two fledgling pigeons landed on the deck railing of the little gazebo near the steps down to the sand, and didn't leave. From time to time, one or the other of them would flutter up to the roof the the structure and flap around confused. They must have come from a nest hidden up there and couldn't figure out how to get into it. We'd seen older pigeons fly up there and disappear.
So the two of then sat on the railing. They were so young that they had no fear of us and one walked right up to where Mimi was sitting and seemed to be trying to communicate something. All afternoon and into the evening, they stayed there, huddled together most of the time, waiting...for what I don't know.
Bern gave them a bowl of water and they seemed as content as pigeons get what with their head bowing and all. Siblings, I'm sure, and staying close together.
The reason you never see 'baby' pigeons is that they stay in the nest longer than most any other bird. These two obviously weren't used to being out too much and hung around until it was totally dark. I went to be about 11 and they were still there, wing to wing, cooing softly.
This morning they were gone--some instinct clicked in and they must have flown away together.
Just a few minutes ago, sitting on the deck, I looked up to the roof of the house and saw several pigeons sitting there, as they are wont to do. The two to the right, I was sure, were our two birds, smaller than the others and sitting nestled against each other.
I started to point them out to everyone but I had fretted about the two birds more than anyone and thought the other humans would think I was getting soft in the head if I kept catching glimpses of those two birds.
Tomorrow we leave and drive north. By this time (3:30 or so) we'll be well into Virginia and looking for the exit for out motel. Sunday, we'll be home. Those two pigeons, if God is kind, will still be here, growing up.
I'll think of them from time to time. But even I am not sentimental enough to imagine they might think of me....
So the two of then sat on the railing. They were so young that they had no fear of us and one walked right up to where Mimi was sitting and seemed to be trying to communicate something. All afternoon and into the evening, they stayed there, huddled together most of the time, waiting...for what I don't know.
Bern gave them a bowl of water and they seemed as content as pigeons get what with their head bowing and all. Siblings, I'm sure, and staying close together.
The reason you never see 'baby' pigeons is that they stay in the nest longer than most any other bird. These two obviously weren't used to being out too much and hung around until it was totally dark. I went to be about 11 and they were still there, wing to wing, cooing softly.
This morning they were gone--some instinct clicked in and they must have flown away together.
Just a few minutes ago, sitting on the deck, I looked up to the roof of the house and saw several pigeons sitting there, as they are wont to do. The two to the right, I was sure, were our two birds, smaller than the others and sitting nestled against each other.
I started to point them out to everyone but I had fretted about the two birds more than anyone and thought the other humans would think I was getting soft in the head if I kept catching glimpses of those two birds.
Tomorrow we leave and drive north. By this time (3:30 or so) we'll be well into Virginia and looking for the exit for out motel. Sunday, we'll be home. Those two pigeons, if God is kind, will still be here, growing up.
I'll think of them from time to time. But even I am not sentimental enough to imagine they might think of me....
No more Mister Nice Ocean
For most of the time we've been here, the Atlantic has been rather like and endless lake with one or two foot waves. This morning it turned ugly.
Some storm far out at sea or a ten mile an hour increase in the wind from the south--which ever--there have been 3 to 5 foot whitecaps crashing one after another as the tide comes in.
The ocean giveth and the ocean taketh away....
Some storm far out at sea or a ten mile an hour increase in the wind from the south--which ever--there have been 3 to 5 foot whitecaps crashing one after another as the tide comes in.
The ocean giveth and the ocean taketh away....
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Congregations of Sea Birds
Tim and I were watching a couple of dozen of seabirds (different kinds of gulls, sandpipers, some smaller birds) standing on the beach, all looking in the same direction. This is not unusual here on Oak Island. Yesterday I walked a mile to the west and back and saw three such gatherings. The groupings can be 10 or 12 or upwards of 50--standing on the beach, all looking in the same direction.
I am confused and confounded by this behavior. It's like these congregations of birds say to each other, "hey, let's all stand on the beach and look in the same direction for no particular reason to confuse and confound the humans!"
And they all agree that's a wonderful idea.
And it works.
Tim and I just looked at each other and shook our heads, confused and confounded.
I am confused and confounded by this behavior. It's like these congregations of birds say to each other, "hey, let's all stand on the beach and look in the same direction for no particular reason to confuse and confound the humans!"
And they all agree that's a wonderful idea.
And it works.
Tim and I just looked at each other and shook our heads, confused and confounded.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Three sleeps...
One of the most disconcerting things about a one week vacation is that people start thinking about it ending long before it ends.
At dinner tonight, one of our number said, 'only two more days'...alas.
The thing is, there are two reasons I don't think like that: I'm no good at linear time and have to think real hard to figure out how many days are left and, every wonderful day here means I'm one day closer to getting home to my Puli.
It is embarrassing to admit how much I miss our dog. I haven't had a good night's sleep because when I wake up at home, I reach over and rub him and go back to sleep. (Sleep with me, sleep with my dog....) Here, he's not there to rub.
John and Bern and I have been talking about coming for two weeks next fall. The only thing that remains to work out is bringing Bela. It would involve drugging him to the gills, finding a pet friendly motel somewhere in the middle of Virginia and actually committing to what would be required to bring that awful dog we love so much.
When our children were small, we never came for less than three weeks--a couple of times for a month.
That kind of time at the ocean puts you in touch with the deep down rhythms of human beings. You start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. You lose track of what day it is (I do that because of age now, so being at the ocean for a month would completely un-stick me in time. You eat when you are hungry instead of at 'meal times'. You begin to roll like the ocean.
One reason I'm glad I don't live on a beach by an ocean is that I fear I'd come to take it for granted and not notice anymore how healing the waters' rolling truly is.
Two more glorious days, two days of travel with people I love. And then I'll go get Bela!
All that sounds great to me....
At dinner tonight, one of our number said, 'only two more days'...alas.
The thing is, there are two reasons I don't think like that: I'm no good at linear time and have to think real hard to figure out how many days are left and, every wonderful day here means I'm one day closer to getting home to my Puli.
It is embarrassing to admit how much I miss our dog. I haven't had a good night's sleep because when I wake up at home, I reach over and rub him and go back to sleep. (Sleep with me, sleep with my dog....) Here, he's not there to rub.
John and Bern and I have been talking about coming for two weeks next fall. The only thing that remains to work out is bringing Bela. It would involve drugging him to the gills, finding a pet friendly motel somewhere in the middle of Virginia and actually committing to what would be required to bring that awful dog we love so much.
When our children were small, we never came for less than three weeks--a couple of times for a month.
That kind of time at the ocean puts you in touch with the deep down rhythms of human beings. You start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. You lose track of what day it is (I do that because of age now, so being at the ocean for a month would completely un-stick me in time. You eat when you are hungry instead of at 'meal times'. You begin to roll like the ocean.
One reason I'm glad I don't live on a beach by an ocean is that I fear I'd come to take it for granted and not notice anymore how healing the waters' rolling truly is.
Two more glorious days, two days of travel with people I love. And then I'll go get Bela!
All that sounds great to me....
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Pelicans and a south facing beach
Long Beach, one of the three beaches on Oak Island, NC, faces south. Yaupon Beach faces East and Fort Caswell Beach faces north-east.
A south facing beach has the sun rise on your left, as you look out toward Cuba, and crosses overhead until it sets on your right. So, the sun is never directly in your eyes as you look at the Atlantic. It does heat you on both sides during the day.
We put up the state flag of West Virginia, as we do except when I forget to bring it, and it blows north almost all day. There are no insects here because the wind blows them inland. When the breeze comes from the north, go inside because the insects from the inlets and marshes of the island will be blown down to the beach! But that seldom happens.
Pelicans breed here. I didn't see many the first day or two, but today they are back: large, solemn, stately, flying in formations of 5 to 9 up and down the beach and diving for fish out in the water with a grace such a large, odd bird shouldn't possess.
I love Pelicans...would like to be one for a few hours but wouldn't agree to that for fear my avian mind would take over and I'd forget to come back....
A south facing beach has the sun rise on your left, as you look out toward Cuba, and crosses overhead until it sets on your right. So, the sun is never directly in your eyes as you look at the Atlantic. It does heat you on both sides during the day.
We put up the state flag of West Virginia, as we do except when I forget to bring it, and it blows north almost all day. There are no insects here because the wind blows them inland. When the breeze comes from the north, go inside because the insects from the inlets and marshes of the island will be blown down to the beach! But that seldom happens.
Pelicans breed here. I didn't see many the first day or two, but today they are back: large, solemn, stately, flying in formations of 5 to 9 up and down the beach and diving for fish out in the water with a grace such a large, odd bird shouldn't possess.
I love Pelicans...would like to be one for a few hours but wouldn't agree to that for fear my avian mind would take over and I'd forget to come back....
Liver pudding
I eat stuff at the beach that I don't eat the rest of the year.
Like liver pudding--fried up with eggs for breakfast.
Liver 'pudding' used to be called liver 'mush', according to Sherry, who the only true 'Southerner' among us, having been born in South Carolina. (John, Bern, Mimi and I were all born in West Virginia, which isn't 'southern' but Appalachia. Tim was born and bred in Massachusetts-so we don't know mush about liver pudding.)
Sherry believes that they changed the name because people were turned off by the concept of 'mush'. I don't buy that because I think people who were turned off by 'liver mush' will be equally grossed out by 'liver pudding' since it's the 'liver' they're reacting to in the first place.
There is some kind of liver in liver pudding and corn meal, for sure. Beyond that, I can't tell you what's in it, even though the package is in the refrigerator and I could go look at the ingredients. But, truth be told, I don't want to know what's in it! I only eat it at the beach and it is tasty fried crisp with an egg on top and I probably couldn't eat it if I knew all the ingredients.
Some things are better tasting shrouded in mystery.
Like liver pudding--fried up with eggs for breakfast.
Liver 'pudding' used to be called liver 'mush', according to Sherry, who the only true 'Southerner' among us, having been born in South Carolina. (John, Bern, Mimi and I were all born in West Virginia, which isn't 'southern' but Appalachia. Tim was born and bred in Massachusetts-so we don't know mush about liver pudding.)
Sherry believes that they changed the name because people were turned off by the concept of 'mush'. I don't buy that because I think people who were turned off by 'liver mush' will be equally grossed out by 'liver pudding' since it's the 'liver' they're reacting to in the first place.
There is some kind of liver in liver pudding and corn meal, for sure. Beyond that, I can't tell you what's in it, even though the package is in the refrigerator and I could go look at the ingredients. But, truth be told, I don't want to know what's in it! I only eat it at the beach and it is tasty fried crisp with an egg on top and I probably couldn't eat it if I knew all the ingredients.
Some things are better tasting shrouded in mystery.
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