Follow the Poop

Although I have no photographic evidence of poop, I swear it is the way to find birds in tall trees! I suspect in a few years I'll see someone has clicked on this post and wonder to myself, what the heck was that about? Today, however, I know just what it means.

Yesterday morning, dressed already in my biking outfit, I allowed myself to become entangled in the World Wide Web, this time on decorating topics. Specifically, pom pom trim on white draperies. Another day...

Anyway, the doorbell rings, and it is Sue who immediately grabs her phone out of her bike basket, saying, "you've got to see this!" Was I ever jealous when she showed me a photograph on her phone of a big, fat, owl sitting smack dab in front of her on a hedge. So, so close, her hands were shaking.

We spent the next hour catching up as it has been far too long since we saw each other, mostly because her increasingly successful vintage wedding rental company is taking more and more of her time. When it was time for her to leave, I got on my bike to ride her home, but first we took a little detour to see if we could see an owl again as it was just across the road on a street in the beautiful Southern Oaks neighborhood. Parking our bikes on the sidewalk, we begin scanning the overhead trees with no success. After a while, I'm about ready to give up, however, Sue wants to keep looking and so we do, splitting up between the two yards where they have been spotted in the past. Looking up is good, but looking down is the real ticket. Big, fat, white spots of poop on the driveway, or sidewalk, is a sure sign.

Anyway, Sue is about two houses away from me when I almost freak out seeing this little guy on the side of a tree.

Not wanting to scare it away I remain silent while trying to figure out how to set my camera! Auto should do it, but, it did not--too dark. I changed the ISO setting to 1000 (film speed in old days), still it was not great, but when presented with a shot of a lifetime, you just keep going, hoping you can lighten it up. Sue started coming my way, asking if I saw something. Nodding and putting my finger to my lips, she came closer, but not before he scooted up the tree.

It took me a little bit before I realized it was an owlet, maybe half grown? He grabbed onto the tree for support, looking straight at the camera! 

The two of us just stood there in awe of nature. Before long he made a leap, flying to an adjacent tree.

Pretty big wings for a juvenile, but don't take my word for it, I know nothing about owls! I do recognize the down of a youngster however. From there he took another leap of faith, and flew way up overhead. From the poop spots we found both the mother and father, or so that's what we think. As you can imagine, the two of us were pretty darn excited. 

It was on my bike ride home that I remembered what setting I could change on the camera to really adjust the outcome--exposure compensation! Rarely do I ever do anything like that but in this case I had to give it a try, going back in the afternoon to check on the baby. It works! Much better.

Now you can really see all his downy cuteness! That said, I will NEVER, EVER, get a shot like the tree hugging one. I watched him awhile, finding the parents all in the same tree, unlike before when they were spread between three trees. That said, I can only find two in this shot, whereas yesterday I thought I saw three. How about you?

While watching little guy, I saw him start to walk along the branch and nearly fall while doing so!

See his little beak, and one wing out, trying to get his balance again? Ah...the cuteness!

Waking up this morning I had grand plans of going back for another session of watching until I came across the note, written just last night (!), beside my tea kettle--dentist @ 8 for a cleaning. Bummer.

So, instead of owls, and because they are near the dentist office I took a little drive through the peacock neighborhood. My word there are a bunch of juvenile males over there! How would you like your front yard to look like this?

Their feathers are growing--this guy already has his.

I always find the back nearly as intriguing as the front, don't you?  Imagine supporting all that...Look who walked by, ignoring the peacock's best effort?

So, those couple of streets have at the very least 50 roaming peacocks who can be quite loud. Closer to home, the other day Bruce called out to me, saying, "honey, there is a bird eating your flowers!" A first, I had to see it for myself, not that I doubted him or anything, but it is so unusual. The camera does not lie.

Before long there was nary a red bloom on that salvia!

Matt posted just the other day about their garden in London with multiple blooming fruit trees filling the air with a lovely fragrance. In an example of the apple does not fall far from the tree, I had been thinking earlier that same day about how fragrant it has been around here, what with the magnolias blooming, as well as the flowering shrubs. Bonus points for a Monarch!

 On that same huge ligustrum, there was this adorable little moth.

Oh shoot, I forgot to post one more peacock photo that I thought might interest you. Rarely have I seen one fly, lots of walking and strutting, but flying, not so much. After parking my car, I saw one in a tree that before long flew to the ground. Although the photo is blurry, what interested me is that now I know what those brown feathers are for!

Looks like my hands were shaking too! That said, I can see the peacocks any day of the week, but an owlet??? I may be obsessed...

So, those are my tips for the day--follow the poop when stalking for big birds, and use exposure compensation when your camera thinks you have adequate light, and you know that you don't. I ended up at +2.

May an owlet sighting be in your future, not to mention a friend named Sue!

Gail

Mrs. Peck Does a Little Shopping

Mrs. Peck indeed. Despite being unfashionable these days, I became Mrs. Peck in August 1973, and Mrs. Peck I shall remain.

Oftentimes, while I'm sitting at my desk, either writing or going through photographs, Baxter likes to make himself comfortable behind me, using up almost all of the available space.

There's just something about the material that he loves rubbing himself against. Perhaps I should scratch him more?

Before I left for the mall, I ate lunch while reading the newspaper. Yet another unfashionable thing I do! As is often the case, I'm struck most by the obituaries, reading about people's accomplishments which seemed so important at the time. That will be all of us my friends.

Anyway, a woman, aged 94 died whose obituary was particularly fascinating because among other things, her grandfather told Marjorie K. Rawlings about the flora and fauna of Florida while Marseille (the deceased) sat on the porch listening! "The Yearling" came from those sessions. So, she was a master seamstress, tailor, and hatmaker, "but will be remembered for being a home room mother in her daughters third grade class, where she baked intricately designed cookies and hand decorated each with multiple designs which not only delighted the children then, but those cookies are still remembered." And I quote.

Doing the math, that little cookie baking episode had to be, at the very least 40 years ago! Probably more like 50. How is it possible that during the ensuing years nothing more memorable occurred in her life? Will my children include my stint as PTA President, and the like? Will I get credit for attending every sporting event all four ever participated in? Please don't leave me Orlando Sentinel, even with all of your flaws, you have been a part of my daily life for longer than I can remember!

Where was I? Oh yeah, Millenium Mall where all the rich kids shop. Who else would wear this kind of get up for gardening?

Actually, I love the window displays, no matter how silly. Particularly this time of the year they are so colorful, including this new Kate Spade store. Hello Orlando indeed.

Colorful handbags galore at Bloomingdales Coach display:

I am way too practical to buy most of these handbags but they sure are fun to look at. More my speed is this $15 (awesome sale price) orange handbag, which because of the price tag, I can use only occasionally.

If I spent $300 on a handbag I'd feel as if I needed to carry it 24/7! Here's a cute little bag featuring my beloved orange:

Pretty clever huh?

My niece Lib surely already knows about this find from Urban Outfitters, being a big-time Ryan Gosling fan and all.

 For only $15 you too can have a cool coloring book.

I walked through the entire mall noting stores closed, or moved. Chatting with the employees at Papyrus, I learned H&M is coming to Millenia which will make some people quite happy. I had several things in mind for Bruce, however, I came home with very little. He is pretty hard to shop for, so rather than buy him things he won't want or use, I'm thinking we'll go together and see if there's anything special he wouldn't buy for himself. To tell you the truth, a card will probably do just fine.

Today's shopping was nothing like yesterday's excursion. Because Sue has been so gracious by visiting me at the various places I've shown, I wanted to do the same for her. This weekend she and Kathy, her business partner in Vintage Chic Affairs, are participating in a wedding show at College Park Antiques, setting up a mock vintage wedding to showcase all they have to rent.

There is much more to this set up including this part:

And I thought our set up was a lot of work! I do so hope they get some customers from this!

In the front of the shop there are separate little spaces for rent, one of which, until recently was rented by my good friend Mary Whited. Anyway, I looked around, seeing what I could see. Mostly my family will be amused by this:

Why, you ask? We used to call our sister Carol, the big C.

I came across this chest which has to be pretty old because it has been some years since FSU was known as Florida State College for Women.

DO NOT ask me why I bought these funky vases because Lord knows I don't know what I'll do with them, but for $7.50 they were just too cool to pass up.

On the way home I did a little more mundane shopping at Publix, and now it is time to prepare the birthday boy his favorite meal.....meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn, here I come. Actually I've got loads of time as his plane does not land until 7. Tomorrow night, Bill and David along with the beautiful women they love, are taking us to Citrus Club downtown for a combo celebration--Mother's Day and the big 60. It's been more than a few years since we've been so I'm excited.

My work week begins in the morning, just as it is getting crazy hot again....