Another Unusual Deck Visitor

I stepped outside and what a surprise! There on our deck sat a Worm-eating Warbler. We are on the fringes of its territory, but I had never seen one. Perhaps he was after some of the Kamikaze Katydids we find every morning. Because of his posture I suspect he had been stunned and was recovering. So I quickly took a photograph even though conditions were less than ideal and went inside. We have found that approaching stunned birds often causes them to fly before they have recovered.





He was a beautiful bird and he took off quickly and expertly. Perhaps he was not stunned after all, but I'm glad I didn't take any chances. Interestingly enough, the Worm-eating Warbler does not eat earthworms at all. But he loves caterpillars which many people call worms. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (here) calls this bird "drab." To their credit they do mention that he is "elegantly marked." I thought he was beautiful. And another lifer. And right here on my deck. And we're not even getting the migrating birds yet!

Fridays are Golden

It's been a quiet week for us. We are finally having some "normal" weather with cool nights, warm days, and afternoon thunderstorms. The Golden Girls are energized by the brisk mornings and they romp and play until they are tired.

When it's time to relax, Lucy waits for Ellie to lie down. Then she goes over to lie on the same bed. I don't think Ellie really likes it, but it seems too much bother to get up and move. Besides, she was there first.

Other times Lucy relaxes in rather odd positions. I don't understand how the hard rung of the chair could be a comfortable pillow but it seems to suit her just fine.

The following photograph is for my daughter who always brings new toys when she visits. This one was supposed to make a very funny picture for my blog, but no matter how hard we tried, neither dog would put it properly in her mouth. I fear, dear daughter, that this may be the best we can do.

As I look out the window, I can see that the trees are beginning to lose their glossy green and are becoming a bit dusky. A sure sign that summer is ending and fall is on the way. I'm looking forward to the migration and do hope we catch the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks we missed during spring migration.

While this week has been quiet for us here on the mountain, it has been far from quiet throughout the rest of the country and the world. Spend some time this weekend thinking of those in need. Spend less time feeling sorry for yourself and reflect more on those who are suffering at levels we cannot even imagine.

HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Another Deck Visitor

I walked into the room and saw a bird clinging to the window screen. I grabbed the camera for this shot. Thinking the bird might be caught in the wire, I quietly went out the other door to see if I could help. All right! I also wanted a clear photograph!!! But my primary mission was to help the bird.

The bird was not stuck at all. It immediately flew into the woods and I didn't get a photograph.

We are in the marginal range of the Black and White Warbler and rarely see them. They act rather like nuthatches, creeping along the bark of trees searching for insects. Wonder if there were bugs on the screen?

Interesting that within a week's time I have come upon two warblers that we don't often see. I also won a drawing from The Thundering Herd (here), and from Vicki Lane (here). Our local bird expert wrote about my Blue-winged Warbler sighting in her weekly newspaper column. I'm feeling pretty lucky. Maybe it's time to buy a lottery ticket. Oh, and since we don't like gambling around here it is the North Carolina Education Lottery since a bit of the money goes to the schools. Did you know they have scratch-offs that cost TWENTY dollars?

She Holds a Century of Culture

We met her three years ago quite by accident. We were visiting a local glass artisan's shop and she was sitting on the screened porch having a glass of lemonade. Such an engaging and friendly person, she struck up a conversation with us. (All modesty aside, my husband and I are pretty engaging and friendly too. All right...we ARE friendly.) We sat down on the porch and had a wonderful 30-minute chat with Vera Stinson.



It quickly became apparent that Vera (she insisted that we call her Vera) was the genuine article. A real North Carolina mountain woman. We chatted for quite some time and found that we had many things in common. I could have listened to her all day, but too soon she had to leave. Before she left, she asked us how old we thought she was. We absolutely declined to hazard a guess. (Been burned with that one before.) "Well," she said, "If the good Lord sees fit, I'll be 97 on August 19th." We were appropriately surprised. She is both physically and mentally in very good health. Holding herself erect, she didn't even use a cane.


(Photograph from The Transylvania Times, taken last month)


We soon discovered that Vera Stinson is a living legend around here. She was born August 19, 1910 in Cedar Mountain, not far from where we live. William Howard Taft was the President and the United States population was 92 million. The average life expectancy for women was 51.8 years of age. The average annual salary was $750.00.



Vera, widely known as a keeper of oral history started writing a book at age 90. The book's title gives some insight into Vera's love for words. She chose Stumbling Blocks Were Stepping Stones in Appalachia because her family always met their challenges and crises and overcame them.



This is Vera's book. Her parents are pictured on the cover standing in front of the "old homeplace."

(This photograph is our own copy. She inscribed it: 'Best wishes to R and Carolyn; friends of mine from Cinti, Ohio.' She had been delighted that we once had lived in Cincinnati and she had lived there as well, so that made us her friends from Cinti.)

The book tells the story of her family, and of life in the mountains so long ago. It is filled with anecdotes and while it may not be great literature, it gives a reflection of life in the mountains over the last century. It tells of a time when singing, talking and story telling made up the evenings in family circles around the fire. Vera clearly loves to tell stories and who cares if they are embellished a bit?

Vera gives the following advice in her book:
"Don't begin to write a book when you are ninety years old and complete it when you are ninety-five. At this age your mind plays tricks on you...as you read, try to imagine how it was to grow up in a family of ten in what was then a wilderness...I'll admit that writing these stories was more difficult than telling. When I tell my stories, you hear my enthusiasm for my mountains. As you read my story, I hope the words will convey what my heart feels for these hills."

Vera, I don't think your mind is playing any tricks on you yet. And we do feel the enthusiasm as we read the stories.

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY, VERA!

Fridays are Golden

It's easier to find a personal physician than it is to find the right veterinarian. Long before we found our own physicians when we moved back to NC, we took the girls to their new vet. We very much liked him and his approach to us and to our dogs. After examining them, he said they were "within a pound of perfection." (They had gained a little weight while our friend was caring for them.) He asked us about their food. We had always fed them the food recommended by the breeder. Our vet diplomatically said that he wasn't particularly fond of that food because it contained too much grain. Then he added that our dogs were so healthy with wonderful coats, teeth, and gums that he would not change their diet since they seemed to thrive on it.

This summer Lucy began having occasional GI problems. Our vet thought this might be a good time to change their food. So we did.

When my husband leaves the house for any length of time, the girls get up as soon as they hear his car. They run to the laundry room waiting for him to come inside.

The instant they hear the car door open they each go closer to the door. Lucy, of course, must be first in line.

On this occasion my husband had been to the pet store to get a new supply of dog food. They have been on this new food for a couple of months and they really like it.

They check out the bag just like they check out everything we bring in.

Lucy carefully reads the label to make certain we have the right thing.

She checks it out from top to bottom.

Although Ellie can probably read, she prefers looking at the pictures.

The "new" dog food is Taste of the Wild. This particular formula has roasted venison and roasted bison. It is grain free, and contains sweet potatoes, berries, and tomatoes instead. It contains 32% protein. Our previous food (Iams Large Breed) contained only 22% protein and a lot of grain including barley, corn, and sorghum grain. I have no idea whether or not the higher grain food was a contributing factor in Lucy's GI problems, but I do feel better that we switched. The girls have no opinion at all. They will wolf down anything they are given.

A quick change of subject here, but I cannot think of another way to transition.

Our Nation and the rest of the world are full of problems and disasters. As I have listened to the news it seems very clear to me that we are becoming more and more polarized. It has always been true that non-political issues are politicized, especially during election years. But this year seems to be the worst. People are becoming ever more intolerant of others who do not share their religious views, political views, skin color, or life styles.

Kofi Annan said these important words:

"We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic, or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity."

None of us individually can make the Nation or the world more tolerant of others. We can (and must) be more tolerant ourselves, and teach that tolerance to our children. So make a pledge this weekend to be more accepting of others and less vocal about criticizing those who are different.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Another Year of Freshmen

Every year Beloit College in Wisconsin provides information about the mindset of the incoming freshman class. Most of the Class of 2014 were born in 1992. Here are some facts about them. You can find the complete Mindset List here.

- Few of these students know how to write in cursive.

- A fourth of this class has at least one parent who is an immigrant.

- Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.

- The haven't likely seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.

- Their computers have always had a CD-ROM drive.

- They likely don't recognize that pointing to one's wrist is a request for the time of day. They rarely wear watches but check the time on their cell phones.

-Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

- They first heard of Michelangelo as a computer virus.

- Ruth Bader Ginsbursg has always sat on the Supreme Court.

- They have never worred about a Russian missle strike on the U.S.

- They seldom write letters or otherwise use "snail mail."

- DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed for them.

- The first computers they used are now likely found in museums.

- Queen Elizabeth declared the year they were born as an "Annus Horribilis." (Though the reasons were unrelated to their births."

- There has always been a free-trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Check out the complete list. You are sure to find it interesting.

I will add one thing that was not listed. Brett Favre was traded to the Green Bay Packers the year they were born. BTW: he recently flew back to Minnesota. Wonder if he will retire? Or retire and change his mind? I do need to get a life, don't I?

It Pays to Consult the Birding Experts

I am NOT an expert at bird identification, especially warblers, and especially juvenile warblers. I saw a little yellow bird on Friday but couldn't get a photograph. As luck would have it, he hopped onto the deck on Saturday while I had my camera at the ready trying to find something of interest.

I wasn't at all sure what kind of bird it might be. I thought it was likely a Pine Warbler or possibly a Common Yellowthroat. We had not seen any adult Pine Warblers recently, but we had seen adult yellowthroats. I sent the photographs to a local bird expert.

Imagine my surprise when she told me it was a juvenile Blue-Winged Warbler! A lifer for me, and I had no idea. There are no records of breeding pairs in our county, so it seems this little guy might have wandered over a neighboring county where they are rare, but nesting pairs have been documented.




I won't even complain that it was such a cloudy day and the pictures would have been so much better with in the sunshine.

I was content to have gotten the photograph and glad that I was skeptical enough to seek an expert's opinion. My thanks to all of you who are experts and willing to share your knowledge. Oh, I can't wait for the fall migration!