Over the Backyard Fence

Yesterday morning was one thing after another. I was putting on a pair of earrings and dropped one in the bathroom sink. Before I could grab it, it made a beeline for the drain. Luckily I was able to fish it out.

Later, hurrying out the door to meet a friend at church, I found myself wishing I had thought ahead and been prepared to invite her to my house for coffee afterward, but  I had not a crumb in the house to offer. 

I arrived at church a few minutes early, so that I would have time to read my daily meditation, only to find I had brought the wrong book.

I took a deep breath and instead of dwelling on the overwhelming sense of all that had happened this week, I focused on moments of grace.

❤ Having a cup of coffee and a quiet chat with Dan earlier that morning before he left for softball.

❤ A text from my friend Kathy ‘sending a hug, in case you need it this morning.’

❤ The satisfaction I get from filling the bird feeder in the back yard, anticipating all the visitors that will arrive.

❤ A fellow parishioner who bedazzled her cane with shiny stick-on ‘gems’

❤ A lovely comment from a fellow blogger who I missed seeing when she took an extended break from blogging  

It seemed ironic that the Gospel reading was about Jesus telling the apostles to ‘put out into deep water, and cast your nets.’ And the nets that had previously been empty were full to the breaking point. Fr. John urged us that, when in despair, ‘cast your net again,’ and you will find grace in your life.

That is what Friday’s Fave Five does for me each week. There are challenges and hurdles all around, but there are so many reasons to feel gratitude as well.

Happy Friday.

Some of the birds I count are those I see flying overhead. These are usually the larger ones, such as Sandhill Cranes, a Bald Eagle, Double-crested Cormorants. Flocks of American White Pelicans frequent my airspace in springtime. One afternoon a Red-tailed Hawk perched on my next door neighbor’s roof, so I counted him.

I’m surprised by some of the birds that have actually landed in my yard. A Great Horned Owl scared the breath out of me one night. I was letting the dog in at the backdoor and suddenly heard and felt a rush of air just a few feet overhead. The owl flew over the roof, and I quickly ran to the front door to see if he was still nearby. Sure enough, he was, perched on a lamp post, a mere shadow in the darkness.

Cooper’s Hawks often perch on my backyard fence. We dubbed one frequent visitor Bradley. Our bird feeders provide a banquet of delicacies for these opportunistic carnivores. One day, Bradley was so bold as to perch on top of the feeder.

Lively passerines delight me the most. Chickadees, Juncos, Bushtits, Goldfinches, an occasional House Wren. I’ve been surprised by Cedar Waxwings and love hearing the call of Spotted Towhees. A Say’s Phoebe was a daily visitor for a week last fall.

The noisiest visitors are the Blue Jays, crows, and woodpeckers. Northern Flickers are common, as are Downy Woodpeckers. The most unexpected visitor was a Lazuli Bunting who paused for a few minutes on the wire above the yard two summers ago.

I keep my feeders stocked with seed and suet to entice visitors. A heated bird bath for the winter, and year-round solar fountains further encourage avian callers. Two nest boxes provide House Sparrows and Black-capped Chickadees a place to raise their families.

What I spend on bird food and maintenance is more than made up for the delight of witnessing nature right in my own backyard.

Joyce provides us with questions for this fun post each Wednesday. Here’s the link to join in! 

1. August 19th is National Aviation Day...do you like to fly? Last time you were on an airplane? The date is chosen in honor of the history and development of aviation, and celebrated on the birthday of Orville Wright. Have you ever been to the Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina? The city of Dayton in Ohio (their birthplace)

I do not like to fly. I don’t have a fear of flying, it’s just that I find the whole experience quite exhausting these days. In addition to that, my slightly over 6-foot frame doesn’t fit well in most airline seats, so I tolerate flying but don’t enjoy it. I can’t even remember the last time I was on a plane. I think it was fall of 2024? 

I’ve been to Dayton, but not for the Wright Brothers. Years ago, I took a road trip with my youngest two kids and we stopped in Dayton to visit the National Museum for the United States Air Force. There are hundreds of planes and we spent half a day wandering through. Here’s a photo of Luke and Emily in front of the C124 Globemaster. My dad was a crew member on this aircraft in the 50s. I wrote about the experience in a post linked here.

I ‘wing it’ most days. I start out with a list, but tend to hop around a lot, unless it’s a scheduled appointment. I set a plan for dinner (most days), and have a general idea of what I want to accomplish.

3. A favorite book, song, or movie that relates to flight in some way?  

Some of my favorite books are the diaries and letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, author and aviator. She accompanied her husband Charles Lindbergh, as his radio operator and navigator, on many exploratory flights all over the world. Favorite song: Jason Aldean’s Flyover States.

4. Soft serve, gelato, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or good old fashioned ice cream...what's your pleasure? Your favorite flavor? How often do you indulge? 

Ice cream, please! Frozen yogurt is an okay substitute. Vanilla is my favorite flavor, sometimes with toppings, and often just by itself in a cake cone. We always have ice cream in our freezer, so I’ll let you figure out how often I indulge ;)

5. I never get tired of______________________. 

Searching through bookstores, fresh flowers, seeing a text from one of my kids, my husband’s hand holding mine. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Totally random: Yesterday I bought a magazine with fall recipes and a new bundt pan (to replace the old, scratched one - the only piece of kitchen equipment my husband brought to our marriage 42 years ago).

School started this week, so our street is busier than ever for about 30 minutes each morning. As I type this, the sound of tires rushing on pavement fills the air. At the end of the block is the local high school and a couple of blocks further up is the middle school. Groups of students walk or bike to both schools each morning. It will quiet down soon, but in the meantime I do’t mind the traffic is friendly for the most part.

This morning there’s a touch of fall in the air. I’m not one to rush the seasons, but am relieved that the dog days of summer have passed. 

Outside my window . . . A workbench that we removed from the garage sits at the curb with Brooklynn’s handwritten ‘FREE’ sign taped to the front. It would be nice if someone came and picked it up. If it’s still there at the end of the week, Dan will dismantle it and discard the wood.

Listening to . . . 🍎 music . . . Jason Mraz I’m Yours

Goldfinches . . . frequent the feeder these days. They nest in August, and the trees in our backyard seem to appeal to them. I love seeing their brilliant yellow breeding plumage accented by black wings and black caps.

What I’m reading these days. . . I just finished The Mayfair Bookshop by Eliza Knight. It’s historical fiction, about 1930s London socialite Nancy Mitford. I know little about the infamous family, and  while I didn’t love the book, it’s always interesting to learn about the WWII era, and to think about how other people live. Curious family. I’m mulling over what book to start next. I have a couple of new ones, but I’m also feeling a bit like settling in with an old favorite. Marcia Davenport’s Valley of Decision comes to mind.

On the barbecue . . . the last couple of nights have been cool enough to eat outdoors. We had salmon last night and the night before barbeque chicken. It’s been fun gathering family around our new patio table, as we haven’t had much opportunity with how hot it’s been this summer.

In the garden . . . garden pots are looking a bit faded, while the rosebushes are coming into another bloom. Our neighbor is so generous in sharing her veggies with us, and zucchini cake is on the menu for dessert later this week.

A favorite photo . . . our daughter-in-law sent me this photo of our son and his youngest. I made it into my phone screensaver and it makes me smile every time. 

The heat wave that’s covered us for the past few weeks has lifted a bit, with a little bit of rain each day. That is something for which I’m very grateful. Here are five others for Friday’s Fave Five.

Summer colors ~ lemon, sherbet, lime, mango ~ Summer brings out colors to wear that I typically do not. I thought about this one day this week when I pulled out a bright peach t-shirt to wear. How these colors make me feel better during the hot, HOT days of August. I’m thankful for eyes to see all the beautiful colors of the world.

A quiet encounter ~ On a walk at a state park yesterday, I came upon a pair of deer. The doe was already settled in the thick brush of the forest floor. The buck was eyeing me warily. We gazed at each other for a minute or so, and then he calmly folded his legs and nestled down next to his mate. I stayed put (I was on a boardwalk, just above him, so there was no danger), and continued to listen for a bird that was being elusive. He tolerated me a moment more when I snapped his photo. I’m thankful for this shared moment with such a beautiful creature.

Working together ~ Dan and I joined forces yesterday and finally cleaned out a corner of the garage! The extra space will allow more room to park both vehicles inside. It felt good to get rid of a bunch of stuff, and it took so little time with both of us working on it together. I’m thankful for the time and sense of accomplishment we shared.

Pizza Night ~ Every Thursday, we go to my Dad and Carol’s for pizza night. It’s a tradition! I love the sense of freedom it gives me all day to not have to worry about fixing dinner. And we really enjoy the company of ‘just’ the four of us. It’s a different dynamic than when we have our usual family gatherings, which are lots of fun, but a different experience because of the bigger numbers. I’m thankful to have precious time with loved ones.

Being playful ~ Dan and I joined Joe to play Top G🏌LF one morning. We laughed a lot, enjoyed being where it was nice and cool and not on a regular course, and I even won. One game. But, hey, I won, which doesn’t often happen with these two. I’m thankful for these two awesome men in my life!

Happy Friday 💜

Time is crazy isn't it? So...what were you up to in the year 2002? 

I was a stay-at-home mom with three kids ages 13, 9, and 5. My mother had passed away just two years before, and I was still feeling pretty untethered as I tried to keep up with an active family and a husband who traveled quite a bit. Still, they were such good years. I had the support of my women’s group at church, some good friends, and family who lived close by. It was a tender, exciting time in the life of our little family.

2. "Me? I'm scared of everything..." What's something that scares you that you'd like to try anyway? 

I’m timid around horses. I used to feel comfortable riding, but an accident when I was in junior high school shook my confidence, and while I continued to ride a bit, I gradually became more fearful. A few years ago, I volunteered at a stable where they did horse therapy, just to get used to being around horses again. I would love to try riding again, but for now it is enough just to be in their company.

3. Watermelon-yay or nay? Which melon is your favorite-watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew. Of the watermelon food/beverages listed which would you say yes to...

No thank you, on anything watermelon. 🍉 I like cantaloupe.

4. August 12th is National Middle Child Day. Are you a middle child? If not, where do you fall in the birth order in your family of origin? Do you think this has influenced your personality? Elaborate. 

I am the second born of four children, and the only girl. So, I kind of feel like a middle child/first born. Middle in that I’m not the oldest or youngest, but first born because I was the only girl and was depended on a lot to wrangle those boys. Lol!

5. Would you rather talk to everyone at a crowded party for a short time, or have a significant conversation with two people? Explain. 

Conversation with just a couple of people.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was out for a walk this morning and came upon this section of trail. It reminds me of an enchanted woods. In the winter, white twinkle lights are strewn through the trees, and when it snows it looks so pretty.

On another section of the trail, I looked over and there were two deer not far away. We looked at one another for a minute, the doe was lying down, and then the stag lay down, too, but continued to watch me. Such a magical morning!